‘NDIS roll out in Tasmania and South Australia’ Webinar Questions and Responses

Thank you for participating in the webinars on the roll out of the NDIS in Tasmania and South Australia.We received many questions and comments and thank you for providing your input and feedback.

With over 600 people participating over the two webinars, we were unable to answer every question. The questions and comments received during the live webinars have been grouped together into identified themes.

In most cases answers to the questions raised during the webinars can be found on our website. If you have further questions you can also contact us on 1800 800 110 or send us an email using the contact form on the website.

Questions about individual circumstances

During the webinar we received a number of questions relating to individual or personal circumstances. The NDIS is basedon an understanding that everyone’s needs, preferences and goals are different. Meeting the NDIS access requirements will depend on a number of factors including where you live, what services you currently receive, as well as the impacts of your disabilityon your everyday life.

Under the NDIS legislation, your eligibility to access to the NDIS is based on your individual circumstances and for this reason we are unable to provide a response to questions asking whether an individual would be eligible to access the NDIS.

To see if you may meet the access requirements visit the NDIS Access Checklist.

Transitioning to the NDIS

The NDIS is very different to the disability support system we have known. To ensure that the new arrangements work as well as possible the transition to the NDIS in Tasmania and South Australia will be gradual.

We understand the change from existing supports to the NDIS can be a worrying experience for some participants and their families.

If you are currently receiving disability support, these arrangements will remain in place until the NDIS is available in your area and your plan begins.

As people transition to the NDIS, all of their support needs – including their current arrangements – will be considered.

For more information on what the change to the NDIS might be like for you visit the NDIS in Tasmania or NDIS in South Australia.

NDIS roll out in other states

Each State and Territory Government is working with the Commonwealth Government toward reaching agreement on full roll out of the NDIS in that State or Territory. It is critical we build a sustainable NDIS through a carefully managed roll out that gives service providers some time to grow enough to meet the needs of their clients.

This is the largest social policy reform in Australia’s history, and we need to make sure it stands the test of time.

The NDIS is expected to be rolled out in all States and Territories (except Western Australia) by 2019/20.

The NDIS planning process

The planning and assessment process is focused on the NDIS participant.It uses goal-based planning to consider each participant’s strengths. Itaims to maximisechoice and independence for participants to the greatest extent possible

Identifying existing supports, as well as other support needs, is an importantpart of the planning and assessment process.

More information is available at the planning process page.

The NDIA is aware of the importance of its frontline staff in helping people with disability achieve an ordinary life, and we are committing considerable resources in training and supporting these officers.

Comprehensive training is provided by the NDIA to ensure that our planners have the necessary skills to work with participants throughout the planning and assessment process.

Planners come from a variety of backgrounds with a broad range of experience and qualifications. Some planners have an allied health background and many have lived experience of disability – some will have a disability themselves, some will have a family member with disability and some will have been in a formal support role for people with disability.

Our staff have access to specialised technical support and knowledge which will help them in their dealings with participants, families and carers.

The NDIS and carers

The NDIS will ensure that people with disability are given every opportunity to make their own decisions and exercise choice and control. We recognise that the role of families and carers is essential in supporting people with disability to realise these goals and will include them in discussions about planning and supports.

The NDIS will provide information and referrals to ensure families and carers are able to access supports in the community to assist them in their role.

The types of supports that the NDIS may fund that may have, direct or indirect, benefits for carers include:

•personal care to support an individual in their home or the community

•supports to assist people with disability to enjoy social and community interaction without relying solely on you

•assistance with tasks of daily living including to help improve a person’s ability to do things

•training related to the caring role that may enhance your ability to provide care.

Further details can be found in the ‘Supports the NDIS will Fund in Relation to Family Support’ fact sheet.

For more information about being a carer, you may wish to visit Carers Australia.

Role of advocates

There was also discussion in the live chat regarding the role of advocates, carers and support workers in the planning process and the benefit of having them involved when the participant’s communication skills are limited.

Participants are able to have a support person with them during their discussions with their NDIA representative. This could be a family member, friend, carer or support worker.The needs, strengths and capacities of carers are also considered as part of the planning and assessment process.

Formally appointed guardians or nominees of people with disability play an important role in the NDIS to represent the interest of the person and they can contact us on behalf of the person.

Working with people with intellectual disability

We are aware of the need to protect the rights and ensure the full participation of people with intellectual disability with the NDIS. This year the NDIA Independent Advisory Council (IAC) set up an Intellectual Disability Reference Group to advise the Council on the effectiveness of the Scheme design and how we engage and connect better with people with intellectual disability to enable them to live a good life.

You can read more about the work of this group in a recent newsletter.

Working with people from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds

There were several questions regarding how we are addressing the challenge of reaching cultural and linguistically diverse communities.

The NDIA will work on strong and effective relationships with communities, drawing on mainstream, Indigenous and culturally diverse organisations to ensure that people with disability have access to suitable community based services and organisations.

In the meantime the NDIA is working on resources including a cultural and linguistically diverse engagement strategy.

Resources currently available in languages other than English can be found on the NDIS website.

NDIS and mental health

There were a number of questions during the webinars regarding the NDIS and mental health. Last year, to mark Mental Health Week, we hosted a webinar on psychosocial disability and the NDIS on 7 October 2015.

Our panel discussed how the NDIS is working with people with psychosocial disability and how people are using the Scheme to improve their lives.The NDIA is committed to making sure the Scheme works well for people with a psychosocial disability.

The webinar provided information about accessing the Scheme, how people with psychosocial disability are using the Scheme and opportunities for providers.

Further information on this event can be found on the Webinar page.

NDIS and employment

The NDIS aims to improve the economic and social participation of all participants. Many participants will be engaged in employment or may be seeking employment. The NDIS, employers and employment assistance services will all play an important role in supporting participant’s employment.

The NDIS will fund supports that enable participants to participate in employment, where these supports are required by the participant to participate in a range of community activities.

The factsheet, Supports the NDIS will Fund in Relation to Employment offers more information on this topic.

Providers

If you provide services in an area that has been announced as commencing rollout of the NDIS from 1 July 2016 we encourage you to visit the NDIS website for more information on Providers.

People 65 and over receiving specialist disability services

The timing of entry for people with disability entering the scheme is as per the agreed schedule with each State and Territory. This includes people close to/or ages over 65 years. For information on when the NDIS is rolling out in your area visit: ndis.gov.au

If you are not NDIS eligible, you can still engage with existing Commonwealth and State Government health and aged care services around your support needs.

As a start, we would encourage you to visit myagedcare.gov.au to find out more, or call the Department of Social Services on 1800 200 422.

Proof of disability
So we can determine if you meet NDIS eligibility, you may need to provide the NDIA with evidence of your disability. Your medical practitioner can assist you in preparing this information.

You may not need to provide evidence if you are transitioning from specific existing services.

Given the NDIS is funded by taxpayer money, we need to ensure people who really need support get it, and the Scheme remains sustainable for future generations to come.

For more information on accessing the NDIS visit: ndis.gov.au