Document 1
National Disability Insurance Scheme Independent Advisory Council
Meeting 1 of 2016 (10–11 March 2016)
NDIS Melbourne Office, Level 3 Casselden place, 2 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
MINUTES
ATTENDEES
Members present:
Rhonda Galbally AO (Principal Member) Ken Baker AM Dean Barton-Smith AM Jennifer Cullen Sylvana Mahmic Joan McKenna-Kerr Janet Meagher AM Gerry Naughtin Dale Reardon Michael Taggart
Apologies:
Kurt Fearnley
Board members present:
Fiona Payne (10 March)
National Disability Insurance Agency staff in attendance:
Louise Glanville, Deputy CEO Stakeholder Relations (10 March) Ian Maynard, Deputy CEO Operations (10 March) Liz Cairns, General Manager Service Delivery Stephanie Gunn, General Manager, Community Linkages (11 March) Paul O’Connor, Chief Risk Officer Sarah Johnson, Scheme Actuary (11 March) Lou O’Neill, Branch Manager, Governance and Parliamentary Katherine Rhodes, Director, Governance Tim Hillman, Council Secretariat
External participants:
Ms Belinda Epstein-Frisch, Consultant to the Independent Advisory Council
AGENDA ITEMS: DAY ONE – THURSDAY 10 March
The meeting commenced at 9:30 am on Thursday 10 March.
ITEM 1.1 Principal Member’s Welcome
The Principal Member welcomed members to the first meeting of the Independent Advisory Council (the Council) meeting for 2016.
The Council acknowledged the traditional owners of the land and paid respect to elders, past and present.
The Council also acknowledged that the purpose of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is to achieve social and economic participation of people with disability and certainty for people with disability, within the context of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly in relation to self-determination, independence and mainstream community inclusion. The Council also discussed the UN Convention in relation to an ordinary life.
The Principal Member welcomed the Board Director Payne, the DCEO Stakeholder Relations, the DCEO Operations and the Chief Risk Officer to the meeting.
ITEM 1.2 Declarations of interests
The Principal Member noted that the secretariat had circulated an updated version of the Standing Register of Interests.
The Council noted an update to the declarations of interest from the Principal Member and Council Member Mahmic.
ITEM 1.3 Minutes of previous meeting
The minutes of the 10–11 December 2015 Council meeting were agreed to.
Action 1 Secretariat to provide to the Council the list of participants that have been involved in the co-design of the website as raised in the minutes of the meeting of 10-11 December 2015.
ITEM 1.5 Members’ reports ‘from the ground’
The Council noted members’ reports ‘from the ground’.
The Council raised that the Agency understanding of the differences between the high costs of lifetime care and the beneficial costs for independence could have a large impact on the long-term sustainability of the Scheme.
The Council discussed issues relating to the ongoing consistency of planners and noted that online feedback of planning also raised this as an issue.
Action 2 Council Member Reardon to provide Agency with details of online feedback regarding planner consistency.
The Council noted that the supports available for participants who outlive their parents was unclear.
Action 3 The Agency to advise on supports available to maintain supports for participants who outlive their carers.
The Council discussed the feedback that had been received on the Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) approach and that the trial in the Nepean Blue Mountains had been reported positively by providers.
The Council discussed the work of the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) expert reference group to develop the CALD strategy. The Council noted that the strategy was high-level and could benefit from additional operational detail.
Action 4 Council Members Barton-Smith and Mahmic to provide an oral analysis on the CALD strategy.
The Council noted the importance of including a life stage developmental basis to planning, and that training should also incorporate this approach.
Action 5 Secretariat to invite General Manager, People and Culture to brief the Council on staff and training developments in relation to IAC advice.
The Council raised that an advertisement in a Townsville newspaper describing the roll out of the NDIS caused concern in the community, relating to timing and the availability of supports.
Action 6 The Agency to report back on a recent advertising round in Townsville in relation to the NDIS roll out.
The Council noted that participants in Tasmania are receiving consistent planning in metro areas but that a more creative approach to delivering plans in rural and remote areas was needed.
ITEM 2.1 NDIA report
The Council noted the NDIA report provided by the DCEO Stakeholder Relations.
The Council noted:
- the work required to recruit more people with disability at the executive and senior executive level
- the need to have appropriate representation of people with disability at senior external meetings, including meetings with the Minister, and
- the work the Agency is currently undertaking with the Scheme Actuary to ensure that CALD and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are adequately represented in the Scheme.
The Council raised that it was provided an update on the website and ICT developments at the last meeting but had not received any subsequent updates. The Council discussed the importance of the NDIA website Avatar.
Action 7 The Council to nominate two members to engage in the development of the NDIA website Avatar.
ITEM 2.2 Agency response to enhancing personal safeguards
The Council noted that the Agency response had not been circulated and would be discussed after its approval by the Board.
Action 8 Secretariat to circulate the Agency response to the Council’s advice on Enhancing Personal Safeguards.
ITEM 3.1 Operational update
The Council noted the Operational update provided by the DCEO Operations.
The Council discussed the guided planning process to develop a participant’s first plan. The Council noted that this process forms part of the Service Delivery Operating Model (SDOM) and was developed to provide supports that participants require and to urgently address unmet need while preparing a participant for a discussion around goals and aspirations.
