Advice Support Tool

Theme: Capital Purchase

Sub-Theme(s): Dog Guide Vision and Dog Guide Vision Maintenance

Please note: Sub themes have been combined as the same reasonable and necessary considerations apply for a Capital (new) purchase animal or a request for ongoing maintenance costs. If a participant already has an assistance animal, and requests maintenance costs only, we first need to decide if the animal itself meets NDIS funding criteria.

References:

• NDIS Act 2013 Section 34 1. (a) - (f) and 2.
• NDIS Support for Participant Rules 2013
• NDIS Assistance animals including dog guides operational guideline
• Dog Guide assessment template (DOCX) completed by a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
• Quote for dog guide, related training and ongoing maintenance

Note: All criteria need to be met for the supports to be funded through the NDIS.

Criteria for reasonable and necessary supports	Is criteria met?	Considerations (including evidence used)
34.1(a) Enabling the participant’s goals and objectives (supports will assist the participant to pursue the goals and objectives in their plan)	☐ Yes	The participant may or may not have a goal explicitly related to the implementation of a dog guide however, advisor should consider how the support of dog guide is likely to assist the participant to achieve their NDIS plan goals.
34.1(b) Assist the participant’s social and economic participation (supports will assist the participant to undertake activities to facilitate their social and economic participation)	☐ Yes	To determine whether the animal will assist with social and economic participation, consider what social or economic activities the participant does currently s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies
34.1(c) Value for money (supports represents value for money, ie the costs of support are reasonable, both in terms of the benefits achieved and the cost of alternative support)	☐ Yes	First dog guides Have comparable supports or strategies been explored and reasons outlined why they could not achieve the same outcome at a substantially lower cost? s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies What independent travel (with no support person) does the participant currently undertake including specific details (i.e. destinations, demands/complexity, frequency, duration)?

Criteria for reasonable and necessary supports

Criteria for reasonable and necessary supports	Is criteria met?	Considerations (including evidence used)
s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies		What are the participants current informal/formal support needs for community mobility including specific support S47E(d) - certain operations of agencies
What are the travel routes the participant is expected to undertake with a dog guide and no support person including specific details =F
How are the participant’s current informal/formal support needs for community mobility expected to change with the implementation of a dog guide?
Consider that an assistance animal is a long term support (8-10 years). Has the Assessor considered any likely changes that may impact on the long term benefit of a dog guide
Note: Generally, informal and/or NDIS funded supports to access community/sighted guide would be expected to reduce with the implementation of a dog guide.
Replacement dog guides before expected service life (8 years)
What was the date of issue and retirement i.e., service life of the previous animal.
What was the reason for early retirement [= redacted]
What evidence has been provided demonstrating the mitigation of risk of early retirement occurring again?
Consider evidence of lived experience when comparing the participant’s support needs with

• Are there comparable support options which would achieve the same outcome at a substantially lower cost? What alternative supports were considered?
• Is there evidence that the support will substantially improve the life stage outcomes and be of long-term benefit to the participant?
• Is there evidence that funding support is likely to increase independence and reduce funded support costs in the long-term?
• Is there evidence the support will increase the participant’s independence and reduce the participant’s need for other kinds of supports?
• Is there evidence the quoted support cost is comparable to expected com of s paxil rane of |

Criteria for reasonable and necessary supports	Is criteria met?	Considerations (including evidence used)
34.1(e) Support coordinates with but does not replace informal support
(funding or provision of supports takes account of what it is reasonable to expect families, carers, informal networks and the community to provide)
Consider NDIS Support for Participant Rules 2013 Part 3.4	☐ Yes
☐ No	s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies

| 34.1(f) Support is most appropriately funded by the NDIS (supports are not more appropriately funded or provided through other general service systems or universal service obligations) Consider NDIS Support for Participant Rules 2013 Schedule 1 | ☐ Yes ☐ No | Replacement dog guides before expected service life (8 years)

s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies As per NDIS Assistance Animal including dog guides operational guidelines, “the provider of the assistance animal may be responsible for replacement costs under guarantee or additional warranty if it retires early.”

s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies

| Support will not cause harm (Supports will not be funded if it is likely to cause harm to the participant or pose a risk to others, or the support would be contrary to a law of a jurisdiction) Consider NDIS Support for Participant Rules 2013 Part 5.1 and 5.3 | ☐ Yes ☐ No | Is there evidence of any medical conditions that may impact on the participant’s ability to engage in a dog guide training program and/or current/ongoing ability to use a dog guide to access the community?

s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies

Criteria for reasonable and necessary supports

Criteria for reasonable and necessary supports	Is criteria met?	Considerations (including evidence used)
		Whether the home environment is suitable redacted -
		What environments will the dog guide access redacted-
Support is directly related to the participant’s disability
(supports will not be funded under the NDIS if they do not relate to the participant’s disability or are day-to-day expenses or income replacement)
Consider NDIS Support for Participant Rules 2013 Part 5.1 and 5.2	☐ Yes ☐ No	Has the dog guide been recommended to address functional impacts (vision) associated with the disability for which they gained access to the scheme?
Support does not duplicate other supports
(supports do not duplicate other supports delivered under alternative funding through the NDIS such as Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) funding.)
Consider NDIS Support for Participant Rules 2013 Part 5.1	☐ Yes ☐ No
Are all of the above criteria met for all supports?
☐ Yes ☐ No

Version Control

Version #	Status	Date	Modified by	Brief Description of Modification
V1.0	Cleared	31/08/2023	TSA612	Production of initial V1.0
V1.0	Cleared	05/09/2023	JIF775	Transferred to Key Advisor Advice Resources repository

Note: Document uncontrolled in hard copy