Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 By email: ndis.joint@aph.gov.au
Re: Integrity of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Dear Committee Members,
Youngcare welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Inquiry into NDIS Provider and Worker Registration (NDIS Integrity).
Youngcare is a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to creating choice, independence, and dignity for young people aged 16 to 65 with high physical support needs. Through providing Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), financial grants and systemic advocacy, we work to provide safe, affordable and secure housing for young people with disabilities, keeping them out of inappropriate housing, hospitals or institutional housing due to a lack of appropriate options.
Our grants programs fund equipment, services and home modifications either not covered by the NDIS or unable to be secured in a timely manner, helping to bridge the gap between a person’s needs and the support available through the NDIS.
Lived-experience insights
Working directly with people who have permanent physical disabilities means we engage with NDIS participants every day, including supporting them to navigate the Scheme through our national Youngcare Connect hotline. This engagement provides the opportunity to see the significant impact on participants when they encounter Scheme non-compliance, including potential fraud and sharp practices.
To ensure this submission is informed by those we support, we conducted a survey of grant recipients and residents, with the results revealing:
- 98 per cent of those surveyed have previously applied to the NDIS.
- Of those, 34 per cent rate their experience with the NDIS as good or excellent, 30 per cent rate it as neutral and 37 per cent rate it as either negative or extremely negative.
- The main reasons given for poor ratings include response times, the consistency of decisions, access to information and the review process.
- 24 per cent of those surveyed believe they have experienced non-compliance in the NDIS, with examples cited including overcharging by some providers and a failure to follow legislative timelines.
The results of this survey align with our ongoing engagement with participants and their families which regularly reveals:
- A sense of disempowerment due to inconsistent NDIS decisions
- Long delays in SDA approvals, leaving people in unsafe or inappropriate housing
- Significant variation in quality between registered and unregistered providers
- A lack of consistency and clarity with respect to what is considered “reasonable and necessary”.
These insights reinforce the need for reforms that balance integrity with access and fairness and in response we offer the following observations and recommendations for the Committee’s consideration.
Strengthening provider and worker registration
Youngcare supports reforms that enhance the integrity and safety of the NDIS. A more consistent and transparent registration framework is essential to protect participants from exploitation, poor-quality services, and price inflation.
However, reforms must be carefully calibrated to avoid reducing access to essential supports, or over complicating the application process, particularly for young people with high physical support needs, who already face limited provider choice.
Protecting access to home-and-living supports, including SDA
Youngcare delivers Specialist Disability Accommodation for young people with permanent and complex disabilities, providing a stable and safe home for those most in need. Additionally, Youngcare’s national connect service regularly supports young people navigating the SDA system and home-and-living decisions.
Through our work we regularly engage with participants who are frustrated by significant delays, inconsistent decision-making, and confusion around eligibility and evidence requirements. One of the most consistent areas of frustration and confusion from participants occurs when items that had previously been funded by the NDIS are no longer funded, often leaving participants without the support they require.
To help overcome these challenges, we recommend establishing clear and stable regulatory settings to give providers and investors long-term confidence in SDA development, alongside improved planner capability through enhanced training on SDA pathways and evidence requirements. Transparent, publicly available guidelines for Home and Living decisions are essential to ensure consistency and fairness, supported by timely decision requirements to reduce delays and enable timely housing transitions.
Additionally, strengthening collaboration between the NDIA, SDA providers, organisations such as Youngcare, and housing developers will further ensure that supply aligns with participant needs and market gaps across Australia.
Supporting participant transition, particularly those with high physical support needs
Youngcare’s lived-experience engagement highlights the heightened vulnerability of young people with complex physical disabilities. Our engagement shows that many Scheme participants become frustrated and confused with the ever-changing nature of the NDIS, including changes to what the Scheme funds and eligibility requirements.
It is important to acknowledge that this inquiry and any future reforms that will follow, will result in changes that will undoubtedly impact participants. While these changes may be designed to improve the integrity of the NDIS, there will be short to medium term impacts on participants that should be considered. To accommodate these changes Youngcare would recommend a detailed communications plan be developed in consultation with the sector to ensure a single message is communicated to scheme Participants.
Additionally, continuity of supports must be guaranteed during provider deregistration or transition processes so that participants are not left without essential services, as is occurring in some cases now where people are being removed from the scheme before alternative support is in place. Expanding foundational supports is also critical to reducing crisis situations and preventing escalation into higher-risk environments.
Opportunities for collaboration
Youngcare thanks the committee for their leadership on this important matter and would welcome the opportunity to work with members of the committee to ensure any reforms do not unintentionally impact participants. This includes providing case studies and lived-experience insights, sharing data and participating in SDA roundtables with committee members to discuss home-and-living supports, and provider quality.
Kind regards,
Clare Stewart Youngcare CEO