Victorian Response to the ‘Parliamentary Inquiry into the provision of services under the NDIS Early
Childhood Early Intervention
Approach’
August 2017
Contents
Introduction 3 Recommendations 4 Victorian Government response to the ‘Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEIApproach’ 6
a. the eligibility criteria for determining access to the ECEI pathway …………………………… 6 c. the timeframe in receiving services under the ECEI pathway …………………………………. 8 d. the adequacy of funding for services under the ECEI pathway ……………………………… 10 e. the costs associated with ECEI services, including costs in relation to initial diagnosis and testing for potential ECEI participants …………………………………………… 10
f. the evidence of the effectiveness of the ECEI Approach ……………………………………… 10 g. the robustness of the data required to identify and deliver services to participants under the ECEI ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 12
h. the adequacy of information for potential ECEI participants and other stakeholders …. 12 i. the accessibility of the ECEI Approach, including in rural and remote areas ……………. 13 j. the principle of choice of ECEI providers …………………………………………………………… 13 k. the application of current research and innovation in the identification of conditions covered by the ECEI Approach, and in the delivery of ECEI services …………………….. 14
l. any other related matters ……………………………………………………………………………….. 14 2 Victorian Government response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach
Introduction
The Victorian Government welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Joint StandingCommittee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) inquiry into the Early ChildhoodEarly Intervention (ECEI) approach (the Inquiry). Victoria considers the Inquiry is an important opportunity to influence the implementation and performance of the ECEI approach during acritical stage of transition. For children with developmental delay and disability, the timely delivery of evidence-basedinterventions can have a significant impact on future life trajectories. Not only does early investment in these supports produce better long term outcomes for people with disability, itreinforces the insurance principles that underpin the scheme. Victoria is increasing investment in mainstream services to support the NDIS Strong mainstream and ongoing disability services are the foundation for a successful and financially sustainable NDIS. The Victorian government is strengthening mainstream earlychildhood services under Victoria’s Education State Early Childhood Reform Plan. This plan willsupport Victoria’s efforts to ensure equal access to learning and development opportunities for children with disability or developmental delay and to ensure their inclusion and full participationin early childhood settings. More needs to be done to expedite access and planning for children transitioning into the NDIS Under the Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth and Victoria for Transition to a NDIS(Bilateral Agreement), children receiving State funded Early Childhood Intervention Services (ECIS) and ECIS Flexible Support Packages will transition to the NDIS as their area rolls out. As part of the Bilateral Agreement, the Commonwealth agreed that children on the ECIS waitlistwould transition to the NDIS in the first two years of the rollout, so they can benefit early fromNDIS funded services. To date, Victoria has experienced significant delays transitioning these young children with developmental delay and disability to the NDIS, and the Victorian governmenthas provided substantial assistance to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to expedite their transition into the scheme. The rapidly increasing scale of transition will presenteven greater risks if existing issues are not adequately addressed. This raises concerns about the impact of delayed early intervention for this specific cohort, giventhe critical opportunity for early intervention to minimise or prevent longer term developmental issues for these vulnerable children. Victorian officials have been working closely with the NDISon this issue. The NDIS has now provided a remediation plan which would see these children being prioritised for accelerated entry into the scheme within two to three months. To prevent future delays and ensure the NDIS can deliver on its original vision, the Victorian Government considers that the NDIA needs to increase its resourcing to expedite the transitionof children requiring early intervention into the scheme. Victoria supports the ECEI framework The ECEI framework sets out how the NDIA engaged Early Childhood Partners around Australiato deliver the ECEI approach for children with a disability or developmental delay aged 0-6 years. The framework incorporates the strengths of the current NSW and Victorian early childhoodintervention access and intake approaches, in particular their ‘soft entry’ pathways which have a proven record of linking families with relevant services, and has some additional featuresincluding short-term clinical intervention for children who may not require intensive NDIS supports.
