About Us
What is NASCA?
The New Zealand Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination Association (NASCA) is the national body for organisations that provide assessments, planning, funding, and/or service coordination for people living with disabilities and mental health. NASCA is a not-for-profit incorporated society, governed by an Executive Committee, and with a vision to enable people to lead a good life.
Our Purpose
To strengthen and develop members through our work and partnerships, to enable people to identify their support needs and create greater choice and control over their lives.
NASCA is the Peak Body for organisations who hold a NASC contract or their work is aligned with the NASC work.
NASCA exists to support members to provide best practice to the disabled community. NASCA works directly with the Disability Support Services team and Ministry of Social Development, and Health New Zealand, Te Whatu Ora to ensure that policy is developed to support NASCs in the work that they do with disabled people.
NASCA develops policy, training materials, and facilitates peer support and networking to ensure that NASCs have the resources they need to offer the best possible services to disabled people. We honour our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi when delivering on these.
Regular groups and meetings are organised so NASCs can support each other in regard to a specific population of people, or special interests. NASCs contribute to the development of the policy and resources that NASCA create to ensure that they are valuable to our members.
Our Executive
NASCA is a not-for-profit incorporated society governed by an executive committee of between five and eight members. Our current executive includes:
Megan Thomas
Chair and Disability NASC voice
Susan Bowden
Health of Older Person’s voice and Deputy Chair
Beverley Carney
Health of Older Person’s NASC voice
Joy Lanini
Disability NASC voice
Andrew Neas
Mental Health NASC voice
Glenda Knox
Mental Health NASC voice
Adam Dade
Disability NASC voice
Barbara Walters
Disability NASC voice
Our executive committee is responsible for:
- setting the strategic direction for NASCA
- engagement with similar organisations and funders
- advocacy for members with policy makers and funders
- ensuring Members needs are informing our strategy and annual plan
- employing the Chief Executive and monitoring the performance of the organisation in line with the agreed strategy
Our CEO
Simone qualified as a Speech Language Therapist in Manchester in 1996. Working predominately with people with neurological impairments and complex communication impairments, she moved to New Zealand in 2000. Simone has worked in a range of services including primary care, secondary care, ACC, vocational rehab, neurorehab, special schools and tertiary education, she brings a breadth of experience to NASCA. Simone became the Service Manager of Support Works, the NASC for Health of Older Persons and Disability in Nelson Marlborough in 2013. Whilst working at Nelson Marlborough DHB she held the position of Portfolio Manager for Health of Older Persons and sat in the Strategy, Planning and Funding department for almost 10 years. Simone has been on the NASCA executive committee and worked with NASCA as the National Practice Manager before returning to NASCA as CEO.
Simone has combined her experience across a range of area in the health and disability sector. She has used her clinical training and combined this with her business knowledge that she gained via an MBA to ensure that the most efficient and effective delivery models provide the highest standards to the disabled people we serve. Simone also has twins who both have Autism and is an agent for their Individualized Funding.
Simone Newsham
CEO
Membership
If you would like to enquire about becoming a NASCA member please contact info@nznasca.co.nz