CEO Update - Productivity Commission releases important next step for NDIS
Productivity Commission releases important next step for NDIS
The release of the Productivity Commission’s Issues Paper and study into National Disability Insurance Scheme Costs this week, is an important next step in building a successful NDIS for all Australians.
For the last couple of years we have been advocating to explore the scale, sustainability and real costs of the NDIS and its relationship with the mainstream mental health system, and this study is a further chance to do just that.
All along our concerns have focussed on improving choice and control, service delivery, accountability and sustainability, and as the peak body for mental health in Australia we have pushed to outline fundamental issues as follows:
• Confusion regarding boundaries and funding responsibilities
• Absence of governance arrangements to resolve these issues
• Lack of harmonised data collection across systems
• Capacity of PHNs and other systems to coordinate with NDIS
These issues will be hard to solve, but even harder if there is no clear strategy and no agreement on the scale of the problem between Commonwealth and State/Territory governments, and just who is responsible for what. And it’s extremely pleasing to see that the Issues Paper has identified boundaries as a key problem when it says:
…poorly defined boundaries between the NDIS and mainstream services can raise the risk of gaps in services, duplication of services, and cost shifting (between agencies or governments).
Productivity Commission Issues Paper
Highlighting and acknowledging these issues is just one part of our advocacy in this space, as we have also been looking at key actions to help solve the problems.
In the first instance, in relation to the confusion around who is responsible for what, we are calling for both Commonwealth and States/Territories to clearly articulate their respective roles in funding and/or providing clinical, psychosocial support, rehabilitation and assertive outreach services for people inside and outside the NDIS - but especially those outside.
This would need to make reference to existing investments, for example via jurisdiction-specific mental health plans and/or clarify how these roles intersect with the concept of stepped care.
Current uncertainty is having extremely negative effects on non-government service providers, and we are calling for collaboration with relevant government agencies to develop and support a long-term investment plan for the non-government mental health sector, in close collaboration with the sector. After all, this was a key recommendation of the National Mental Health Commission Review.
There is still much to do in achieving an NDIS for all Australians, and this Productivity Commission inquiry - which is accepting submissions up until Friday 24 March 2017 - will be an important tool in contributing to the future of the NDIS. Do make sure you have your say!
Finally, and talking of contributions to the mental health sector, I would just like to congratulate John Malone as he retires following an outstanding career with Aftercare. Not only was he an active CEO at Aftercare, but also an active contributor to the national debate helping us all to make the important connection between policy and services on the ground. Best wishes from all of us.
Frank Quinlan
CEO
Mental Health Australia
What is this study about?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a new scheme designed to change the way that support and care is provided to people with profound or severe permanent disability. The scheme is currently being rolled out across Australia.
The NDIS is based on the premise that individuals’ support needs are different, and those participating in the scheme should be able to exercise choice and control over the services and support they receive. The scheme is distinguished from previous approaches in a number of ways:
• it adopts a person-centred model of care and support
• it applies insurance principles to costs
• funding is determined by an assessment of individual needs (rather than a fixed budget)
• it is a national scheme.
This study is a review of NDIS costs and is to help inform the final design of the full scheme. The study will examine factors affecting scheme costs in light of the benefits and impacts of the scheme on the lives of people with disability, and Australians more generally.
Make sure you have your say!
http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/ndis-costs/issues
