NDIA Accountability Project

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AGENDA INDEPENDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE NDIS Meeting 7 of 2021-22 Date: Friday 25th February 2022

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DOCUMENT 49 FOI 24/25-0546

OFFICIAL

AGENDA

INDEPENDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE NDIS

Meeting 7 of 2021-22 Date: Friday 25th February 2022 Log-in details: Independent Advisory Council meeting Or call in (audio only) redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material

SESSION TITLE TIME
SESSION 1: PRINCIPAL MEMBER’S WELCOME & OPEN 12.30pm-1.10pm
ITEM 1.1 Principal Member’s welcome
ITEM 1.2 Confirmation of minutes, matters arising, terms of reference and declaration of interest
ITEM 1.3 Board Chair and CEO Update – focusing on COVID
SESSION 2: COUNCIL REPORTS 1.10pm-1.55pm
ITEM 2.1 Members and Expert Advisers: Reports ‘from the ground’
SESSION 3: CO-DESIGN ADVISORY GROUP FEEDBACK 1.55pm-2.10pm
ITEM 3.1 Update on Co-Design Advisory Group activities
Presenter: Leah Van Poppel
Break 2.10pm-2.20pm
SESSION 4: AGENCY OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW 2.20pm-3.00pm
ITEM 4.1 Update on Agency operations
Presenter: Jeremy Dean
Break 3.00pm-3.10pm
SESSION 5: SELF-MANAGEMENT 3.10pm-3.50pm
ITEM 5.1 Update on Self-Management Policy and Implementation plan
Presenters: Dr Sam redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant and Kathy redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant
SESSION 6: MEETING CLOSE 3.50pm-4.00pm
ITEM 6.1 Other business
ITEM 6.2 Next meeting

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Independent Advisory Council

Minutes of the Independent Advisory Council to the NDIS

Meeting 7 — 25 February 2022 1.30pm to 5.00pm, hosted on MS Teams

Members

Ms Leah Van Poppel (Principal Member) Ms Kerry Allan-Zinner Ms Sharon Boyce Ms Jennifer Cullen Dr Leighton Jay Ms Sylvana Mahmic Ms Tricia Malowney OAM Mr James Manders Ms Sam Paior Ms Liz Reid AM Mr Mark Tonga

Expert Adviser

Dr Ben Gauntlett, Disability Discrimination Commissioner

NDIA Representatives

Mr Martin Hoffman, Chief Executive Officer Ms Sarah Johnson, Deputy CEO, Design, Digital and Strategy Dr Sam redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant General Manager, Policy, Advice and Research Ms Jess redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Acting Branch Manager, Agency Policy Ms Kathy redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Director, Empowering Participants, Agency Policy Branch Ms Carly redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Acting Director, Independent Advisory Council Ms Hannah redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Assistant Director, Independent Advisory Council Ms Lirije redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Assistant Director Communications, Independent Advisory Council Ms Jaklin redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Senior Project Officer, Independent Advisory Council Ms Rebecca redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant Project Officer, Independent Advisory Council

Attending

Mr Gavin Burner, Intellectual Disability Reference Group Member Ms Belinda redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant AM, Council’s Independent Consultant redacted: s47F - personal privacy

Apologies

Mr Jim Minto, NDIA Acting Board Chair

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1. Principal Member’s welcome and open

1.1. Principal Member’s welcome

The Principal Member opened the meeting at 1.33pm.

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

The Principal Member noted Jim Minto, Acting NDIA Board Chair was unable to attend, but plans to attend as many Council meetings as possible in the future.

The Principal Member:

  • welcomed new faces to the Council meeting including:
    • Dr George Taleporos who joined Council as a member on 1 January 2022.
    • Gavin Burner, who is joining us from the Intellectual Disability Reference Group, to ensure the voice of people with intellectual disability is heard in Council’s work.
    • Jess redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant, the new Branch Manager of Agency Policy following Trent redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant departure
    • Sarah Johnson, as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Design, Digital and Strategy replacing Oliver Bladek.
    • Rebecca redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant, new member of the Secretariat team
  • noted Carly is acting Director of the Independent Advisory Council, with Fiona redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant leaving in mid-February to take up a new role in the Victorian Department of Health.

The Principal Member also acknowledged previous Council members John Walsh and the late Sue Salthouse as Australia Day award recipients. She noted John received the Officer in the General Division (AO) and Sue was awarded a Member in the General Division (AM).

The Principal Member noted the following additional information available in the Resource Centre on Diligent:

  • redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material
  • Out of Session meeting reports from Ms redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant and the Secretariat on:
    • New technology to assist people with Intellectual Disability (Artificial Intelligence Research Project)
    • Remote and Very Remote Strategy
  • Participant Reference Group report from Kerry Allan-Zinner
  • Action log of issues raised during previous CEO update and Members reports sessions.

The Principal Member also noted that as member reports have been given in writing for this meeting, the Secretariat will compile actions for the log from these reports.

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The Principal Member requested feedback from Members on whether they find the reports available in the Diligent Resource Centre useful.

1.2. Minutes, matters arising, terms of reference and declarations of interest

Council noted the updated register of conflicts of interest circulated in advance of the meeting.

