Supplementary CPSU submission
to the Senate Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS planners
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CPSU MEMBERS
IN PLANNER AND REVIEW ROLES AT NDIA
Experience, expertise and qualifications
- All planners (NDIA and Labour Hire) to have personal experience with disability and/or professional skills and qualifications that gives them an appreciation of the lived experience of people with disability; and/or receive comprehensive training see recommendation 5.
The ability of planners to understand and address complex needs
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Planners to have access to the tools and support, including subject matter experts, to be able to make timely decisions on all types of disability.
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Subject matter experts to receive training during working hours (currently voluntary).
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KPIs need to promote quality over quantity and reflect the time it takes to develop quality plans for participants with complex needs.
The ongoing training and professional development of planners
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Receive comprehensive training to ensure all planners have the skills and knowledge to develop plans that focus on quality outcomes, including employment where appropriate.
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Time to attend training and increase skills and knowledge needs to be prioritised and included in workloads and KPIs.
COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION (PSU GROUP) 1
The overall number of planners relative to the demand for plans
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Number of planners at NDIA needs to allow for meaningful contact with participants and the development of evidenced based, quality plans.
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Number of planners needs to allow for ongoing contact with participants.
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Number of planners overall, and those with delegation authority, needs to be sufficient for plans to be approved in a timely manner.
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Planners in NDIA offices need to be employed by the NDIA in ongoing roles. Participant involvement in planning processes and the efficacy of introducing draft plans
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Number of planners would need to significantly increase to provide draft plans and explanations for decisions.
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Planners should always be at the initial planning meeting with participants. The review process and means to streamline it
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Appropriate staffing levels, training and experience to develop quality plans in the first instance.
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Ensure decision making is evidence based and in accordance with the relevant NDIS legislation and the Administrative Review Council’s best practice guidance.
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Improve review templates regarding the evidence required to have the review approved.
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Clearer explanations, using plain English in decline letters.
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Planners to be provided feedback where requests for reviews have been approved.
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Allow participants and where appropriate, their carers, to make administrative changes to plans, such as updating address and contact details and who their informal supports are and other information such as updating goals and changing the proportion of agency and self-managed funds.
The incidence of appeals to the AAT and possible measure to reduce the number (See recommendations 13–18)
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Planners to be provided feedback when participants successfully appeal decisions. The circumstances in which plans could automatically roll over
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Where life situation and disability are stable.
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Provide right to request plan rollover, with request reviewed by a planner. As evidenced by our recommendations, the CPSU sees it as essential that funding to the NDIA is increased and the ASL cap is either scrapped or significantly increased.