Victorian Response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach 3
Victoria contributed to the development of the eligibility criteria and the key legislative definitionsof ‘developmental delay’ and ‘early intervention supports’ as part of inter-jurisdictional work on the development of the NDIS legislation, mainstream interface principles, and operationalguidelines. More recently Victoria provided specialist advice during development of the ECEI framework. The Victorian Government supports the ECEI framework on the basis that it will deliver its publicly stated purpose in providing a supportive and specialist gateway for young children and theirfamilies, and is not used as a demand management strategy. The Brotherhood of St Laurence commenced their Early Childhood Partner role in North Eastern Melbourne in January 2017, andearly feedback from service providers in the area has been very positive. The accessibility andconsistency of approach to planning, communication and expertise in providing advice for families has been welcomed. Victoria has identified a number of opportunities for improvement with recommendations below. Recommendations:
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That the NDIA maintain and promote a streamlined ECEI referral process to enable paediatricians, Maternal and Child Health nurses, Pre-school Field Officers and other trained professionals to refer young children to the scheme with parental consent.
- The ECEI pathway should encompass universal supports and not be limited to therapeutic services, with support to access a range of universal and targeted services that promote the learning and development opportunities for children with disability or developmental
delay.
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A consistent key worker approach is utilised and supported by a transdisciplinary team of suitably qualified specialists. The key worker will provide families with evidence based information, advice, and support.
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In line with best practice, the NDIA should continue with a transdisciplinary ECEI model which provides holistic family centred supports, while coordinating flexible access to other specialist interventions as required.
5. That the NDIA ensure contracted Early Childhood Partners have the capacity to implement an expedited access and referral approach for priority cohorts.
6. Victorian ECIS clients and children on the ECIS waitlist should be transitioned to the NDIA as a priority, with sufficient and appropriately skilled planners to cater for the number of clients. It is critical that Early Childhood Partners ensure timely:
contact with families determination of eligibility development of the child’s plan early support including information and connection to universal and available specialist support relevant to the individual needs of families application of consistent service priority processes procedures for determining allocation for service provision allocation for service provision.
7. That the NDIA annually share with States and Territories quantitative data on children passing through the ECEI process and entering the NDIS or receiving short term
intervention; and qualitative data on outcomes for children through both pathways. This data should inform a future review of the impact and deliverables of the ECEI approach.
8. The NDIA needs to undertake further work to develop and implement consistent ECEI Intake guidelines and processes, so that no matter where a child enters the system, the quality of the ECEI approach is effective and timely.
4 Victorian Government response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach
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The NDIA should forward detailed transitioning ECIS client data to the Early Childhood Partners to support service planning, to prioritise clients and promote effective engagement with families.
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The NDIS should fund interpreter services for culturally appropriate service provision.
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The NDIA ensure Early Childhood Partners have the capacity to meet the needs of participants in rural and remote areas. This could include outreach micro sites, utilising technology, enhanced service linkages and workforce planning.
Victorian Response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach 5
Victorian Government response to the
‘Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS
ECEI Approach’
a. the eligibility criteria for determining access to the ECEI pathway
The success of the ECEI approach will be dependent on: sufficient capacity to respond to demand in a timely way (addressed in Item c) its eligibility criteria remaining focused on children with disability and/or developmental delay building on the universal service platform strong referral pathways skilled ECEI staff who have meaningful conversations with families about their concerns, are knowledgeable about local services, and can assess and quickly redirect them to
appropriate support. Eligibility criteria The Victorian government supports the current NDIS eligibility criteria and the key legislativedefinitions of ‘developmental delay’ and ‘early intervention supports’ that are outlined in the NDIS legislation, mainstream interface principles and operational guidelines. The eligibility criteria recognise the findings of the Review to provide evidence on the effect ofthe developmental delay provisions on scheme costs, September 2015, Dyson Consulting Group– “given the high likelihood of children with developmental delay experiencing childhood and adult disability, the funding of early childhood intervention may benefit scheme sustainability byreducing those children’s future needs of support.” The review also acknowledges the importance of the stringent developmental delay definition toensure appropriate referral pathways. This is reflected in the current Victorian ECIS Intake pathway and processes which promote fair and equitable access to supports and services forthose children and their families in most need of assistance. The ECEI model’s effectiveness and ongoing sustainability is also dependent on ECEI processesremaining focused on children with disability and/or developmental delay. Failure to do this will create scope creep that has implications for the capacity of Early Childhood Partners to maintaina high quality targeted service. Building on the universal service platform Victoria has a strong universal early childhood service platform including the Maternal and ChildHealth Service, parenting services, early childhood education and care services and playgroups.It also has a strong secondary platform including allied health teams, community health and community child health services. Early childhood intervention services complement and engagewith these services, but do not duplicate them. Early Childhood Partners need to be aware of the existing Victorian early childhood universal platform and referral pathways and ensure theapproach complements but does not duplicate these services.
