NDIS Capacity Building Project Update 6 - April 2014

Welcome to the NDIS Capacity Building Project Update for April 2014, the second update this year. There is a great deal to report, including several developments which we believe bode well for the long-term future of the NDIS as it applies to psychosocial disability.

In this Issue

Former WA Mental Health Commissioner to advise NDIA
MHCA Proposal: Providing Psychosocial Disability support through the NDIS – sector comment invited
CONGO
Access to PHaMs in NDIS trial sites
Possible two year extension to the MHCA NDIS Capacity Building Project
MHCA NDIS Organisational Readiness Workshops
NDIA Capacity Building Strategy Grants for Disability Support Organisations
NDIS Workforce Strategy
Carer Issues
Unlocking the door? Housing and the NDIS
National Standards for Disability Services
NewParadigm publication on NDIS and mental health
NDIA Capability Review
Joint committee to visit NDIS trial sites
NDIA 5th Webinar: Meet the Governors of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
NDIA’s Quarterly Reports
Updates on the NDIS website
Frequently asked questions
NDS NDIS Ready
Stay in touch!

Former WA Mental Health Commissioner to advise NDIA

The Chair of the NDIA Board, Mr Bruce Bonyhady AO, recently announced that the NDIA is engaging former WA Mental Health Commissioner Mr Eddie Bartnik as a strategic advisor to the NDIA for three years.  The MHCA enthusiastically welcomes this appointment and looks forward to working with Mr Bartnik closely to ensure the NDIS meets the needs of people with psychosocial disability and their carers.

MHCA Proposal: Providing Psychosocial Disability support through the NDIS – sector comment invited

Over the last 12 months the mental health sector, including many consumers and carers, have highlighted significant concerns about the design and implementation of the NDIS and the effect these may have on access to psychosocial disability support.  These concerns are described in more detail in the MHCA Position Paper Mental Health and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, released in December 2013.

In response to these concerns, the MHCA was asked by the NDIA to develop a proposal for a new approach to trialling and implementing the NDIS to better meet the needs of mental health consumers and carers. The NDIA requested that the proposal be developed in confidence in the first instance, but the MHCA is pleased that this requirement no longer applies. The draft proposal, now open for consultation, can be found here.

It is important to note that neither the NDIA nor the Government have endorsed the recommendations in the MHCA’s proposal. However, we believe the proposal sets out a process for resolving some of the fundamental challenges that the mental health sector now faces as the NDIS is rolled out – rather than a definitive solution to those challenges. We welcome the opportunity to hear your views, both on specific recommendations and on the broad direction outlined in the proposal. We would welcome any comments by email at ndis@mhca.org.au.

CONGO

The NDIS proposal was the main item on the agenda at the recent gathering of the Council of Australian Non-Government Organisations on Mental Health (CONGO), convened by the MHCA in Canberra on 10 April.  The meeting brought together key stakeholders from within and outside the mental health sector and featured updates from several trial sites, as well as commentary from service providers and consumers and carers.  Participants provided valuable feedback on the MHCA proposal and on the MHCA’s workplan for key activities to support the implementation of the NDIS.

We take this opportunity to thank all those people who participated in the CONGO gathering for their expertise, goodwill and level of engagement at this important time.

Access to PHaMs in NDIS trial sites

Service providers in the Hunter trial site have reported alarm that on transition to NDIS, a significant number (possibly up to 70%) of their Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMS) program clients are being assessed as not eligible for Tier 3 services and consequently losing acccess to PHaMs.  The sector certainly predicted problems with the PHaMs estimates that appeared to influence governments’ agreement to rollover of PHaMs funding into Tier 3.  An undertaking from the NDIA that  clients would continue to have access to PHaMs services to maintain their current level of support during the trial phase, even if they were found ineligible for the NDIS, originally allayed sector fears somewhat.

However, it now seems that the NDIA operations in launch sites have some catching up to do on this information.  To date the NDIA have responded well and worked hard to ensure that assessments and plans meet client needs where they have not got things right in the first instance.  The sector is grateful for this, though is still concerned about the broader issue of what happens to those who have no one to advocate on their behalf.  On the PHaMs issue, Hunter services, the Mental Health Coordinating Council, the NSW Mental Health Commission and the MHCA are all involved in working with the NDIA to ensure that this situation is rectified as soon as possible. 

