The long-awaited (for just over a year!) NDIS Review has now been released to the public.
The Review is an important step for the NDIS, designed to put people with disability back at the centre of the NDIS. The Review’s purpose was to improve the experiences of participants and families, ensure the sustainability of the NDIS, and find ways to restore trust in the scheme.
The Review has suggested some big changes to the Sector, and we know our community are wondering what those changes might mean for scheme participants and support workers on Hireup.
Now the final report has been released, we can start to unpack the proposed changes to the scheme and what they mean for us, and you.
The report includes 26 recommendations and 139 supporting actions.
Keep reading to learn more about the recommendations.
One of the most significant recommendations for providers in the sector is changes in registration rules.
The Review recommended “all providers should be enrolled or registered, with the level of regulatory requirement being determined by the risk and complexity of the different supports they provide.”
While this recommendation would have a significant impact on most providers in the sector (of the 170,000 only 7% are currently registered), we don’t anticipate much, if any change at Hireup.
Back when Hireup was founded, it was an easy decision to complete (and maintain) NDIS registration. We wanted to demonstrate our commitment to upholding the highest standards of quality, experience, qualifications, and competency in the sector, and continue to do so today.
We wholeheartedly support the Review’s recommendation to hold all NDIS providers to the highest standards for the people they support.
The Minister has flagged other significant recommendations, including:
Legislation:
The Review recommended a range of legislative reforms to return the scheme to its original intent and improve the experience of participants. This included legislation to improve eligibility and access, as well as an early intervention pathway for children.
Foundational supports:
The Review recommended disability specific supports that would be available to people with disability and, where appropriate, their families and carers. The Review said these supports should be available to all Australians with disability, whether they are on the NDIS or not. Foundational supports would connect with existing mainstream services like childcare and schools.
- Early childhood intervention: The Review said there is not enough support for children in everyday settings, where they live, play and learn. It recommends children with disability and developmental concerns or delays are identified early, and get the support they need. This could include earlier checks and screening to pick up developmental concerns and provide support.
- New approaches to psychosocial disability and mental health: The Review recommended a new, dedicated approach for people with psychosocial disability that better meets their episodic needs and is focused on personal recovery. It recommended that access to mental health services should be improved and there should be a strengthened interface between mental health systems and the NDIS.
Service navigation:
The Review recommended the introduction of navigators to help people with disability, find and access all services available to them across mainstream services, community supports, foundational supports and the NDIS.
Fairer housing and living support:
The Review recommended consistency should be introduced to housing and living support budgets to make it fairer for NDIS participants. The Review recommended a more flexible and innovative approach to housing supports to help people access solutions that suit them better.
We want to acknowledge that such significant changes to the NDIS could have a huge impact on the lives of people with disability should they come into place.
We want to reassure our clients and workers that, while the NDIS is changing, Hireup isn’t. We’ve put the right processes in place from the start so that our clients and workers are supported to the highest standard possible.
We’ll continue to digest the information from the NDIS review over the coming weeks and keep our community informed with important insights and updates.
Please let us know if there is anything further we can do to support you. You can contact us on (02) 9113 5933 or hello@hireup.com.au
Review information taken from the 'landmark independent NDIS Review report' media release.