6 Victorian Government response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach
Strong referral pathways In Victoria current referral pathways include community health sector, paediatricians, Maternaland Child Health nurses, Preschool Field Officers, kindergarten teachers and other professionals. Currently ECIS Intake staff actively and regularly work with these professional networks to ensureclarity of eligibility and referral processes. This model provides a clear entry point and ‘no wrong door’ for families, rather than compulsory disability screening or siloed services. To supportoperationalisation of this approach under the ECEI model, Victoria has collaborated with theNDIA and Early Childhood Partners in sharing information, ECIS Intake guidelines, resources, referral and application forms. It is recommended that the NDIA maintain and promote a streamlined referral process to enablepaediatricians, Maternal and Child Health nurses, Pre-school Field Officers and other trainedprofessionals to refer young children to the scheme with parental consent. Streamlined referral is particularly important for children requiring urgent intervention, such as young children withnewly diagnosed hearing impairment. Skilled ECEI staff assessing eligibility The Victorian government supports the ECEI approach to assessing eligibility, which closely replicates activities undertaken by Victoria’s ECIS Intake. Key features include investing in theexpertise of staff in early childhood development, consistent processes and guidelines to support decision-making, and the development of resources to support referrers and families. EarlyChildhood Partners must also collaborate with local community health and community childhealth teams to coordinate referral pathways and prevent duplication of services. Skilled ECEI staff are essential to have meaningful conversations with families about their concerns; assesschildren’s needs; quickly redirect them to appropriate support; and to avoid duplication.
b. the service needs of NDIS participants receiving support under the ECEI pathway Victoria advocates that the ECEI pathway should encompass holistic supports and not be limitedto therapeutic services. The service needs of children with a disability or developmental delayand their families include: access to reliable information parent education therapeutic interventions service planning and coordination counselling support to access a range of universal and targeted services, such as kindergarten, Maternal and Child Healthcare, childcare and special education. Transition planning, particularly from preschool to school, is also vital given the dynamic natureof early childhood development, with children’s needs and circumstances changing on a regular basis. Key worker model
On entry to the disability system, families require information, advice, and support from anindependent third party with no pecuniary interest in client capture. Families should be
empowered to recognise the positive influence they can have on their children’s outcomes withthe right support and guidance, versus an overreliance on external therapists to ‘fix’ their childreni.e. there should be an emphasis on quality of family centred practice over quantity. Victorian evidence indicates families of children with disability or developmental delay want aconsistent person to work with them (i.e. key worker). It is important that the ECEI approach avoids a ‘processing line’ of workers in contact with the family.
