Making sure the Participant Service Guarantee (PSG) works well
What we found out
An Easy Read document
O
COMMONWEALTH OMBUDSMAN
How to use this document
The Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman wrote this document. When you see the word ‘we’, it means the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
We wrote this document in an easy to read way.
We use pictures to explain some ideas.
We wrote some important words in bold.
This means the letters are thicker and darker.
We explain what these bold words mean.
There is a list of these words on page 15.
This Easy Read document
This means it only includes the most important ideas.
You can find the other document on our website.
www.ombudsman.gov.au/publications-resources-and-faqs
You can ask for help to read this document. A friend, family member or support person may be able to help you.
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What’s in this document?
What is this document about?
What is this document about?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a way of supporting people with disability around Australia.
The NDIS helps people with disability:
- get the supports and services they need
- work towards their goals.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) runs the NDIS.
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The National Disability Insurance Scheme
Participant Service Guarantee
What Is It?
The NDIA must follow the Participant Service Guarantee (PSG).
Participants are people with disability who take part in the NDIS.
And a guarantee is like a promise.
The PSG is a set of rules the NDIA must follow.
It explains what you can expect from the NDIS.
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Participant Service Guarantee
It explains how long the NDIA can take to:
- make decisions
- do things to help participants.
The PSG helps participants know how long the NDIA will take to make decisions that affect:
- them
- people who support them.
This document explains how well the NDIA is following the PSG.
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What our document focuses on
The PSG explains how long the NDIA can take to make:
- actions – things they must do
- decisions.
Our document focuses on 6 timeframes about these:
- actions
- decisions.
The NDIA shares information about the PSG with:
- participants
- people who support them.
We looked at how the NDIA shares this information with participants when they first join the NDIS.
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Information Shared About Participants
This includes when they apply to join the NDIS.
It also includes when they plan what support they need in their NDIS plan.
An NDIS plan explains:
- you and your goals
- what support you need.
We checked what information the NDIA is sharing:
- on their website
- in the letters they send to participants.
We also checked what information they are sharing with their staff.
NDIA staff need good information about the PSG so they can communicate with participants.
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What Did We Find Out?
The NDIA has done some work to share information when participants first join the NDIS.
But they need to do more work to make sure participants understand how long it will take the NDIA to make a decision.
The NDIA does not always share information that is:
- easy to understand
- the same every time.
This includes information they share:
- on their website
- in the letters they send to participants.
They Are Also Not Telling Participants When They Need More Time To Make A Decision About:
- If Someone Can Join The NDIS
- A Person’S NDIS Plan.
Participants Can Call The National Contact Centre To Ask If The Ndia Have Made A Decision About:
- If They Can Join The NDIS
- Their NDIS Plan.
But The Staff Who Answer The Calls Don’T Get Enough Support.
It Can Be Hard For Staff To Give Participants Good Information About When The Ndia Will Make A Decision.
Our Suggestions
We have 5 ideas to suggest to the NDIA.
When we suggest something, we share an idea that will make things better.
These ideas will help the NDIA share better information about the PSG with participants when they first join the NDIS.
- The NDIA should update information on their website about how long it takes them to make decisions.
This includes:
-
forms
-
videos
-
documents.
The website should include information about how long it will take the NDIA to make decisions about:
-
if someone can join the NDIS
-
a person’s NDIS plan.
2. The NDIA should update the letters they send
to participants when they first join the NDIS.
These letters should explain how long it will take them to make these decisions.
3. The NDIA should update their rules about how
to share this information.
This includes their guidelines and policies.
A policy is a plan for how an organisation should do things.
Good policies and guidelines will help staff answer questions participants have.
The NDIA should explain what information staff can share while participants wait for a decision about:
-
if they can join the NDIS
-
their NDIS plan.
4. The NDIA should write a policy to support staff who
work in the National Contact Centre.
The policy will help staff share this information with participants while they wait for a decision.
5. The NDIA should create a way of letting
participants know when they need more time to make a decision.
When the NDIA doesn’t share information about a decision on time, the NDIA should explain:
- why they need more time to make the decision
- when they will make the decision.
The NDIA have agreed to the 5 ideas we suggested.
This means the NDIA will start doing the things that we suggested.
Word List
This list explains what the bold words in this document mean.
Guarantee
A guarantee is like a promise.
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
The NDIA runs the NDIS.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
The NDIS is a way of supporting people with disability around Australia.
NDIS Plan
An NDIS plan explains:
- You and your goals
- What support you need.
Participant Service Guarantee (PSG)
The PSG is a set of rules the NDIA must follow.
Participants
Participants are people with disability who take part in the NDIS.
Policy
A policy is a plan for how an organisation should do things.
Suggest
When we suggest something, we share an idea that will make things better.
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Contact Us
You can call us.
1300 362 072
You can send us an email.
You can write to us.
GPO Box 442 Canberra ACT 2601
You can visit our website.
The Information Access Group created this Easy Read document using stock photography and custom images. The images may not be reused without permission. For any enquiries about the images, please visit www.informationaccessgroup.com. Quote job number 5020.
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