NDIA Accountability Project

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Assist the participant with their preferred method of communication

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FOI 23/24-0814

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

The contents of this document are OFFICIAL.

Assist the participant with their preferred method of communication

You need to communicate using the participant’s preferred method of communication any time you interact with them.

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will help you: e record the participant’s preferred method of communication e stop all correspondence e arrange printed copies of correspondence in standard and accessible formats e arrange a copy of plan approval in an alternative format e check the status of correspondence requests for accessible formats e check and record if the participant needs an interpreter

e manually request correspondence in accessible formats you can’t request in the NDIS Business System (System).

Note: In this SOP the term participant may also refer to prospective participants and Tier 2 customers unless otherwise specified.

  1. Recent updates What’s changed

    February 2023 | Section 3.2 update. New guidance around translation in languages other

than English (LOTE).

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Standard Operating Procedure

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  1. Checklist

Topic Checklist

Pre-requisites | You have:

QO) learnt the participant’s preferred method of communication

Q) viewed the participant’s preferred method of communication in the System

U) read and understood the Practice Guide — Assisting communication

QO) reviewed the Participant Service Guarantee and are complying with the response timeframe related to your task.

Actions Based on the needs of the participant, you may:

QO 3.1 Record and update preferred and accessible correspondence details

QO 3.2 Manually request correspondence in accessible formats

OQ) 3.3 Arrange a copy of plan approval in a different format to the preferred format

U) 3.4 Check the status of correspondence request in accessible formats

UO 3.5 Find plans accessible by a screen reader U 3.6 Check and record if the participant needs an interpreter

You will then move to:

QO) 4. Next steps

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Standard Operating Procedure

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  1. Procedure 3.1 Record and update preferred and accessible correspondence details

The participant, child representative or nominee (authorised representative) can update their preferred correspondence method in myplace. Refer to How to use the myplace portal (external) page for further information.

Use the following steps to:

 record and update the participant or authorised representative’s preferred method of

correspondence in the System  request System generated correspondence to the participant or authorised

representative in Braille or other accessible formats  record the participant’s request for alternate accessible formats which are processed by

an external provider.

  1. From My NDIS Account, select Details.
  2. Select Correspondence Details. V5.0 2023-02-15 Preferred method of communication Page 3 of 12

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Standard Operating Procedure

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  1. Select Edit and complete each field, as required.  Preferred Correspondence Method: o Post/Letter o Electronic: if the participant has an active myplace account. The System will email correspondence to their myGov mailbox.

Note: An active myplace account is only available after access has been met. Electronic is not an option for prospective participants or Tier 2 customers.

 Preferred Format: applies to all outbound letters.  Formatting Option: displays based on Preferred Format selected. For example,

Standard Letter shows if the preferred format is Letter. Options will display if the

preferred format is Braille letter.  Stop All Correspondence:

Select YES when:

o the participant is deceased. Use Standard Operating Procedure – Finalise a participant’s plan following their death and Standard Operating Procedure –

Manage or stop correspondence to authorised representatives to complete

required tasks when a participant has died.

o the participant has chosen not to receive their own correspondence. The participant may choose this option if they have a plan or correspondence

nominee. If the participant is a nominee for someone else, they will continue to

receive correspondence for that participant.

Note: either the participant or their nominee must be able to receive a copy of their plan, or the prospective participant must receive a copy of their access decision.

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Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

Make sure one of these parties will receive correspondence on behalf of the participant or prospective participant. If there is no nominee, consider if it is appropriate to appoint one. Refer to Our Guideline – Appointing a nominee.

 Would you also like a standard printed copy as well:

Select YES if:

o the participant’s Preferred Format is an accessible format, for example, Braille letter

o the participant also wants a copy of all correspondence in standard letter format. For example, the participant wants all correspondence in Audio file (by

cd) and a standard letter copy.

  1. Select Submit and OK. 3.2 Manually request correspondence in accessible formats

Some accessible formats need to be requested manually. You should only use this procedure if you need to manually request:

 letters that communicate a decision, request an action or provide information, where no

System generated letter is available  System generated correspondence required in large font, greater than N36  correspondence translated to a language other than English (LOTE). For example, a

plan translated to Greek or a letter in large font in Russian.

  1. Add an Alert to the participant record if they need this support ongoing. For example, all correspondence required in large font N50. Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Create an alert.

  2. Confirm approval with your team leader before you send the request.

  3. To request:  an accessible format, not including a language other than English, go to step 4  translation service for languages other than English, follow the guidance in Practice

Guide – Assisting Communication and go to step 6.

  1. Email the request to the external provider (currently Vision Australia) with the:  participant’s chosen accessible format  participant’s name and postal address  name and email address of the My NDIS Contact

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Standard Operating Procedure

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 name of the Team Leader who approved the request  PDF copy of the correspondence.

Note: make sure the email is classified ‘Sensitive-Personal’. You must check and record the consent of the participant or their authorised representative before sharing any personal or sensitive information. Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Check third party consent or authority.