The Council noted the Participant Pathway Booklet. The Council noted that the booklet should reflect different life stages and provide a positive message around continuity, certainty and development.
Action 9 The Council to provide any feedback on the Participant Pathway Booklet to the Secretariat out of session.
Action 10 DCEO Operations to work with the Council on vulnerable groups in developing tools for the Participant Pathway Booklet.
ITEM 3.2 Introduction from the Chief Risk Officer
The Council noted the introduction from the Chief Risk Officer.
The Council discussed the AAT process and administrative law in relation to the NDIS, particularly in relation to transport in metro areas.
Action 11 Agency to provide examples of how the concept of an ordinary life is being reflected in decision making in relation to reasonable and necessary supports.
ITEM 4.1 Work plan: Intellectual disability update
The Council noted the status report on the IDRG work plan.
The Council noted the IDRG paper Support for decision making and discussed key issues raised in the paper. Additions to the paper are to be provided by Michael Taggart and Joan McKenna-Kerr.
The Council noted the IDRG paper Equitable access to the NDIS by people on the margins. The Council noted that the next segments of the paper will focus on homelessness, followed by justice and low socioeconomic status (SES).
Action 12 Support for decision making to be amended to incorporate comments by members prior to recirculation.
Action 13 Equitable access to the NDIS by people on the margins to be considered by members and discussed at the next meeting of the Council.
Action 14 Council Member Cullen to attend a meeting of the intellectual disability reference group (IDRG) to provide advice on regional and remote access to the scheme.
ITEM 4.2 Work plan: Disability Support Organisation
The Council noted the updated on Disability Support Organisations.
Other Business
AGENDA ITEMS: DAY TWO – FRIDAY 11 March
ITEM 5.1 LAC and ILC update
The Council noted the Local Area Coordination (LAC) and Information, Linkages and Capacity building update provided by the General Manager Community Linkages.
The Council noted the update on the continuing development of the ILC Commissioning Framework.
The Council noted the update on the progressive implementation of arrangements for LAC.
Action 15 The Agency to notify the Council as soon as a public announcement regarding Victorian LACs is made. Future public announcements of this sort should also be raised with the Council.
The Council was provided with an update on community inclusion and the how the Agency drives change at a community level.
Action 16 The Agency to circulate the community readiness framework to the Council out of session.
ITEM 5.2 Technology update
The technology update was postponed to a future meeting.
Action 17 Secretariat to reschedule the technology update for a future meeting.
ITEM 6.1 Scheme Actuary update
The Council noted the update from the Scheme Actuary and the December 2015 quarterly report.
The Council discussed participants’ utilisation of funds in plans in relation to reasonable and necessary, the adequate implementation of plans and in-kind funding.
The Council noted that the Outcomes Framework questions had been tested in a pilot with an expectation for the first wave of a long form survey to commence in the next few months. The Council raised the importance of measuring participant satisfaction and the accuracy of the outcomes framework questions, as well as capturing information across diagnosis.
Action 18 The Agency to report back on the participant experience of the long form survey for the Outcome Framework.
Action 19 The Agency to provide data on children over 8 years old who have both autism and an intellectual disability
The Council noted that there could be more information on access to the Scheme for immigrants, low SES, CALD and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples.
Action 20 The Agency to provide data on low SES and vulnerable groups to the Council before the next meeting.
ITEM 6.2 Capacity building – further recommendations
The Council noted the paper in preparation for advice to the Board on building capacity and reducing vulnerability in the most vulnerable.
The Council discussed recommendations relating to the registration of user led capacity building organisations that require a demonstration of relevant knowledge, skills and experience to foster capacity building.
Action 21 The Council agreed for the paper on capacity building for the most vulnerable to be developed out of session and presented at the next meeting of the Council.
ITEM 7.1 Work plan item: aligning mental health and disability sector
The Council noted the update on the work plan item on aligning the mental health and disability sector from Janet Meagher.
The Council discussed peer work and peer leadership, noting that peer work could be professionalised so that people with lived experience can provide a professional role to guide and implement planning while working with individuals on outcomes.
Action 22 Secretariat to provide Council Member Meagher with the peer support and mentor line from the catalogue of funded supports.
Action 23 Secretariat to schedule the work plan item on aligning the mental health and disability sector around peer support for the next meeting of the Council.
Item 7.2 Other business, feedback and confirmation of next meeting
The Council discussed the autism workshop that Council Members Mahmic and McKenna-Kerr attended.
Action 24 Media, Communications and Engagement to provide the Council with reference materials and speaking notes for members to communicate the concept of a wide gateway to key stakeholders.
The Council noted that Council Member Fearnley had notified the secretariat of his intention to resign from the Council.
The Council consented to the release of the updated conflict of interest register to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee.
The next meeting of the Council will be held on 19-20 May 2016.
The meeting concluded at 2:00 pm on 11 March 2016.
UNDER THE LINE ITEMS
UTL Item 1
- The Council noted the current Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) reviews paper.
Action 25 The Agency will provide an updated version out of session with client detail removed.