What we have heard report – NDIS Review

 

The Minister for the NDIS, Bill Shorten, asked for an *independent review* of the NDIS in October 2022.

An independent review means a *Review Panel* checks how the NDIS is working. The Review Panel is a group of people who are not part of the NDIS.

Here, Co-Chairs Lisa Paul AO PSM and Professor Bruce Bonyhady AM talk about the What we have heard report.

 

The aim of the review is for *participants* to

● be the focus of the NDIS
● trust the NDIS
● feel good about the NDIS.

Participants are people with disability who have an NDIS plan.

The review will find ways to

● make it easier for participants to access and use the NDIS
● help participants reach their goals
● make sure the NDIS is good value for money – now and in the future.

We have talked to many people over the past few months. For example

● people with disability and their families
● people who work in the disability sector
● *providers* (providers are people who run businesses in the disability sector)
● disability support groups.

We have also read many ideas about the NDIS from

● the Have Your Say online survey
● other reviews done in the past.

We will write a report about

● important issues
● areas we can make the NDIS better
● other information that is needed to help make good decisions.

We will give the report to Disability Ministers in October 2023.

 

What we found

There are 10 important areas we can make the NDIS better.

Many of the themes are connected.

After reading all the information we think there are 5 main issues to focus on.

 

Issue 1

Why is the NDIS the only support for people with disability?

When the NDIS started it was meant to be one of many programs for people with different disabilities.

The NDIS was meant to be for people with higher support needs.

Now the NDIS is the only program to support people with disability.

This means people without an NDIS plan do not get the supports they need.

Your ideas

We want to hear your ideas about

● how we can get systems working together
● how the programs might work.

 

Issue 2

What does *reasonable and necessary* mean?

The NDIS pays for supports that are reasonable and necessary.

For example

● supports that are needed
● supports that work
● supports that are good value for money.

Many people think the words reasonable and necessary are unclear.

These words have also made it hard to write NDIS plans that are good and fair.

Your ideas

We want to hear your ideas about reasonable and necessary supports.

For example, how can we be clearer about what the NDIS can and cannot fund?

 

Issue 3

Why are so many children joining the NDIS?

Many children join the NDIS and stay in the NDIS.

Families do not get the right supports to help their children reach their goals.

There is a focus on *diagnosis* rather than support needs. Diagnosis means a doctor does tests and decides if a child has a disability.

The NDIS is the main way to support children with disability.

Your ideas

We want to hear your ideas about different programs that might better support children with disability.

 

Issue 4

Why are there problems with *NDIS* markets*?

NDIS markets means buying and selling services and supports in the disability sector.

NDIS markets are not working as well as hoped.

There are not enough quality services and supports in the disability sector.

It is hard to find and keep good support workers.

Some providers focus more on making money than helping people reach their goals.

Your ideas

We want to hear your ideas about how NDIS markets could be better.

How can we make sure NDIS markets focus on meeting the needs of people with disability?

 

Issue 5

How do we balance costs and benefits?

The NDIS must fund

● supports for everyone in the scheme fairly
● different supports for people as their needs change over time.

Your ideas

We want to hear your ideas about how to manage NDIS costs so

● people’s needs are met
● governments can pay for the scheme in the future.

 

What we heard

We heard lots of ideas.

There were 10 important areas we can make the NDIS better.

Many of the themes are connected.

1.The planning process is hard and stressful for participants.
2.Support for people with disability is not funded or managed as a whole.
3.Many people do not understand what reasonable and necessary means.
4.Children and their families do not get the support they need to reach their goals and be part of the community.
5.NDIS markets are not working and many participants cannot find services they need.
6.The goals and outcomes of the NDIS are not clear.
7.We need better ways to check how NDIS funding helps people reach their goals.
8.The roles of different support people are confusing. For example, plan managers and support coordinators.
9.Many participants do not have much choice about where or how they live. New funding has not made housing choices better.
10.Lots of systems need to work together to make sure people with disability are safe and get good supports.

 

Tell us your ideas about how to change the NDIS

You can visit our website.
https://ndisreview.gov.au/have-your-say

You can tell us your ideas by 25 August 2023.

More information

Download this page in Easy Read Format.

For more information contact the NDIS Review team.

Visit https://ndisreview.gov.au
Email contactus@ndisreview.gov.au

Send a letter

NDIS Review Secretariat
Department of the Prime Minister
and Cabinet
PO Box 6500
Canberra ACT 2600

If you need help to hear or speak, contact the
National Relay Service.

Call 1300 555 727

Visit https://communications.gov.au/accesshub/nrs

If you need help with other languages, contact the Translating and Interpreting Service.

Visit https://tisnational.gov.au