Laurie Leigh’s Post

📢 URGENT CALL TO ACTION 📢 The recent NDIS price review is a devastating setback for people with disabilities and the providers who support them. Barriers to high intensity support payments, yet again no increase for support coordination & therapy prices, and flawed cost models threaten essential services. Participants are vulnerable and providers are on the brink. We call on the NDIA to Reinstate loading for all registered providers of at least 1%. NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission National Disability Insurance Agency National Disability Services Bill Shorten Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3xNhLNb #4abetterNDIS #NDISReform #SupportPeopleWithDisabilities #SupportNDISregisteredproviders

🚨 Important Changes to the NDIS Legislation 🚨 As of today, 3rd October 2024, new legislative changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are in effect. These amendments are aimed at improving clarity, flexibility, and sustainability for participants and the disability community. Key updates include: - A new definition of NDIS supports - A revised planning framework with funding periods - Updated debt recovery procedures - A new rule for replacement supports For more details on how these changes impact you or your loved ones, check out the full article on our website: https://buff.ly/3ZQdhku or visit the NDIS website for further information: https://buff.ly/3ZQ8S0B #NDIS #DisabilitySupport #DisabilityRights #AFDO #Advocacy

🚨 Important Changes to the NDIS Legislation 🚨 As of today, 3rd October 2024, new legislative changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are in effect. These amendments are aimed at improving clarity, flexibility, and sustainability for participants and the disability community. Key updates include: - A new definition of NDIS supports - A revised planning framework with funding periods - Updated debt recovery procedures - A new rule for replacement supports For more details on how these changes impact you or your loved ones, check out the full article on our website: https://buff.ly/3ZQdhku or visit the NDIS website for further information: https://buff.ly/3ZQ8S0B #NDIS #DisabilitySupport #DisabilityRights #AFDO #Advocacy

📢 Breaking News! The National Disability Insurance Agency has announced it will reinstate high intensity supports. This change comes into effect from today, 1 October, and is a positive step for participants with challenging behaviours. The welcome but overdue announcement today means that providers who deliver intensive and complex behaviour supports can claim the higher price limit under certain conditions for: ✅assistance with daily life tasks in a group or shared living arrangement ✅daily personal activities ✅participation in community, social and civic activities ✅group- and centre-based activities. While this is a significant step forward, there is still a long way to go, especially in relation to therapy supports and orthotic/prosthetic services, as well as support co-ordination. You can find out more about these issues and how you can help below: National Disability Services Disability Intermediaries Australia #NDIS #auspol #Disability #4aBetterNDIS

Some significant and welcome proposed government amendments to the NDIS Bill posted on the aph website overnight: https://lnkd.in/dKZKkkAG https://lnkd.in/dkQTTbqE Following are the main changes 1. The old proposed section 124 and APTOS are gone. Thank goodness "Section 10 of that Act has effect as if a reference in that section to the National Disability Insurance Scheme rules were a reference to rules made under item 138 of this Schedule." This means the Minister, is going to, by legislative instrument, fire out a set of transitional definitions of what an NDIS support is. Fast paced drafting of sensitive issues beckons. 2. Significant protection inserted for victims of fraud and exploitation in the variation for change of circumstances process. Really welcome that. I also want to see it implemented into the debt recovery provisions. Around $8.5 billion of the modelled savings attach to clamping down on changes in circumstances. Without these amendments, there was a danger people with disability would be collateral damage in a budget savings drive. Hope we see strong messaging from government on this: they will chase down abuse AND help people living with the consequences. 3. All we get on replacement assessments is a note stating the bleeding obvious. The agency is continuing to insist on the power to condition participants' access to replacement assessments by later rules. They need to define the circumstances when one *will* be granted in legislation. Anything else is too uncertain. Also, no support for targeted appeal rights for e.g. plan management decisions - though Monique Ryan moved that in her amendments. 4. Not surprised to see the APS running a mile from my consultation gambit. Looks like I'm getting fobbed off with a decorative pot plant. Saying a minister should have regard to a vague principle before making rules. Section s4(9A) is unenforceable best practice guidance. Their explanatory memorandum again fails to underline that consultation under the Legislation Act 2003 is (i) not meaningfully defined (ii) not enforceable. I much prefer requiring the views of disability rep organisations to be tabled when the instruments are moved through the disallowance process. I want future governments directly responding to PwD and their reps' concerns on the record. I want them running co-design knowing that if they don't listen they'll have to formally table criticisms and explain. The instrument powers in this Bill allow quite literally anything to be done to control costs under all future government. The Bill will mean far less scope to take appeals as the method for calculating support amounts cannot be escaped. Under future governments it could be as black and white as a formula or a number. Can't underline strongly enough: voice and political engagement (not legal folks like me) will be key for the disability sector in NDIS 2.0.

Great practical suggestions

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Bill Shorten on making the NDIS fit for purpose - listen to this podcast on the final report https://lnkd.in/eQDM8sMA Bill Shorten recently addressed the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), characterizing it as the 'only lifeboat' for Australians with disabilities. He emphasized the need to redefine the scheme's purpose, citing concerns over areas where it has fallen short or been reined back. This comes in light of a comprehensive review that resulted in 26 recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness and accessibility of the NDIS. The implementation of the review's recommendations including Housing Supports will likely shape the trajectory of the scheme and its impact on the lives of Australians with disabilities in the years to come. #specialistdisabilityaccommodation #ndishousing #ndisproviders

Meaningful reform or predictable politics? We will have to wait for Bill to release the draft Bill. While we must work to reduce the rates of preventable harm in disability service provision, the key test for me about the Bill is whether the dodgy decisions of the National Disability Insurance Agency that expose people with disabilities to harm - even death - are also subject to civil and criminal penalties against the NDIA and its individual officers. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Why are penalties being increased at the same time as the NDIA Board has cut real prices - where is the price-quality nexus in these decisions? Other questions I have are about whether we will have coherence in policy design. (a) It appears there are going to be different approaches to the regulation of disability support compared to aged care. Why? (b) Why are WHS-style penalties being adopted? ... why not just give the WHS regulators additional funds (given that WHS legislation also applies to clients in the workplace)? (c) Why is harm to people by disability service providers treated differently to harm to people with disabilities by, say, hospitals? (d) Will the Parliament extend the exceptions for volunteer directors in WHS legislation to the NDIS legislation? (e) Given that WHS penalties are rarely at the maximum end, but NDIS penalties can be (in one recent case, 99.8% of the maximum), what guidance will the Parliament give to the courts about penalty ranges? #ndis #quality #safety https://lnkd.in/g5puqzrY

People With disabilities WA (PWdWA) responds to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No1) Bill tabled during Parliament on 27 March 2024. PWdWA is pleased to see the progress with the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No1) Bill, the first step to reform the NDIS following the Independent Review into the NDIS. We are encouraged by the emphasis on the importance of co-design by the Minister for the NDIS Bill Shorten in actioning the recommendation from the NDIS Review. PWdWA is committed to being actively involved in the process to ensure that people with disabilities are represented appropriately and that their perspectives and needs are taken into account when designing and implementing changes to the NDIS. The legislation has three parts to it : How they will change access to the NDIS New rules on how budgets can be spent New rules for the NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission More information can be found at https://lnkd.in/gX-WYPA2 To go to the Easy Read version of the reform, https://lnkd.in/gnvAGDAW To access the AUSLAN version, go to https://lnkd.in/gqhSJQxV. To read the Explanator Memorandum and Bill https://lnkd.in/gcahZJDg To read the Fact sheet https://lnkd.in/gMmPuD67