OFFICIAL: SENSITIVE
Independent Advisory Council
ndis
The market issues and its lack of perfect competition, resulting in a need to improve market stewardship. Co-Chairs noted that the market has been primarily guided by the price of supports, set by the NDIA. The NDIS Review Panel will present a paper at the next DRMC meeting to unpack pricing and how it is guiding behaviours and outcomes, with a view to starting a conversation about a different approach to pricing.
The need to realign provider incentives, removing perverse incentives and bringing in the right ones.
The need to work on the interface of the NDIS with other systems, and how the current agreements are not working for participants. There is a general view that the Scheme is the ‘funder of last resort’, so it is not surprising the Scheme has more participants, and costs more, than anticipated.
The need for the Scheme to focus on outcomes. While there is general agreement that the NDIS has resulted in significant benefits for participants, we cannot currently say what outcomes the Scheme achieved in Australia.
Member’s feedback included:
The need to ensure genuine co-design in the development and implementation of the recommendations. Co-Chairs noted that the Review is constrained by the 12-month timeline set by the government and stressed their commitment to consulting with the community at each step (including testing the recommendations before publishing) as much as feasible within that timeline.
The ongoing interface issues with the education system, including the lack of support from States and Territories for students with disability, and the issues with intersectionality.
The need to look at gender inequality in the Scheme.
The possibility to use some of the principles behind the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to influence the operation of certain markets (i.e. use the government’s procurement power to get better prices for goods/services).
4. Council’s Work Plan
4.1. Council’s Priorities for 2023-24.
Due to time constrains, this item will be discussed at an out of session meeting.
Action 11: Council to meet out of session to discuss the work plan for 2023-24.
5. PACE
5.1. 3P Test Evaluation: preliminary findings and next steps
Mr. Garth redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant General Manager, Participant Experience Design provided an overview of the Tasmania Test of PACE and its evaluation, including NDIA engagement with Disability Representative and Carer Organisations (DRCOs) and Partner staff, and the evaluation’s preliminary findings.
National Disability Insurance Agency 7
OFFICIAL: SENSITIVE
OFFICIAL: SENSITIVE
Independent Advisory Council
ndis
The Principal Member noted Council met with Tasmanian DRCOs and Partners on 12 April to discuss their experiences with the test.
Members’ feedback included:
The high cost of cyber security accreditation, which is required by some government organisations when other service providers store personal information, and whether this will be required of NDIS service providers.
The importance of ensuring NDIS systems and technology do not disadvantage participants in remote and very remote communities, where internet connectivity, access to technology and language can have an impact on participant’s ability to access PACE.
The need to look at the practices and processes that sit behind the technology, including capacity building of NDIA and Partner staff. PACE is just a part of a broader ecosystem, and 3P (process, platforms and people) has the potential to translate to better outcomes for participants.
The work of Flinders University on data sovereignty (funded by the Commonwealth government with a focus on brain injury research) and the importance of the NDIA learning from this work.
The need to streamline the process of identification for participants, and to ensure the NDIS is linked with other government services via myGov, saving participants the need to prove their identity at each contact point. Members also questioned how the proof of identification would work for people who do not have birth certificates or a valid form of identification.
Mr. redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant noted that the NDIA would welcome feedback on the evaluation report once published, including what needs further investigation or testing.
Action 12: Question on Notice: Will the NDIA require registered providers who store participant data to complete the ISO 27001 accreditation?
Action 13: Mr. redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant to brief Council at a future meeting on how PACE would work for participants and their families in remote and very remote communities.
Action 14: Secretariat to circulate papers from Flinders University on data sovereignty.
5.2. Demonstration — my NDIS Portal and updated my NDIS app
Mr. Alex redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant General Manager Digital, and Ms. Lisa redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Director, Participant digital experience provided an overview of the updated My NDIS Portal.
redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant
Members’ feedback included:
The ability for the portal to show the full length of plan (i.e. 3 years instead of just 12 months)
Allowing participants to discard invoices once uploaded, instead of keeping records for five years as is current practice.
Positive feedback on the inclusion of an inbox for the NDIA to communicate directly with participants.
The ability to upload bulk invoice claims, and to include optical character recognition, to allow the system to ‘read’ the invoices and prefill information.
National Disability Insurance Agency 8
OFFICIAL: SENSITIVE
OFFICIAL: SENSITIVE
Independent Advisory Council
ndis
A demonstration of the updated app was unable to be provided due to issues with the technology. The Principal Member asked Ms. redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant to provide this out of session with Members who were interested.
Members discussed the next steps for Council in relation to PACE.
Action 15: Council to meet out of session to agree on next steps in relation to PACE.
Action 16: Secretariat to circulate a summary of the discussions held on 12 April.
6. Meeting close
6.1. Other Business
6.2. Next Meeting
The next meeting will be on Thursday 18 May via MS Teams.
Actual order of proceedings: sessions 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 2.2, 5.1, 5.2
Delivered by the National Disability Insurance Agency
OFFICIAL: SENSITIVE