Possible two year extension to the MHCA NDIS Capacity Building Project

During April the MHCA, along with several other key disability peaks, was invited by the NDIA to apply for funding under the NDIS Sector Development Fund to increase and extend capacity building activities for a further two years.  The other organisations invited to apply were National Disability Services, the National Disability and Carers Alliance, the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations and Carers Australia.  The First Nations Disability Alliance will also receive sector capacity building funding to continue to provide support.

Click here for up to date information on the MHCA NDIS Capacity Building Project.

MHCA NDIS Organisational Readiness Workshops

MHCA NDIS Organisational Readiness Workshops are being organised for May and June.  The workshops are being held in collaboration with state/territory mental health peaks and National Disability Services (NDS). Except where this has already been undertaken in that state or territory, each workshop will feature an introduction to the NDS Organisational Readiness Toolkit from the perspective of mental health service providers. The workshops will also provide an opportunity for service providers to hear about the progress of the NDIS nationally and in their state/territory, to meet local NDIA officers, to raise issues of concern and to familiarise themselves with the some of the key organisational issues to address as service provision moves towards an individualised funding model.  

Following on from the successful workshop held in Tasmania in February, workshops are now planned in :

• Darwin on 1 May
• Brisbane on 8 May
• Perth on 26 May
• Dates for NSW, Vic and SA to follow soon.

NDIA Capacity Building Strategy Grants for Disability Support Organisations

During April, the NDIA made funding available for membership-based community organisations across Australia to apply for funding as a facilitating Disability Support Organisation (DSO). DSOs will support the development and sustainability of local self-help and mutual support groups (LSGs) for people with disability.

Up to $22 million is available over three years to 2015-16 and will provide funding for 50 DSOs who will support up to 1000 LSGs.

The NDIA is to be congratulated for its willingness to support grassroots consumer and carer organisations.  However, feedback suggests that eligibility criteria for these grants was not well described, causing confusion amongst potential applicants. Further, we believe that the capacity of grassroots consumer and carer groups to find out about the funding and apply within the given timeframe was questionable.  We hope that the mental health sector is well represented amongst final funding recipients and look forward hearing the outcomes of the process. 

NDIS Workforce Strategy

During February Senator Mitch Fifield, Assistant Minister for Social Services, announced the development of an NDIS Workforce Strategy.  NDS, the national peak for non-government disability service providers, has been commissioned to develop the Strategy on the NDIA’s behalf. A more considered approach to workforce issues is welcome, given the huge implications of the NDIS for the workforce across the disability, mental health and other sectors. The Strategy will focus on three priority areas: supporting and retaining the existing workforce; ensuring workforce supply to support people with disability into the future; and building the capacity of the workforce to adapt to the new funding model of person-centred choice under the NDIS. The final report from NDS will be delivered to Government in August 2014.

The news is of key interest to the MHCA NDIS Organisational Readiness and Workforce Working Group and the MHCA is in the process of working out arrangements to ensure that mental health sector input is reflected in the report.

Carer Issues

Carer advocates noted the appearance during February of the following NDIS Operational Guideline update Supports in the Plan - Supports for Sustaining Informal Supports. This update highlights a number of key issues that carers have been keen to see acknowledged. These include how the NDIA will determine if supports are sustainable, and expectations as to level of support that the NDIA assumes would be provided by carers (as opposed to funded services).  The update is a small win for carers seeking to ensure that their role and work is valued and assessed appropriately in the NDIA assessment and planning process.  The dialogue with NDIA on these issues continues, with Carers Australia taking a lead role.

On a related note, the MHCA is developing a discussion paper on mental health carer issues, which we hope will be published later this year.

Unlocking the door? Housing and the NDIS

On 27 March, the MHCA participated in a forum on Housing, Disability and the NDIS in Canberra, hosted by the Community Housing Federation of Australia. Bruce Bonyhady delivered a presentation on the interface between the NDIS and the housing system, outlining what the NDIS will and will not fund in relation to housing. He advised that the NDIS will fund ‘reasonable and necessary’ supports to enable people to transition to independent living and sustain their housing. The supports that the NDIS will fund are covered in section 13 of the Operational Guideline.

