[dbaust] Fw: Have Your Say on the NDIS - forum open now
- From: Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:45:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kirsten McCombie <Kirsten.McCombie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Have Your Say on the NDIS - forum open now
Received: Tuesday, 23 October, 2012, 11:40 AM
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We are now less than 9 months away from the launch of the National Disability
Insurance Scheme. The Government is continuing to seek important feedback from
individuals on what they want to see included in a NDIS.
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While we as an organisation are inputting to these discussions, we need you to
have your say!
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A new discussion topic has just been launched through the Have Your Say on the
NDIS online portal - What would be the key features of successful planning?
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Planning looks beyond the immediate need, and across the course of a personâs
life. It will provide the appropriate reasonable and necessary supports that
will allow people with disability to have greater independence and help them
reach their full potential. What do you think should be considered when youâre
developing your plan with the NDIS. Your feedback on this question will help
inform the development of planning that provides people with disability the
choice and control over the support they will receive over their lifetime.
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A plan would include identifying your goals and aspirations for the life you
want to live that is particular to your individual situation. The planning
process will also take account input from your family, carers and your wider
social network and could include an advocate. What would you like taken into
account when developing an individual plan and assessment of your support needs?
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If you havenât already done so, the first step is to go online to the following
link - http://yoursay.ndis.gov.au - and register to participate.
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Then, you can share your views on the scheme through the online forum at the
following link - http://yoursay.ndis.gov.au/third-forum.
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You can also share your stories and experiences at the following link -
http://yoursay.ndis.gov.au/yourstory
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For your interest and use we have also included at the bottom of this email,
the response from Vision Australia to this important question. If you would
like, you can use our response when sharing your thoughts on what you think is
important.
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Regards
Kirsten
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Vision Australia response to Have Your Say on the NDIS online portal - What
would be the key features of successful planning?
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Vision Australia believes there are several elements that should be considered
when developing successful plans under a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
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1. A planning framework that includes:
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a) Practical supports â clear links between needs/aspirations and practical
supports to meet a personâs identified goals/outcomes.
b) Goals/outcomes â the plan should include specific and measurable items on
what a person wants to achieve.
c) An action plan that articulates a clear pathway to the achievement of
goals/outcomes â that indicates the support measures and the way in which they
will be used to achieve defined goals and outcomes.
d) Flexibility and Review â options to ensure people are not forced into whole
of life planning if they only want to have an immediate need met. For example,
some people may need timely access to a particular service such as mobility
and/or adaptive technology training, but not want to have to plan their life
through to retirement. Some people may even want to opt out and not be
compelled to actively pursue a particular goal or outcome, instead electing to
do that later. Goals and aspirations can change according to an individualâs
circumstances, accordingly there should be opportunity to change your mind.
Additionally there should be flexibility up or down as independence and needs
vary â examples include: anticipate deterioration of a personâs disability and
possible greater support needs; or supports that incrementally decrease as a
person moves from a lot of support in planning into a totally independent
approach to planning. There should be
consideration of the mechanism to review the plan as circumstances change â
regular, on demand or as required.
e) Results in timely services - Ensure that support under a plan flows in a
timely fashion. Delays in the ability to receive services may negatively impact
on a person seeking their goal or in the ability to achieve that goal (ie to
attend a course or event).
f) Capacity for long term planning â like everyone, eligible individuals may
need time to learn how to make long term decisions and plans, they may make
mistakes or change their minds. There should be support to assist people to
understand and develop their long term plans. An ability to review and be
flexible will also promote long term planning.
g) Early intervention â anticipates developments and needs before a crisis
develops. For example, if a person knows they have a degenerative condition
that will leave them completely blind within 10 years, perhaps they should be
able to learn Braille or another form of communication, or upgrade mobility
devices at an earlier time. Planning should take these situations into account.
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2. Getting or having access to appropriate advice and information. Individuals
and families who may have no prior experience of a disability and the impact it
may have, for example, a family with a congenitally blind child or a young
adult who has been recently diagnosed with a degenerative blindness condition
should be able to access advice, information and assessments including from
blindness or specialist agencies such as Vision Australia, Blind Citizens
Australia and to have this included in the planning/assessment.
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People should be able to access information relatively easily including:
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Services that meet their needs.
The costs.
How to get the services.
Where the services operate.
Knowing whatâs available - how can an individual or family know what to choose
if they donât know whatâs available?
Peer support.
Consumer rights.
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Ultimately, the individual themselves should have full control over their plans
â but this may include with the support of a trusted facilitator including a
parent/carer/friend/broker/service provider.
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3. Dedicated administration and brokerage component â at the planning stage,
there needs to be a discussion about how a person will manage their support
package. This should include an allocation of funds to purchase brokerage
and/or administration services â including from an independent broker and/or
advisory body. There should also be the opportunity within the National
Disability Insurance Agency (and its precursor the Launch Transition Agency) to
do this.
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4. Successful plans identify where support is required. This can include
linking services to the areas that an individual aspires to participate and
succeed such as: Communication tools, Education, Emotional and Social support,
Employment, Independence at home, Independence in Community, Information and
Recreation. There should be capacity to anticipate certain life transition
points, and deal with significant changes in life circumstances (or supports
that may be around an individual such as parents, family, partners) should be
able to be identified and planned for â for example entering and leaving
school, entering and changing employment, moving or buying a house, having a
family. Support and advice should also be included that allows people to budget
and provides information on how much a service may cost.
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5. Planning should provide people with a defined appeals process. The stage a
request or application to receive support, inherently is also the point in
which judgements of whatâs in or out or indeed, who is in or out, therefore
their needs to also be in place a grievance mechanism or appeals process.
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6. Individuals should be comfortable with talking about their aspirations and
goals.
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Individuals have a right to:
Be properly informed.
Feel that something positive will come from their efforts.
Freedom of choice â an individual has the right to make decisions without
interference or imposition of other values on their decisions.
Accessible information provided at the same time as everyone else.
Be treated with dignity and respect.
Be treated as an empowered customer.
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7. Vision Australia believes there is a role for specialist service providers
to play in the development of resources, information and practices that help
people with disability, their families and carers plan or make choices. For
example, Vision Australia and others in the blindness sector hold specific
knowledge and expertise on the impact of vision impairment on individuals and
proven, effective means to manage these conditions as they develop as well as
in how they impact individuals through certain points of their life. We believe
the development of NDIS badged public and consumer resources, and online
services and systems would assist in delivering greater value to individual
planning.
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End of document
ABN: 67 108 391 831 ACN: 108 391 831
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