  1. Vision Australia converts the PDF document to the accessible format and confirm the action by return email.

  2. Record an Interaction using Interaction Templates – General – Communication. Make sure you include:

 the details of the request  details of the action you have taken.

Note: Payment of Vision Australia invoices are managed centrally. The Interaction will be used to match the request and allow payment of invoices.

  1. The My NDIS Contact must ask the participant if the correspondence met their needs during their next conversation.

3.3 Arrange a copy of plan approval in a different format to the preferred format

Use the following steps if the participant or authorised representative wants a copy of the plan in a different format to their preferred correspondence method. For example, when the participant wants all correspondence by Standard Letter but also wants their plan in Braille.

  1. From Correspondence Details, select Edit and Create Correspondence (plus sign). V5.0 2023-02-15 Preferred method of communication Page 6 of 12

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Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

  1. Select a reponse from the drop down options in each field.  Document

o Plan Summary and Plan Approval

 Delivery Method

o Post/Letter o Electronic: an accessible version designed for screen readers.

 Delivery Format

o Email Direct: displays if you select Delivery Method – Electronic o Braille letter and other options will display if you select Delivery Method – Post/Letter.

  1. Formatting Option: displays based on the Delivery Format selected.

  2. Check the details in Alternative Correspondence. If information is not correct, edit the details. Select Submit and OK.

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Standard Operating Procedure

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The request is automatically sent to be processed by an external provider when the plan is approved.

3.4 Check the status of correspondence requests in accessible formats

The external provider will process requests for participant plans and time sensitive letters within 48-72 hours. All other documents such as remittance advice and tax invoices are processed within 10 business days. This allows time to:

 receive and convert the PDF document  proofread the converted document  mail the converted document by express post to the participant.

Use the following steps to view the status of correspondence requests in accessible formats. For example when the:

 request was sent to the external provider to be processed  correspondence was sent to the participant.

  1. From My NDIS Account, select Documents.
  2. Select Outbound Documents.
  3. Select the relevant correspondence. V5.0 2023-02-15 Preferred method of communication Page 8 of 12

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Standard Operating Procedure

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  1. Select History.
  2. Select Transaction History.
  3. Find the related document for the transaction you want to check.
  4. Check the Status of the request.  Document Sent to VA: request has been sent to the external provider to be

processed.  Completed: correspondence has been processed and sent to the participant.

  1. Select Notes or Recipients to view history of the request. V5.0 2023-02-15 Preferred method of communication Page 9 of 12

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Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

3.5 Find plans accessible by a screen reader

Copies of participant plans accessible by a screen reader are available in the myplace participant portal (myplace) under myplan. For more information refer to the How to use the myplace portal (external) page.

3.6 Check and record if the participant needs an interpreter

Follow these steps to check or record if the participant needs an interpreter.

  1. From My NDIS Account, select Details and Communication Details.
  2. Select Edit.
  3. Check and update the fields, if required:

 Preferred Language Used at Home

 Interpreter Required: Select YES or NO

 Interpreter Language.

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Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

  1. Select Internal Use.

  2. If there is no Alert in the System, create an Interpreter Required Alert. Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Create an alert.

  3. At Additional information include the following text:  Do not contact without a [language] interpreter for [participant/nominee/child

representative].

  1. Next steps Use the participant’s preferred method of communication when interacting with the participant. If the participant needs:

 translation and interpreter services to engage with the NDIA or partners, refer to

Standard Operating Procedure – Book translation and interpreter services for the

participant  disability related interpreting supports in their plan, refer to Standard Operating

Procedure – Include disability related interpreting and translation supports in the

participant’s plan.

  1. Related procedures or resources  National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Act 2013

 NDIS Our Guidelines

 Practice Guide – Assisting Communication

 Australian Government Translating and Interpreting Service (external)  Standard Operating Procedure – View, print or suppress an outbound document  Standard Operating Procedure – Create an alert  Standard Operating Procedure – Book translation and interpreter services for the

participant  Standard Operating Procedure – Include disability related interpreting and translation

supports in the participant’s plan

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Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

  1. Feedback If you have any feedback about this Standard Operating Procedure, please complete our Feedback Form.

  2. Version control

Version

1.0

Amended

by

CW0032

Brief Description of Change

Class 2 Approved.

Moved to a new resource:

-Book translation and interpreter services -Include disability related interpreting and translation support.

Use this resource to update and record the participant’s preferred communication

method, request accessible documents and record if a translator is required.

Status

APPROVED

Date

2021-01-27

2.0

MBO0056

Class 2 approved.

Guidance updated on how to stop all correspondence to a participant, when they have chosen not to receive their own correspondence.

APPROVED

2021-08-11

3.0

JS0082

Class 1 Approval

APPROVED

2021-09-01

4.0

CW0032

Class 2 approval

Guidance updated to reflect updated System wording to also include prospective participants.

APPROVED

2021-11-08

5.0

ED0024

Class 1 approval.

Guidance update to provide clarity around translation to languages other than English (LOTE)

APPROVED

2023-02-15

V5.0 2023-02-15

Preferred method of communication

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