Victorian Response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach 7
Victoria recommends the use of a key worker approach supported by a transdisciplinary team of suitably qualified specialists. Transdisciplinary approach During the NDIS trial, the NDIA’s plans for young children were written as a transdisciplinary package, consistent with current practice in Victoria’s ECIS. The transdisciplinary approach hasbeen recognised as best practice for early intervention (Bruder, 2000; Guralnick, 2001). Under this model, a child accesses a range of supports from a transdisciplinary team ofprofessionals, rather than from a specified discipline (e.g. speech pathology, occupational therapy or physiotherapy). Under this best practice model, a key worker from any specialistdiscipline provides holistic family centred supports, while coordinating flexible access to otherspecialist interventions from the transdisciplinary team as required, in consultation with the family. Transdisciplinary practice provides children with coordinated and flexible interventions, andprevents fragmented services delivered in silos. The Victorian government is concerned the NDIA has withdrawn from using this as the defaultmodel during transition, using the argument that it restricts choice and control. There is a risk that as time progresses this best practice model will become diluted and plans will indicate hours ofspecific therapies for a child. A move away from transdisciplinary practice will impact on the quality of early childhoodintervention, and affect current early childhood intervention service providers who employ teams of professionals with specialist expertise across a range of disciplines. Such a move would notsupport a coordinated approach for families or the development of a growing specialised workforce. Priority pathways for specific cohorts Currently children in Victoria with low incidence and high needs sensory disabilities (e.g.diagnosed hearing or vision loss) are referred directly to specialist early childhood intervention providers so that families receive immediate and expert support. For example, the Victorian InfantHearing Screening Program screens the hearing of newborn babies in their first weeks of life and supports families during the diagnosis and direct referral to specialist early intervention services.Early detection and intervention improves the long term outcomes for children with hearing loss. The Victorian Government recommends the NDIA ensure contracted Early Childhood Partnershave the capacity and guidelines to implement an expedited access and referral approach for these priority cohorts.
c. the timeframe in receiving services under the ECEI pathway
Appointment of Early Childhood Partners
Victoria is working with the NDIA to ensure the smooth transition of Victoria’s ECIS to the NDIS. The NDIA has experienced some delays in finalising the appointments of its new Early ChildhoodPartners in transition areas, which in turn has compromised operations and recruitment. Inresponse, Victoria has extended its ECIS Intake services in the first three transition areas (North Eastern Melbourne, Central Highlands and Loddon) and seconded ECIS Intake staff to the NDIA,as the new ECEI providers recruited staff and gradually ‘scaled up’ their operations in each area. This assistance from the Victorian government supported the timely transition of eligible ECISclients into the NDIS with minimal disruption to their supports and minimised confusion for families and referrers, however required reprioritisation of funding and put considerable pressureback on a depleted ECIS Intake workforce.
8 Victorian Government response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach
For the remainder of transition, Victoria and the NDIA will determine, on an area by area basis, whether it is necessary for Victoria to further extend its ECIS Intake service at the start of eacharea’s transition. The Victorian government expects the need for this support to decrease over time as the NDIA refines its processes and becomes more efficient at contracting these providers. Expertise of ECEI staff Some organisations appointed as Early Childhood Partners do not have either early childhoodor early childhood intervention experience. Targeted recruitment is required to address this issue and embed processes that are appropriate for children. The Brotherhood of St Laurence is anexample of an Early Childhood Partner that has achieved credibility in a short period of time due to the quality of recruitment and a willingness to quickly adapt to the ECEI framework. Victoria is sharing ECIS Intake guidelines and processes, and providing advice to Early Childhood Partners to build their early childhood expertise. Further, Victoria has negotiated withthe NDIA to ensure that the contracts for these providers include requirements to comply with the Victorian Early Childhood Intervention Standards. Some very experienced Victorian early childhood intervention and intake professionals have gained positions with the new Early Childhood Partners which will further bolster their expertise. To address this issue the Victorian Government recommends that the NDIA undertake furtherwork to develop and implement consistent guidelines so that no matter where a child enters thesystem, the quality of the ECEI approach is effective and timely. Transition of ECIS waitlist In the Bilateral Agreement, it was agreed that approximately 1800 children on the ECIS waitlistwould transition to the NDIS during the first two years of the scheme rollout (i.e. prior to July
- so they can benefit early from NDIS funded services. In December 2016, Victoria and the Commonwealth agreed to bring forward the transition of children on the ECIS waitlist approximately 12-18 months earlier than originally agreed in the Bilateral Agreement and benefit from the full range of NDIS supports even sooner. However, there have been significant delays in these children gaining access to the scheme andhaving plans approved. Reasons for this include: delays in appointing Early Childhood Partners; insufficient resourcing to provide timely access and planning for transitioning clients; difficulties contacting families to commence the transition process; and challenges associated with meeting families and engaging service providers for children transiting in areas that are not yet live. This raises concerns about the impact of delayed early intervention for this specific cohort, giventhe critical opportunity for early intervention to minimise or prevent longer term developmental issues for these vulnerable children, and subsequent costs to the state. Victoria has agreed to extend the secondment of Victorian DET employees to the NDIA to accelerate the planning processes for these children, and the NDIA has commissioned their EarlyChildhood Partners to assist in reducing the delays. The Brotherhood of St Laurence has been instrumental in remediating the situation. Victorian ECIS clients and children on the ECIS waitlist should be transitioned to the NDIA as a priority within two to three months of this submission, with sufficient and appropriately skilledplanners to cater for the number of clients. It is critical that Early Childhood Partners ensure timely: contact with families
Victorian Response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach 9
determination of eligibility development of the child’s plan early support including information and connection to universal and available specialist support relevant to the individual needs of families application of consistent service priority processes procedures for determining allocation for service provision allocation for service provision.
