NDIA Accountability Project

Challenges accessing NDIS support for acquired brain injury and mental health concerns

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~ General issues around the implementation and performance of the NDIS~—

Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme

PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600

Dear Sir/Madam,

  1. This submission is forwarded for consideration by your Committee.

  2. We are unable to attend any Public Hearing because we are in Coffs Harbour NSW.

  3. I am the carer for ME, a lady who has an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and who has many mental problems associated with her treatment by the staff of the NSW Education Department where she was the object of Workplace Bullying.

  4. We only recently found out about State Government support, let alone the NDIS.

  5. I have now battled for over 8 months attempting to gather all the required medical evidence without very little support and yet to have the little available State Government support even recognised by the NDIA.

  6. We now find that the State Government support we receive through Community Care Options is being withdrawn and has now been reduced to a monthly funding allocation.

  7. We finally got our GP to sign the documentation but our GP had received no training at all in how to complete the documentation and in fact did not even mention ABI. I did attach a letter to the form with details of the medical documentation attached.

  8. Luckily we received funding from Synapse for an up to date Neuro Psychological Assessment as we just did not have the $1,760 available but this assessment cannot be undertaken until the end of September plug cannot undertake the assessment in one sitting due to her mental problems.

  9. Just some of the problems we have had are as follows:

  • Website does not even list the Coffs Harbour office of NDIA.
  • Website does not even list contact number for Cofs Harbour office of NDIA.
  • Informed initially that we could only apply one month before July 2017 yet in fact we could have applied 6 months before.
  • Question time at local information meeting was cut short by local MP and people present still wanted to ask questions.
  • LAC’s seem to have different standards and apply standards differently. I have seen this from various postings on social media.
  • It has been over a week now since our submission and our submission has not even been acknowledged by the NDIA and we have not been given an estimated resultant decision time frame.
  • MM is currently receiving four and a half hours to five hours a week support through the State Government and we are hoping that this support will continue under the NDIS.

~ General issues around the implementation and performance of the NDIS-

viii. Providers must supply details of qualifications and experience of staff so that end users are able to choose a provider with suitable staff for their requirements. For example it is no use choosing a provider that sends service workers who cannot cook if they are required to cook suitable meals to meet dietary requirements.

ix. Providers must also clearly identify length of time in operation.

tx. NDIA must take in account fully any decisions made by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and apply those decisions across the board where they are applicable.

xi. It should NOT be necessary at all for applicants to take legal action to achieve desired results and applicants must be advised of assistance available with the appeal process.

xii. All applicants must be advised to assistance available in their local area to help with compiling application paperwork.

xiii. | also know of a lady in Sydney who has received State Government assistance via a Mental Health Support Worker and she had not even been informed to apply for the NDIS and once again, her GP had no training at all in completing the documentation. The initial application was rejected as not enough evidence was supplied.

xiv. This lady lives on her own and has trouble reading and writing. She has not been given two different stories by the NDIA and her Mental Health Support Worker does not know much at all about the NDIS. More needs to be done to help people in her position.

  1. This is only the tip of the iceberg as regards the NDIS and its problems. There really needs to be very serious review of its operations so far as I believe that the NDIS is very badly affecting our disabled people instead of helping them.