Council approved the minutes from the meeting held on 16 December 2021 and noted the matters arising and the terms of reference.

redacted: s47F - personal privacy

1.3. Board Chair and CEO update

Mr Hoffman told Members that the Agency is continuing to work on COVID-19 measures to support participants. This includes planning for potential future variants and case surges. Mr Hoffman noting there continues to be legitimate concerns with workforce disruptions in group home settings.

Members queried the uptake of COVID-19 booster shots among people with disability, noting their interest in seeing the vaccination data if available. Mr Hoffman said the data is available and would share with Members.

Mr Hoffman mentioned his recent attendance at a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Strategy Refresh roundtable held in Canberra, noting the Agency’s continued work to ensure it supports CALD participants, families, and carers. Members who also attended the roundtable noted Mr Hoffman’s attendance was a powerful signal of support for people from CALD backgrounds.

Action 2: Secretariat to send Members vaccination data for people with disability.

2. Council Reports

2.1. Members and Expert Advisers: Reports ‘from the ground’

Council Members raised the following concerns they had heard related to the NDIS:

  • Continued impact of COVID-19 on participant supports, safety and self-management.
  • Concerns that some participants are being transitioned from plan management to agency management plans without consent.
  • Proactive and transparent communication is needed for participants to understand the plan review process and timelines. Members suggesting at least two weeks’ notice should be given to participants before their plan review.
  • Continued concerns around plan reductions and the potential link with planners not fully understanding a participant’s background and circumstance.

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  • Delays in processing support requests
  • Concerns support requests are not funded because of decisions on ‘value for money’.
  • Concerns that allied health and therapies are used for early childhood where flexible and/or core funding would help development.
  • Lack of adequate support from early childhood partners to families who do not meet access eligibility, especially given that COVID lockdowns have disrupted childhood services.
  • Removal of ‘out of school hours care’ from state and territory government services is affecting participant plans for children. The NDIA is working with schools and state and territory education departments on this matter.
  • Low employment rates for people with disability.
  • Members stressed the importance of reducing the number of young people in residential aged care, noting only a small number of young people have left residential aged care and are in specialist disability accommodation.
  • Thin markets in rural and remote communities resulting in a lack of disability support workers/workforce issues.
  • Concerns around conflicts of interest for NDIS providers who have been funded to find alternative housing options for people in residential aged care’
  • Lack of awareness around changes to the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award and the impact this has on participant plans.
  • Continued challenges with NDIS participants who are awaiting hospital discharge.
  • DSS suspending funding for the NT NDIS appeals. Members were extremely concerned with the impact this will have on participants in the NT.
  • Raised the importance of the National Disability Data Asset for nationally consistent and data-based solutions for people with disability.

The Principal Member thanked Members who provided a report in advance and noted these will be available in the Diligent Resource Centre.

3. Co-design Advisory Group feedback

3.1. Update on Co-Design Advisory Group activities

The Principal Member said that the Co-Design Advisory Group has been working towards the creation of project specific steering committees for co-design in:

  • Information Gathering for Access and Planning
  • Home and Living
  • Supported Decision Making

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  • Participant Safety

The Principal Member said:

  • these committees will guide co-design in each area
  • membership will include of Council Members, Disability Representatives and Carer Organisations (DRCO’s), participants and other Government departments.
  • noted Council nominations have been finalised with three representatives on each group.

The Principal Member thanked Members for their nominations.

4. Agency Operational Overview

4.1. Update on Agency operations

Mr Dean provided Members with an update on Agency operations, detailing performance against staff work volume, productivity, and participant growth.

Mr Dean discussed with Members the current frontline performance against KPI targets, highlighting the reduction in time a delegate spends reviewing a participant plan, because of reducing irrelevant steps in the process. Members were interested in understanding this in detail, with Mr Dean offering to send further information.

Council Members raised the following points:

  • Concerns around the quality of outcomes in meeting targets in relation to the Participant Service Guarantee, specifically:
    • Some complaints are closed within 21 days however, participants may not consider the process as being a quality outcome/experience.
    • A need to regularly survey participants about their NDIS experience and define what quality means.
  • Given the Agency’s change to a new Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) system, customer information should be safely transitioned.
  • Concerns about the increase in matters going to the Administrative Appeals Tribunals.
  • Ways to improve internal review processes, through quality control and staff training delivered by people with disability, to avoid matters going to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
  • An interest in inviting Jeremy to return to a future Council meeting for further engagement on 3P.

Action 3: Mr Dean to supply further detail about the reduction in delegate plan review time to Members.

Action 4: Council to invite the Agency to engage further on 3P.

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5. Self-Management

5.1. Update on Self-Management Policy and Implementation plan

Dr redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant provided Council with an update on the Self-Management Policy, noting the Policy aims to promote a simple, effective, and consistent approach to the self-management of funding for supports under participants’ plans.

Members thanked Dr redacted: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant and the team for their update, praising the team for their respectful and interactive approach to the development of the Policy. Members noted this was a strong demonstration of best-practice co-design.

Members discussed the Agency’s recommendation for participants to set up a dedicated bank account for NDIS funding. Noting that while some may disagree, this is good practice for several reasons, including easy documentation.

6. Meeting close

6.1. Other Business

The Principal Member told Members that she now has an NDIA email address, and this is the best email to contact her. Noting the Secretariat will share the address with Members.

The Principal Member thanked all Members for their attendance and valued contribution.

6.2. Next Meeting

The next meeting will be Monday 28 March at 1.30pm (AEDT). The Principal Member noted the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner will be attending.

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