16 April 2020
The Hon Kevin Andrews MP
Chair
Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme
By email to: ndis.sen@aph.gov.au
Dear Mr Andrews
Re: Submission to the inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme workforce
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Joint Standing Committee’s inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) workforce.
The RANZCP is a membership organisation that prepares medical specialists in the field of psychiatry, supports and enhances clinical practice, advocates for people affected by mental illness and advises governments on mental healthcare. Psychiatrists are clinical leaders in the provision of mental healthcare and use a range of evidence-based treatments to support people with a psychosocial disability on their journey of recovery.
The RANZCP will also be providing a submission to the Joint Standing Committee’s inquiry into general issues around the implementation and performance of the NDIS. However, we would like to use this opportunity to reiterate the importance of an effective NDIS multidisciplinary workforce to support people with psychosocial disabilities. The RANZCP has identified opportunities for improvement in the following areas:
Collaboration and communication between NDIS workforce and adjacent sectors including health
Mental Health Australia, of which the RANZCP is a member, noted in its report on psychosocial disability pathways that significant confusion remains for medical professionals, including psychiatrists, on what their role is in the NDIS process (1). This is largely the result of inconsistent and conflicting information on NDIS processes received by medical professionals.
Identifying and addressing the gaps between government agencies which might be impacting on service delivery and implementation is important for delivering holistic care for people with disability. Communication between the health and disability sector is limited by the differing language used in each sector. Tools and strategies which provide opportunities for health professionals to engage with National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) staff who possess medical/clinical experience would assist in bridging the language gap. It would also enable health professionals to gain insight into NDIA eligibility processes and requirements (2). For example, an information service staffed by a multidisciplinary team with an understanding of the health system as well as the NDIS could be implemented.
309 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
T +61 3 9640 0646 F +61 3 9642 5652 ranzcp@ranzcp.org www.ranzcp.org
ABN 68 000 439 047
In addition, better understanding by NDIA staff of the complexities of disability and how these may affect functionality would also be beneficial in providing support for participants of the NDIS with a psychosocial disability. This should also include developing, within the NDIS workforce, better understanding of discipline-specific skills of members of care teams such as medical practitioners.
The current NDIS Liaison Officer role is very helpful and has the potential to increase understanding between the medical and disability sectors. An increase in Liaison Officers would be welcomed, noting the current limited availability to medical practitioners, including psychiatrists, who work in private practice.
Develop and implement a coordinated strategic NDIS workforce development plan
The RANZCP recognises that service provider support staff are an important part of the NDIS. Appropriately trained, supported and remunerated staff will ensure people with disability receive quality care and can access and utilise the NDIS effectively. The RANZCP supports the development and implementation of a coordinated strategic workforce development plan for the NDIS workforce.
There remain opportunities for creativity and development of NDIS service provision in many areas. For example, establishing opportunities and incentives in rural and remote areas for local educational institutions to provide courses in disability services may help build an appropriate, trained, local workforce as well as create much needed employment opportunities. This could be combined with education and training in business skills to support the creation of local disability support services to meet the needs of local NDIS participants.
In creating any workforce development plan for the NDIS workforce, the RANZCP would like to ensure the interconnections between sectors is recognised and operationalised. The NDIS workforce development plan should also contain strategies to support workforce retention, professional development, job satisfaction, training and opportunities for career progression.
To discuss any of the issues raised in this letter, please contact Rosie Forster, Executive Manager, Practice, Policy and Partnerships Department via or by phone on
Yours sincerely
Associate Professor John Allan
President
Ref: 1747
References
- Mental Health Australia. Health professionals, psychosocial disability and NDIS access - final report. 2019.
- Mental Health Australia. National Disability Insurance Scheme: Psychosocial Disability Pathway. 2018.