d. the adequacy of funding for services under the ECEI pathway Victoria supports the individualised approach to funding of NDIS plans, however there is currently insufficient data available to provide informed comment. The NDIA needs to provide better dataon package costs for this cohort. All governments have an interest in a financially sustainableNDIS that implements insurance principles to reduce lifetime costs of disability support. As an insurance scheme, the NDIS should seek to maximise lifetime opportunities for participants while minimising lifetime support costs. As with any insurance model, it should also continuallycompare experience with forecasts, using sophisticated data analytics to build a strong evidencebase for determining reasonable and necessary supports and measuring optimal support arrangements and best practices.
e. the costs associated with ECEI services, including costs in relation to initial diagnosis and testing for potential ECEI participants Victoria does not have sufficient access to data relating to costs of ECEI services to provide informed comment. See D above.
f. the evidence of the effectiveness of the ECEI Approach Victoria does not have sufficient access to data relating to outcomes of ECEI services to provide informed comment. The NDIA should annually share with States and Territories both quantitativedata on children passing through the ECEI process and entering the NDIS or receiving short term intervention; and qualitative data on outcomes for children through both pathways. This datashould inform a future review of the impact and deliverables of the ECEI approach. Victoria notes that there is strong evidence supporting the importance of early intervention to improve the quality of life, independence and learning outcomes for children with disability anddevelopmental delay. Evidence about the benefit of early childhood intervention services for children with a disabilityor developmental delay prior to school is compelling:
The period from birth through to 8 years old sets the foundation for future physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Effort and investment in the early years yields the best outcomes for children, including children with a disability or developmental delay and their families. Access to high quality early childhood intervention services has been demonstrated to improve outcomes for children with disabilities and their families.1
1 Meisels, S.J., & Shonkoff, J.P. (Eds.) (1990). Handbook of early childhood intervention. New York: Cambridge University Press
10 Victorian Government response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach
For families, the earlier the interventions begin, the easier it will be for them to adapt to the challenges they face when their children are identified with a disability or developmental delay.”2 Despite the evidence of positive adaptations, families of children with developmental disabilities are at greater risk of a number of social and psychological stresses. These include
mental and physical health problems, relationship problems, poor housing and increased expenses coupled with reduced income (because of constraints upon both partners working). Research has identified that these families have additional demands placed on their time, stress levels, energy, finances and relationships with partners as they attempt to provide the best interventions for their children as well as meeting the needs of siblings, other family members, work commitments and their personal needs.3
Economic Benefits
Investment in early childhood has significant benefits for social cohesion and the economy. The economic return of investing in high quality early childhood development consistently results inincreased productivity through improved school grades, increased workforce participation andreduced spending on repeated school years, juvenile detention, reliance on social benefits.4 Without the intervention support currently provided by early childhood intervention services, crucial opportunities for improved outcomes for children will not be realised. This is likely to resultin increased demand for more costly expenditure on remediation or other interventions later inthe child’s life, including the potential ongoing reliance on government services and/or social welfare.5 The economic return of investing in well-designed early childhood interventions has been foundto generate a return to society ranging from $1.80 to $17.07 for each dollar spent on the program.6Benefits include increased productivity through greater workforce participation and substantially reduced long-term costs to government through reduced spending in areas such as repeatedschool years, juvenile detention, and reliance on social benefits.
