Enable Independent Two Submission Participants Assessments

I enableIndependenttwoSubmissionparticipantsAssessments122

to access the NDIA in the following manner:

• I am the mother of a young neurodivergent participant
• I am the power of attorney and enduring guardian of an adult participant with an Acquired Brain Injury and paralysis.

I am concerned about the introduction of independent assessments for the following reasons: “. the introduction of independent assessments for NDIS are more about cost cutting for the government as opposed to assisting

• theIndependentclientSubmissionAssessmentswith122 any

• choice and control;

C. having gone through the nightmare that is Centrelink, I shudder to think how the independent assessments will affect other government departments, particularly if the disability pension is also assessed

D. As a carer and nominee, I am already stretched to capacity to complete all the paperwork for both participants. Adding an extra step with an independent assessor will add to my workload.

E. The independence, qualifications, training,

• expertise
• Independent Submission Assessments and quality assurance of assessors is the area that concerns me the most.
• NDIA participants are already assessed by qualified medical professionals and therapists, most of whom have developed a rapport with the participants. I am concerned that a random person whose qualifications are unknown will override qualified experts.
• Again, I am also concerned with the appropriateness of the assessment tools selected for use in independent assessments to

determine Independent Submission Assessments plan 122 funding.

This is definitely true for

my child, who has

issues with testing,

particularly when

unmedicated, as well as

my friend, who has

been left with receptive processing and cognitive issues. Who knows what testing will be done?

M. What the implications of independent assessments for access to and eligibility for the NDIS? As stated earlier, it is already difficult to access NDIS. It took my child 9 months of wasted time to change from FACHSIA State government funding to NDIA. It took my friend

• 2 years
• Independent Submission to Assessments access 122
• SDA

housing. How much longer will the wait times be with this new process?

S. The implications of independent assessments for NDIS planning, including decisions related to funding reasonable and necessary supports will directly affect both my child and my friend. My child accesses therapies and mental health support due to his complex diagnosis and co morbidities. My friend accesses SDA, SIL, technology and community access. All these things are reasonable and

• necessary Independent Submission Assessments but 122 could b removed by someone unqualified to make these judgements.

W. The circumstances in which a person may not be required to complete an independent assessment may lead to a bias in the system; as each independent assessor will have a different definition as to who should be assessed

X. opportunities to review or challenge the outcomes of independent assessments would have to be clearly stated and easily accessed. “Y. The appropriateness of

• assessments for
• particular cohorts of
• people with disability,
• including Aboriginal and
• Torres Strait Islander
• peoples, people from
• regional, rural and
• remote areas, and
• people from culturally
• and linguistically
• diverse backgrounds.

This is another deep concern that I have in terms of independent assessors. Already there are huge gaps between the funding obtained by wealthy, ariculate people in the northern suburbs of Sydney, versus those in western and south western Sydney.

• Another Independent Submission assessment Assessments
• will only increase this gap. “. the appropriateness of independent assessments for people with particular disability types, including psychosocial disability such as autism and cognitive impairment - which will affect my child and my friend directly. C. I cannot think of other related information that has not already been covered.