NDIA Accountability Project

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MINUTES OF THE INDEPENDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE NDIS MEETING 8 OF 2020

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FOI 24/25-0546 DOCUMENT 16

Independent Advisory Council

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MINUTES OF THE INDEPENDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE NDIS

MEETING 8 OF 2020

25 June 2020 11.00am to 1.30pm, hosted on the Microsoft Teams platform

Members

  • Mr John Walsh AM (Principal Member)
  • Ms Sylvana Mahmic
  • Ms Jennifer Cullen
  • Mr James Manders
  • Ms Liz Reid AM
  • Ms Judy Huett
  • Ms Leah van Poppel

Expert Advisers

  • Dr Ben Gauntlett, Disability Discrimination Commissioner
  • Mr David Moody, National Disability Services
  • Ms Ara Cresswell, Carers Australia
  • Mr Ross Joyce, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations

NDIA Representatives

  • Dr Helen Nugent AO, Board Chairperson
  • Mr Martin Hoffman, Chief Executive Officer
  • Ms Sarah Johnson, Scheme Actuary
  • Dr Sam redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant General Manager, Advice, Research and Evaluation
  • Ms Kathy redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Branch Manager, Subject Matter Experts and Advice
  • Dr Gerry redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Strategic Advisor Mental Health and Psychosocial Disability
  • Ms Louise redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Director Participant Self-Direction
  • Ms Fiona redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Director, Independent Advisory Council
  • Ms Marina redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Secretariat, Independent Advisory Council
  • Ms Jaklin redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Project Officer, Advice, Research and Evaluation
  • Ms Lirije redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Senior Strategic Communications Officer

Attending

  • Ms Belinda redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant AM, Council Consultant
  • Ms Rebecca redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Support

Apologies

  • Mr Kevin Cocks AM
  • Ms Janet Meagher AM
  • Ms Sue Salthouse
  • Ms Kerry Allan-Zinner
  • Prof Anne Kavanagh
  • Ms Jane Flanagan, Disabled People’s Organisations Australia

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1. Principal Member’s Welcome & Open

1.1. Principal Member’s Welcome

The Principal Member opened the meeting at 11.00am.

The Principal Member acknowledged the Traditional Owners of the lands on which Members, Expert Advisers and attendees were meeting.

The Principal Member noted the apologies from Kevin Cocks, Sue Salthouse, Kerry Allan- Zinner, Janet Meagher, Anne Kavanagh and Jane Flanagan.

The Principal Member noted this was the final meeting for the current Council and thanked all Members and Expert Advisers for their support and contributions to the NDIS and people with disability.

The Principal Member welcomed Dr Helen Nugent AO and Martin Hoffman.

1.2. Confirmation of Minutes and Declarations of Interest

Council noted the updated register of conflicts of interest circulated in advance of the meeting. No additional interests were declared.

The Council approved the minutes from the meeting held on 9 June 2020, and noted the register of matters arising.

1.3. Board Chairperson and CEO Address

Dr Nugent and Mr Hoffman acknowledged the critical role of Council within the NDIA and thanked Members and Expert Advisers for their ongoing advice and support to management, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Nugent thanked the Principal Member for his leadership during the past 12 months, noting the high quality and quantity of advice developed and the benefits resulting from the increased engagement of Council with the NDIA.

Ms Reid raised some operational issues in the Northern Territory, and committed to circulating a report on these to the broader Council.

Action 1: The Secretariat to circulate the grassroots report from Ms Reid.

2. Psychosocial

2.1. Psychosocial Disability Recovery Coach

Dr Gerry redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant provided an overview of the progress achieved for participants with psychosocial disability (PSD) within the NDIS. Dr redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant acknowledged that most of the work and achievements to date were consistent with Council’s recommendations in the 2014 paper ‘Implementing the NDIS for people with disabilities related to mental health issues’.

The Council was pleased to hear about the new support item ‘PSD Recovery Coach’, which focuses on outcomes and recovery and will provide the NDIA with learnings that may be applied to other participant cohorts within the NDIS.

In response to a question from Mr Hoffman about the conflicts between paid and unpaid peer support, Council acknowledged it was a complex issue and challenge for the NDIA and suggested it could be a topic for advice for the next Council, including the challenges around quality standards and skill sets in the peer workforce.

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3. Council’s Advice Update

3.1. NDIS Supports for Participants who are Parents

Dr Nugent and the Principal Member noted the formal advice was well received at the April Board meeting, however Board Directors felt that the complexity and importance of the issues raised by Council warranted further work in preparing a management response of sufficient depth and specificity for it to be provided to the Minister, as per s 145 of the NDIS Act.

Dr redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant noted the Agency is taking a two-pronged approach to the response: providing more input into the response in terms of actions to be taken and timelines, but also engaging with the Department of Social Services (DSS) to start discussions about the interface issues and how best to achieve national consistency. Dr redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant noted the Council would be invited to the meeting with DSS.

Dr redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant acknowledged the complexity of the advice, which requires input from across 14 Branches within the NDIA, and noted an internal working group had been established to oversee the response.

3.2. Support for Decision Making in the NDIS

Dr redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant thanked Council for their persistence with this advice and noted support for decision making is now a Corporate Plan priority, which will require the development of a program of work and regular reporting to both Board and the Executive Leadership Team.

Dr redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant outlined the various foundational work projects underway to progress the implementation of the advice.

The Principal Member noted that all major pieces of work underway reflect the importance for the Agency of understanding each participant’s capabilities and support needs, and of assisting with goals and aspirations to achieve the best possible life.

3.3. Participant Satisfaction Survey

Ms Johnson provided a brief overview of the current participant satisfaction survey, and the work underway with a subgroup of Council representatives to progress the recommendation in the Tune Review.

Council noted the importance of including questions to understand participant’s safeguards, and the importance to have protocols in place for those who disclose being unsafe during the survey.

4. Future Priorities

4.1. Council’s Year in Review and Future Priorities 2020-21

The Principal Member acknowledged the significant work of the current Council during the past 12 months, reflected in the depth and breadth of both formal and informal advice produced.

In relation to Council’s future priorities, Dr Gauntlett suggested a focus on a reduced number of topics for advice could improve Council’s effectiveness and impact. Members also noted that one outstanding issue for the NDIA, which the Council had long advocated for, is ensuring

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equal access and opportunities for people from Indigenous and CALD background, as well as people from low socioeconomic status. Council suggested these could continue to be priorities for the next Council.

5. Meeting Close

5.1. Other Business

The first meeting of the next Council will be in August 2020.

The meeting closed 1.11pm.

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