Hearing Oversight Committee meeting
Meeting date: 10 November 2022
Agenda Item: #
Agenda Item: AAT Case Management Guides Project
Paper Type: For Endorsement
ELT Sponsor: Matthew Swainson, Chief Counsel
Draft resolution: The Hearing Oversight Committee endorses the Six AAT CM Guides presented to the meeting.
1. Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current AAT Case Management Guides Project and seek endorsement from the Hearing Oversight Committee of the Six AAT Case Management Guides completed to date (See Attachments):
redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant materialredacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material- AAT CM Guide – Applied Behavioural Analysis,
redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant materialredacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant materialredacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material
1.1. This endorsement is being sought for the Guides that provide Case Managers and other stakeholders with guidance in formulating the position of the NDIA in managing matters before the AAT, with respect to specific supports.
2. Recommendation
2.1. To endorse the use of the AAT Case Management Guides as being the position of the NDIA regarding each of the nominated supports.
3. Background
3.1. A need was identified for a common plain English and succinct suite of guidance documents identifying the various documents for consideration in formulating an approach to managing the matter and outlining the NDIA’s likely position on the provision of certain NDIS supports, based on legislation and experience.
3.2. A Project was established in the Quality, Strategy and Training team within the AAT Case Management Branch in August 2022. This Project was tasked with providing Case Management Guides for 30 supports topics with extensive consultation within the Branch’s Executive team, Subject Matter Experts both within the Branch and the wider NDIA to ensure completeness and accuracy of the Guides.
3.3. The Guides are to provide only a summary of the Supports and the NDIA’s likely positions to act as a type of quick reference tool to assist both internal and external stakeholders to develop a greater understanding of our case management approach.
4. Budget
4.1. The Project is utilising existing resources.
5. Risks
5.1. These Guides are designed to outline the NDIA position regarding the provision of NDIS Supports to Case Managers and other interested parties. The Guides provide for each of the covered supports sections covering description of the support, current NDIA Policy,
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NDIA posture, supporting evidence requirements, other considerations and summary/ies of previous AAT decisions that may be relevant. The Guides also include links to relevant legislation, documents, papers and orders where required.
5.2. The publishing of these Guides may increase the scrutiny that the Agency’s decision-making processes are currently undergoing. This is considered of minor impact as the Guides are distilling already published information from the NDIS Guidelines on the internet, published decisions of the AAT and interpretations of the relevant legislation – the Act and Rules.
- Impact
6.1. The provision of the AAT Case Management Guides to Case Managers and the Agency will assist with achieving the following outcomes and improvements.
6.1.1. Staff (especially New Starters) will have access to a ‘one stop shop’ re supports.
6.1.2. Business units throughout the Branch and the Agency will have access to the latest NDIA policy and posture regarding the provision of supports that are covered.
6.1.3. The NDIA will have transparency regarding its decisions in internal and external forums – i.e. the AAT will better understand our position when we are dealing with the Members.
6.1.4. Participants and Providers will have a better understanding of how the NDIA has formulated its approach to managing the matter.
6.1.5. These Guides will assist with satisfying the NDIA Participant Service Guarantee and Model Litigant obligations.7. Responsibility and next steps
7.1. The Branch Manager, AAT Case management has overall responsibility and oversight of the Project. The Project team currently consists of the Director, Quality, Strategy and Training, Assistant Director, Strategy and Three Paralegals and is responsible for the initial drafting of the Guides, sourcing and collating feedback from users and Subject Matter Experts and managing the publishing and general administration of the Guides going forwards.
7.2. The Project team will continue progressing the remaining 24 Guides which are currently in various stages and the Project is expecting to have all the Guides competed by the end of the year.
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Attachments
Attachment A: redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material AAT
CM Guide – Applied Behavioural Analysis, redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material
Attachment B: AAT Case Management Guides Topic List
Hearing Oversight Committee Endorsement: Yes/No/For Discussion at next meeting/For discussion out of session.
Internal use only – removed for meeting
| Prepared by: | Philip redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant / Lee |
Approved by: | Matthew Swainson redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division: | AAT Case Management | Chief Counsel | |
| Cleared by ELT | [ELT date] |
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