Improved outcomes for children with a disability or developmental delay also lead to enhancedsocial cohesion, reduced need for costly specialist services, and reduced family stress,
dependence and breakdown, which has consequential costs. Prompt support for families supporting a child with a disability or developmental delay is important–according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies (2008), these families are, “at risk of: higher rates of mental health problems; poorer physical health; poor participation in theworkforce; financial hardship and social isolation”7 with associated costs.
Social Benefits
Promoting social inclusion builds stronger, accessible communities that are welcoming and inclusive of children with a disability or developmental delay and their families by increasingparticipation in kindergarten and schools. This will reduce family breakdown by providing timelysupport and minimising escalation of presenting issues into crisis; strengthen family capacity,
2DET Early Childhood Intervention Reform Project Literature Review 2009 (September 2009), accessible at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/needs/ecislitreviewsept2009.pdf 3 Guralnick, 2005; McWilliam, 2005; Muir et al. 2008; Orsmond, 2005; Tannous and Katz, 2008 4 Dickens, W.T. et al (2006) The Effects of Investing in Early Education on Economic Growth. The Brookings Institution, Toronto,
Canada
5 Karoly, Lynn A., Kilburn Rebecca M. & and Cannon, Jill S., Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise,
RAND Corporation, 2005
6 Karoly, Lynn A., Kilburn Rebecca M. & and Cannon, Jill S., Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise,
RAND Corporation, 2005
7 Australian Institute of Family Studies (2008). The nature and impact of caring for family members with a disability in Australia.
Victorian Response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach 11
resilience and wellbeing by reducing waiting lists and providing services at an adequate level; and benefit children with a wide range of disabilities and developmental delay.8 The sooner children with a disability or developmental delay are supported, the greater theirchance of reaching their potential and leading fulfilling lives. Government, parents, families, agencies and community groups are partners in children’s development and learning. They sharea strong interest in improving long-term outcomes and supporting children to reach their potential.
g. the robustness of the data required to identify and deliver services to participants under the ECEI
Victoria has undertaken a review of its ECIS Intake processes and developed a consistentstatewide application form to support improved referrals that provide sufficient data and
information to support eligibility and planning processes. Victoria has shared this operationalknowledge with Early Childhood Partners. Under the Bilateral Agreement, Victoria transmits ECIS client data to the NDIA six months prior to an area’s scheduled start date. Before transferring client data, Victoria undertakes quality andassurance work to ensure the client data is accurate and up-to-date. This robust client level dataincludes relevant details such as the client’s transitioning program and primary disability. The NDIA should forward detailed transitioning client data to the Early Childhood Partners to support service planning, to prioritise clients and effective engagement with families. As detaileddata is not currently shared, Victoria receives numerous requests from Early Childhood Partnersto provide this information directly to the NDIA area offices or to the Early Childhood Partner as a manual workaround.
h. the adequacy of information for potential ECEI participants and other stakeholders It is recognised that introducing the new ECEI approach will require both intensive and ongoingpromotion across all affected stakeholder groups and the broader community. Information must be clear and accessible, and will require ongoing investment from the NDIA and Commonwealth. In Victoria, building the capacity of families of children with a disability or developmental delay tomake choices and decisions for their child requires a focus on ensuring they understand whatthe NDIS is and how it will affect them. To assist, Victoria has funded a number of NDIS readiness projects. Examples include the development of resources for families by the Association for Children with a Disability, Amazeand Deaf Children Australia to provide information for families of children with a disability ordevelopmental delay to support their readiness and effective engagement with the NDIS. The NDIS4kids website, developed by the Association for Children with a Disability, provides families with relevant information to support their understanding and engagement with the NDIS. Victoria has funded Early Childhood Intervention Australia (Victorian Chapter) to deliver a range of workforce initiatives comprising strength based approaches, family partnerships and culturalawareness to support provision of evidence based services and responsiveness to the diverse needs of families.
