On the day of its official launch, Hireup’s Melanie Dimmitt shares why she created the NDIS Know-how podcast - and how she hopes it can help families like hers.
What if a welcome wagon rolled out when your family entered the disability space? If you were met with a smiling concierge, eager to answer questions and guide you through the pressing matters of what to do now and where to go next? If only this was how people were welcomed to the unfamiliar territory of a new diagnosis or unknown condition.
When your child has a disability, like mine does, your family might be pointed in the general direction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). However, getting the most out of this system - or even the bare minimum, for some - is far from straightforward.
What we need is insider knowledge. Stories of those who are successfully navigating the NDIS, securing sufficient funds to access the support their families need. These golden nuggets of wisdom are what my podcast, NDIS Know-how, is designed to unearth.
In an ongoing series of short and sweet episodes, I chat with experienced parents and NDIS experts. We delve into topics like how to prepare for your NDIS planning meeting, what makes a gold-star NDIS report, when to write a carer’s statement and how to build an A-team of therapists around your kid. We explore ways to advocate for children with invisible disabilities and how to sustain informal supports. We tackle the issue of pushing for plan reviews - all the way to a tribunal, if need be.
This podcast launches at a time when Senate Estimates has noted a 400 per cent surge in people disputing their NDIS plans. At a time when reports of participant plans being cut abound - but it’s not all bad news. The government recently guaranteed ongoing funding of the NDIS and an additional $39.6 billion to meet the support costs of the increasing number of participants.
The challenge, for families like mine, lies in clearly communicating what our children require to be healthy, happy and included in their communities. Year after year, we must justify that our child’s requirements are ‘reasonable and necessary’ - even if common sense would suggest as much.
It’s on us to upskill ourselves and master a system that is far from perfect, but has huge potential. My hope is that this podcast can act as a tool - and friendly companion - for time-deprived parents who are trying to get their heads around the NDIS. Together, we can cut through the complexities of this thing and get the supports our families need.
You can tune in to NDIS Know-how wherever you like to listen to your podcasts. If you’d like to share your know-how - or know someone who’d make a great guest on the pod - please get in touch at melanie.dimmitt@hireup.com.au
