Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme

PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3083 dis.sen@aph.gov.au

To the Committee Secretary

I am writing to ask that Committee members are made aware that I have written to the CEO of the NDIA to request that the NDIA immediately stop quoting me as being in support of their current approach to independent assessment. I am concerned about the ongoing selective quoting and misuse of a note of support I provided last year immediately after advising on the paper Functional Capacity Assessment Framework, published in August 2020.

My letter to Mr Hoffman is attached below for information. In the letter I point out that:

     "It is not correct to say that I endorse the tools selected as well as the framework, as is

doing page 9 of the NDIA/DSS Joint Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Inquiry into Independent Assessments.“

I wish the Committee well in its deliberations on this important national scheme.

Sincerely

Ros Madden

Rosamond Madden AM PhD

Mr Martin Hoffman CEO National Disability Insurance Agency

deeply concerned about ongoing selective quoting and misuse of my note of support provided last year immediately after advising on the paper Functional Capacity Assessment Framework published in August 2020.

It is not possible to infer that I support anything the NDIA has done since then. I did not advise on the NDIA paper Independent Assessment: Selection of Assessment Tools published in September, nor have I expressed an opinion of it. It cannot be inferred because I thought there was merit in the Framework paper that I supported the tools paper or anything else that has been done in or since September.

It is not correct to say that I endorse the tools selected as well as the framework as is done on page 9 of the NDIA/DSS Joint Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Inquiry into Independent Assessments A selective quote used recently in your newsletter of 8 April is another example of misuse.

The statement of support for the Framework paper Professor Nick Glozier and I sent to NDIA has not been used in full as far as I am aware The omission of the last sentence creates a misrepresentation of our views which were: “The NDIA has taken on one of the difficult technical and implementation problems in the disability field worldwide They have outlined a framework on which to build a fairer and more consistent disability assessment – to enable the rights of people with disability to participate across society This diagnosis-neutral framework combines both the need to evaluate capacity and the determining role of the environment in helping or hindering participation The framework recognises that assessment must combine quantifiable information obtained using scientific standards with the expert knowledge of people living with disability and the families and professionals who know them” We supplied this specific support in good faith It is surprising and distressing that our trust has resulted in our views being misrepresented. sincerely Ros Madden

Rosamond Madden AM PhD