ABN 24 603 467 024 ARBN 100 042 822
Brotherhood of St. Laurence 67 Brunswick Street Fitzroy 3065 Victoria Australia Telephone: 03 9483 1183
28 February 2022
Committee Secretary Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 ndis.sen@aph.gov.au
Dear Committee members,
The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this inquiry, drawing on our work with people with disability as well our experience as an NDIS Partner in the Community delivering Local Area Coordination and Early Childhood Early Intervention services since 2016.
BSL notes the broad nature of the terms of reference (ToR) for this submission. Each aspect of the ToR addresses parts of the Scheme where comprehensive performance data is not made public. This lack of available data limits the community’s ability to adequately address key issues of Scheme performance. We are therefore unable to provide a robust response to the Inquiry’s ToR.
However, BSL notes steps were taken to provide the public with enough information about Scheme performance through the General Issues 2021 Interim Report. We therefore agree with the two recommendations that are provided in that report, namely:
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The JSC recommends that the Australian Government reconsider its responses to particular recommendations in the committee’s previous reports, and
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The committee recommends that the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme of the 47th Parliament of Australia reinitiate this committee’s inquiry into Current Scheme Implementation and Forecasting for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and continue to consider evidence received by the committee in the 46th Parliament.
We are committed to the success of the NDIS and its principles of Choice and Control and person-centred support. BSL has provided input to numerous consultations and enquiries and has endeavoured to
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represent the experiences of people we work with in the NDIS and people with disability more broadly, while also providing constructive input on improving the Scheme and the outcomes for participants.
We look forward to contributing to meaningful discussions in the 47th Parliament of Australia in relation to the issues outlined in the ToR, namely Tier 2 supports; the future of the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) grant; the interface between the NDIS and other systems; and the future sustainability of the Scheme among others.
We look forward to working with the JSC in 2022 to see the successful implementation of NDIS.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Shelley Mallett Director, Research and Policy Centre Brotherhood of St. Laurence Professorial Fellow, Social Policy, University of Melbourne Email: smallett@bsl.org.au
Ms Susan Hall A/Director, NDIS Services Brotherhood of St. Laurence
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