8 Meisels, S J & Shonkoff, J P. Handbook of Early Intervention (Eds) (1990) New York: Cambridge University Press
12 Victorian Government response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach
Victoria has also funded the development of a new resource – Early Abilities Base Learning and
Education Support, known as Early ABLES. This free resource is designed to support earlychildhood educators to undertake learning assessments of children with disabilities and
developmental delays and to plan and deliver personalised learning programs that respond tothe individual needs of a child with a disability or developmental delay. The online Early ABLES professional development modules are also available, at no cost, to education and care servicesand all early childhood professionals. Victoria in partnership with Noah’s Ark has developed a new online course ‘Inclusion of Childrenwith an Autism Spectrum Disorder in Early Childhood Education and Care’ which is available to all professionals and families through the Department of Education and Training’s website.
i. the accessibility of the ECEI Approach, including in rural and remote areas Victorian ECIS services are focused on the family. They are flexible and responsive to vulnerablefamilies, including families who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, and those who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Interpreter services areavailable when required to help professionals support parents with informational counsellingunder a family centred practice model. The Victorian government is concerned the NDIS does not fund comparable interpreter services, which will affect the quality of services provided toparticipants.
The Early Childhood Partners are not yet active in areas phasing in to the NDIS over 2019(Mallee, Goulburn and Outer Gippsland). There is therefore very limited support to link
transitioned ECIS clients to providers in these areas, and fewer providers to choose from in theserural areas. The NDIA have funded support coordination in these plans but this has not overcome this problem of plan implementation and service linkage. It is anticipated this will not be an issueonce full scheme commences. Early Childhood Partners should have capacity to ensure the needs of participants in rural andremote areas are met. For example, outreach micro sites and utilising technology to enhance their service (e.g. skype or phone calls), or providing home visits when required (e.g. for familiesof young babies with severe disability or families unable to access the ECEI site). The Victorian Government recognises the need to meet the increasing demand for disabilityservices brought about by the NDIS, and has released Keeping our sector strong: Victoria’s
workforce plan for the NDIS (the Plan). The Plan outlines the whole of Victorian Governmentworkforce development strategy to support implementation of the NDIS in Victoria over 2016-2019. This is particularly pertinent for services in rural and remote areas which already
experience significant skills shortages. The NDIA and Commonwealth government must further support Victoria’s efforts in addressingpotential skills shortages in rural and remote communities.
j. the principle of choice of ECEI providers Creating the NDIS has been widely recognised as an important step in enabling people with adisability to gain greater choice and control over their lives and the services they receive. It is critical to build the capacity of families to make informed decisions and to take full advantage ofthe control they have over their lives and future. Entry to early childhood intervention services often coincides with when a family is first aware oftheir child’s disability or developmental issues and may cause additional stress. It may also be a family’s first experience of the disability service system making them inexperienced consumers. Victorian Response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach 13
Effectively navigating the service system can therefore be fraught for some parents, with their ability to make sound judgements about choice of ECEI providers compromised due to grief andinexperience. Victorian experience indicates families on entry to the service system require a more supported approach to identify what they need, what services are available and what these services offer.Early Childhood Partners must be sensitive to these issues, and recognise that families havedifferent needs and will require different levels of information and support.
k. the application of current research and innovation in the identification of conditions covered by the ECEI Approach, and in the delivery of ECEI services Victoria has undertaken significant review of ECIS delivery which included enhancements to theECIS Intake function and a shift in focus to the importance of family centred practice to support children’s wellbeing, learning and development. Victoria supports the ECEI approach whichincorporates these features.
l. any other related matters The Victorian Government has identified the most significant opportunities for the Committee to consider in the items above.
14 Victorian Government response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the NDIS ECEI Approach