Quarterly Reform Forum - Meeting Outcomes
Session details
Friday 14 February, 11.00am - 4.00pm AEDT, online
Disability Representative and Carers Organisation (DRCO) Attendees:
A4 Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia, Australian Autism Alliance, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, Blind Citizens Australia, Carers Australia, Children and Young People with Disability Australia, Community Mental Health Australia, Deaf Australia, Deafness Forum Australia, Disability Advocacy Network Australia, Down Syndrome Australia, Every Australian Counts, Inclusion Australia, JFA Purple Orange, Mental Health Australia, National Ethnic Disability Alliance, National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum, People with Disability Australia, Physical Disability Australia, ReImagine Australia, Self Advocacy Resource Unit, Women with Disabilities Australia, Young People in Nursing Homes National Alliance
Independent Advisory Council (IAC) Attendees:
Leah van Poppel, Dr Sharon Boyce, Dr Leighton Jay, Samantha Jenkinson, Sylvana Mahmic, James Manders, Sam Paior, Dr George Taleporos, Mark Tonga
Apologies:
Deafblind Australia, Jennifer Cullen
Key insights and themes
Welcome and Introductions:
New Co-design Working Group Co-chairs were welcomed, including Shannon Waite as the Agency Co-chair of the Integrity Co-design Working Group.
Announcements of new appointments to the NDIA Board and the NDIS Independent Advisory Council (IAC) were made.
Co-design Forward Plan:
The plan will be shared with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and will continue to evolve, focusing on rule development under legislative changes.
Emphasis on including culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people with disability, people with intellectual disability, First Nations people with disability, and families and carers in co-design and engagement activities.
Integration Approach:
The new integration approach aims to address issues that align with multiple working groups' plans and deliverables through topic-based discussions.
The Support Needs Assessment Model and Navigators are key topics requiring coordinated discussions across different work plans.
NDIS Rules, Process and Engagement:
DSS is aligning the rules with three priorities: improving the access pathway, focusing on participant experience, and transitioning to a new planning framework.
DSS is committed to providing accessible and easy-to-understand information for participants, families, carers, and the broader community.
Co-design Working Group Updates:
- Workforce Capability: Emphasis on improving the feedback loop within the Agency and better communication regarding role descriptions.
- Home and Living: Focus on mental health for long-term group home residents and flexibility in funding.
- Participant Pathway Experience (PPE): Aligning internal and external operational guidelines to improve participant experiences.
- Participant Safeguarding: Co-designing workshops to explore safeguarding in a person-centred context.
- Navigators: Defining the scope of the Navigator role and its implications across different work plans.
- Assessments and Budgeting: Moving towards a more flexible planning framework.
- Integrity: Focus on fraud prevention initiatives and improving community engagement.
Co-chair Collaboration Sessions:
Co-chairs shared their experiences, challenges, and solutions, including doing recaps, limiting the number of topics per session, and providing opportunities for questions before meetings.
Improving Access Pathways Consultation:
Members participated in breakout discussions to improve access pathways, with a summary to be circulated post-meeting.
