NDIS correspondence: Notification of Decision - FOI 24/25-0022

Our reference: FOI 24/25-0022

GPO Box 700 Canberra ACT 2601 1800 800 110 ndis.gov.au

6 August 2024

Consumer

By email: foi+request-11638-18364bd9@righttoknow.org.au

Dear Consumer

Freedom of Information request - Notification of Decision

Thank you for your correspondence of 7 July 2024, in which you requested access to documents held by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

The purpose of this letter is to notify you of my decision on your application.

Scope of your request

You have requested access to the following documents:

“Locating OT assessment resources for TAB/AAT cases: • Electroconvulsive therapy • Therapy & sensory items • Self reported functional capacity, perceived disability & actual functional performance • Determining personal care hours for a range of tasks • Cost of meal preparation & delivery • Adaptive behaviour assessment system • Therapy best practice • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy • Exposure therapy for PTSD • Sensory based therapy • Mainstream & community transport options • Psychometric scoring properties & criteria for ABAS 3^rd^ edition • Evaluation of CANS & ABAS-3 & LSP-16 outcome measures”

Searches were conducted by the Technical Advisory Branch (TAB) and 12 documents were located within the scope of your request.

I note there are discrepancies in the names of the documents requested compared to the documents provided. TAB have confirmed that the documents provided are consistent with your request.

I also note that TAB have confirmed that ‘Psychometric scoring properties & criteria for ABAS 3^rd^ edition’ and ‘Evaluation of CANS & ABAS-3 & LSP-16 outcome measures’ are a single document, which has been provided and reflected in the schedule of document at Attachment A.

Decision on access to documents

I have decided to grant part access to all 12 documents.

I made this decision as an authorised FOI decision maker under section 23(1) of the FOI Act.

Access to edited copies with exempt or irrelevant material deleted

I have identified that Documents 1-12 contain material that is irrelevant to your request. The irrelevant material relates to names and/or contact details of NDIA staff which you have agreed to out of scope from your request. This means that although I have decided to provide full access to the information requested, the removal of the irrelevant information makes the documents a partial release.

Accordingly, I have prepared an edited copy of the documents with the irrelevant material removed.^1^

Release of documents

The documents for release, as referred to in the Schedule of Documents at Attachment A, are attached.

Rights of review

Your rights to seek a review of my decision, or lodge a complaint, are set out at Attachment B.

Should you have any enquiries concerning this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at foi@ndis.gov.au.

Yours sincerely

Patrick Senior Freedom of Information Officer Government, Risk & Legal – Complaints Management and FOI General Counsel Division

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^1^ Section 22 of the FOI Act.

Attachment A

Schedule of Documents for FOI 24/25-0022

Document number	Page number	Description	Access Decision	Comments
1	1-10	Research Request – Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) AAT Access Matter (Electroconvulsive therapy)	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act
2	11-25	Research Request – Updated Literature Review: Sensory products/weighted items for participants with Autism (Therapy and sensory items)	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act
3	26-36	Research Request – Impact of funding on self-reported functional capacity and perceived difficulty vs actual functional performance (Self reported functional capacity, perceived disability & actual functional performance)	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act
4	37-43	Research – Resources to assist with determining personal care hours (Determining personal care hours for a range of tasks)	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act
5	44-51	Research – Cost of Meal Preparation and Delivery	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act
6	52-56	Research – Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS-3)	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act
7	57-79	Research – Therapy Best Practice	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act
8	80-90	Research – Dialectical Behaviour Therapy	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act
9	91-97	Research – Exposure Therapy for PTSD	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act
10	98-111	Sensory-based therapy	PARTIAL RELEASE	Irrelevant material removed under section 22 of the FOI Act

Attachment B

Your review rights

Internal Review

The FOI Act gives you the right to apply for an internal review of this decision.

If you wish to seek an internal review of the decision, you must apply for the review, in writing, within 30 days of receipt of this letter.

No particular form is required for an application for internal review, but to assist the review process, you should clearly outline your grounds for review (that is, the reasons why you disagree with the decision). Applications for internal review can be lodged by email to foi@ndis.gov.au or sent by post to:

Freedom of Information Section Complaints Management and FOI Branch General Counsel Division National Disability Insurance Agency GPO Box 700 CANBERRA ACT 2601

Review by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

The FOI Act also gives you the right to apply to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to seek a review of this decision.

If you wish to have the decision reviewed by the OAIC, you may apply for the review, in writing, or by using the online merits review form available on the OAIC’s website at www.oaic.gov.au, within 60 days of receipt of this letter.

Applications for review can be lodged with the OAIC in the following ways:

• Online: www.oaic.gov.au
• Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
• Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992 (local call charge)

Complaints to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or the Commonwealth Ombudsman

You may complain to either the Commonwealth Ombudsman or the OAIC about actions taken by the NDIA in relation to your request. The Ombudsman will consult with the OAIC before investigating a complaint about the handling of an FOI request.

Your complaint to the OAIC can be directed to the contact details identified above. Your complaint to the Ombudsman can be directed to:

• Phone: 1300 362 072 (local call charge)
• Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.au

Your complaint should be in writing and should set out the grounds on which it is considered that the actions taken in relation to the request should be investigated.