National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024

Submission 291

This submission deals with a number of items of concern, related to implementation of the proposed Bill and other matters of management from the point of view of a parent-carer managing a plan on behalf of their child.

The matter of co-design is an important one and should be instated as a legal requirement not simply as a consideration.

The matter of review and appeal in relation to needs assessment should be addressed in a clear and fair manner and stated in the legislation.

The whole-of-person approach is crucial to the application of fairness in respect to the Bill. Many folk who have a disability have more than one or multiple and interrelated disabilities. Without a whole-of-person approach, a participant may not receive adequate support and their needs may be misunderstood or misrepresented in their Plan.

The proposed Bill provides the NDIA with significant new powers in relation to funding flexibility, how a participant obtains supports and overriding a participant’s plan management request. The amendment by MP Monique Ryan addresses some of the concerns associated with these new powers and restores agency to the participant. Such powers also run the risk of over-management something the Government has stated it does not wish to encourage.

Many thanks for your work in addressing the needs of the disability community.

Sincerely,

David Pledger

I acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where I live, learn and work.