NDIS in 2021

Updates

What’s expected in 2021

The NDIS Act 2013 will be revised next year and there will be some substantial changes.

Access

LACs to start screening people at planning meetings so some people get sent for eligibility reassessments. This means they could lose their NDIS. Participants will be forced to do Independent Assessments if they are reassessed for eligibility

Planning Process

This will be top-down instead of bottom-up. Participants will not get to have planning meetings anymore. Participants to do standardised Independent Assessments which will be the main thing that counts in what sort of plan and funding received.

Goals

Goals will no longer be counted in making the plan and funding. So, people with the same basic conditions will get the same funding, even if they have totally different goals and things they want to do. NDIS want to measure how participants meet their goals, so they will face pressure to meet their goals and have goals that can be met. NDIA is considering paying Support Coordinators rates based on whether their clients meet goals or not. No annual plan reviews anymore, and if funding needs to be changed there needs to be a Change of Circumstances review. This means it will be harder to change funding if it is unsuitable. Participants might have to do an Independent Assessment if they ask for a plan to be reviewed. This could discourage people from asking for reviews. We don’t know what AAT rights participants will have once annual reviews are eliminated. Plans will not be built using Reasonable and Necessary anymore. Instead there will be funding based on the IAs. Plans will no longer have Core and Capacity Building. Instead, there will be 2 new categories — Flexible, and Fixed. Fixed will contain items where the funding can only be used for that item.

Independent Assessments

(IAs) will be forced on everyone except those who can get an exemption. IAs will be conducted by businesses contracted by the NDIS. The IAs were recommended by the Productivity Commission in 2011 to make sure participant plans were not too generous. Participants will have to do a set number of standardised tests and have 20 minutes to provide individual information and 20 minutes of observational assessment. The whole assessment including writing the report will take 1 to 4 hours. Participants will have less chance of getting funded for full OT functional assessments because the NDIS says they already provide “free” assessments. Exemptions to IAs are not a reviewable decision. So, if the NDIS says you can't get an exemption you can't ask for a review to get someone else to look at that decision. Independent Assessment results cannot be re-

viewed. Once you have a result you have it and can't ask for another one if you aren't happy with it. LACs New planning process and IAs, LACs will take on more of a support coordination role and less of role in planning meetings.

Support Coordination

The NDIS want fewer people to use support coordination, especially people with psychosocial disability. People with psychosocial disability to use Recovery Coaches instead of Support Coordination Level 2. LACs to take over Support Coordination duties. The NDIS wants to give Support Coordinators more pay if they meet a they don’t meet thosegoals, so be prepared for Support Coordinators to become extra pushy). The NDIS is also seeking ways to integrate Support Coordination and Plan Management NDIS thinks Support Coordinators are paid too much per hour and want to reduce their pay rate.

NDIS wants to stop providers providing both Support Coordination and Support Work for clients, as it’s a conflict of interest. Plan Management

Plan Management is being made into a type of Self Management, so people need to go through the same risk assessment as Self Managed people. This could mean some people can’t be Plan Managed anymore, especially if they were bankrupt etc. This means more Agency Managed participants. Plan Managers are now responsible for a participant buying something they shouldn’t, and the plan manager has to pay it back. The NDIS clarified this in a recent paper. This means participants may find plan managers telling them that they can’t buy things because they don’t want the risk of being made to pay it back.

Support Workers

All Support Workers (not just registered provider support workers) will need to do the NDIS Worker Check, which is a new type of worker check that Quality and Safeguards is developing. This means it will be harder finding independent contractors as they will have to get this special check instead of just having an ABN.

Invoices and Payments

The NDIS wants to pay all invoices directly now with funding, and will no longer reimburse participants. NDIA is working on an app to pay things with. Plan Managers are worried that it could reduce their clientele if it’s easier to Self-Manage once the app is ready.

AAT

Once there aren’t annual reviews a Review of a Reviewable Decision might not go to the AAT about NDIS planning decisions. The Tune Review recommended less of a role for the AAT in NDIS processes “If we can't go to the AAT as easily we will have fewer rights as NDIS participants, and there will be less oversight of how the NDIS does things.”

Funding

The NDIS want funding released to participants monthly or quarterly instead of yearly (or for 2 years in the case of 2-year plans).

Disability types and access

The NDIS is eliminating List A and List B and all participants will be subject to reassessments and Independent Assessments

Disability Sex Needs

The NDIS will not fund sex work, or any sex devices or sex aids.

Everyday items

The NDIS will not fund everyday items. It is unclear how this will be a change from the current rules, but it does look like the NDIS might start cracking down on it.

Day Service with

Fundraiser for the AstroTurf area with a prize package worth in excess of $500. The winning entry will be drawn at the Queens Park Market at 1:00 pm Sunday the 20th December 2020. The winner will be notified by text message, be announced during the Tony Wigan Morning Show on Monday and appear on our Facebook page.

BigDog Day Service Toowoomba

Paul Myatt Community Centre 11-15 Alexander Street

North Toowoomba 4350

Coordinator

Sharon Price

Phone: 4512 6020

dayservice@bigdogsupport.com.au