Mr Bonyhady also confirmed a NDIA capital works fund for housing, which will increase to approximately $700 million per annum when the Scheme is fully operational.

The NDIA is seeking to partner with community housing providers, social financing organisations and other financial and philanthropic institutions to leverage their investment to the maximum degree possible. The agency is hoping to double or triple the dollar value of capital investment for new accommodation and housing through these partnerships.

The NDIA has drafted a Discussion Paper on housing and the NDIS which is currently with states and territories for comment. The Community Housing Federation of Australia will also draft a paper following the forum and presentations at the forum will be made available in the near future.

National Standards for Disability Services

NDIS providers and participants will be interested in the new National Standards for Disability Services.  The role of these standards in NDIS service provision, and their interaction with the National Standards for Mental Health Services, is likely to remain unclear while the quality framework and safeguards guidelines for the delivery of services under the NDIS are still under development. The MHCA will update you on these issues in future newsletters.

NewParadigm publication on NDIS and mental health

In case you missed it, VICSERV’s newparadigm publication for Summer 2014 edition was released during February and is all about the NDIS and mental health. The edition features the perspectives of consumers and families of people with mental illness, the NDIA, agencies at the front line, and researchers who are considering the issues and implications for consumes, carers and service providers. You can download the magazine from the VICSERV website here.

NDIA Capability Review

During February, the NDIA also released a Capability Review of the NDIA to implement the NDIS. 

The review reflects the challenges being experienced by people seeking information on how the NDIS will affect them in launch sites and nationally.  The NDIA have informally described their experience of NDIS implementation as one of “flying an aeroplane and building it at the same time” with much of the building work being done in flight in the trail sites.  This certainly echoes the experience in launch sites where the implementation of the NDIS, including for people with a psychosocial disability, is being invented and trialled as we speak.

While these various challenges will not be resolved overnight, the MHCA remains extremely concerned that appropriate safety nets for consumers and carers, and certainty for service providers, are not in place or indeed even a priority at this stage.  We will continue to work with the NDIA and government to raise the prominence of these issues.

Joint committee to visit NDIS trial sites

The Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee of the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be visiting all four NDIS trial sites over coming weeks. This will be the first opportunity that the newly formed committee will have to talk to people about the rollout of the NDIS.

The proposed schedule of visits is as follows:

• 14–15 April, Geelong
• 16–17 April, Hobart
• 5–6 May, Newcastle
• 7–8 May, Adelaide

More information is available here.

NDIA 5th Webinar: Meet the Governors of the National Disability Insurance Scheme

The NDIA held a webinar on Wednesday 16 April featuring presentations from Assistant Minister Fifield, Bruce Bonyhady and Dr Rhonda Galbally AO, Principal Member of the NDIA Independent Advisory Council.  The webinar was a useful introduction to “the governors” of the NDIA and NDIS.  Their answers to questions included an acknowledgement the need for ongoing work in the area of psychosocial disability and the announcement of the engagement of Mr Eddie Bartnik by the NDIA.  Also noted was the need for the NDIS to develop its capacity to reach out to those participants who are not able to advocate for themselves.

NDIA’s Quarterly Reports

Earlier this year the NDIA released its second  quarterly report (1 October - 31 December 2013 ) on the performance of the Scheme.  The reports are prepared by the NDIA actuary and provide the COAG Disability Reform Council with information (including statistics) about participants, funding and provision of supports by the NDIA in each jurisdiction.  More information about NDIA quarterly reports is available on the NDIS website.

Updates on the NDIS website

Given the difficulty experienced by many seeking the latest information on the NDIS website, we are publishing the list of links that we have identified as recent updates that may be of interest to the mental health sector.  These now also appear on the MHCA NDIS information portal:

NDIA Fact Sheet

• NDIA Fact Sheet: Supports the NDIS will fund in relation to mental health services

Operational guidelines: The planning and assessment process

The Operational Guidelines on Planning and Assessment contain operational information about the process for developing a participant’s plan.  The following have been updated:

• Planning and Assessment - Assessment of Participant’s Needs
• Operational Guideline – Planning and Assessment – Overview
• Operational Guideline – Planning and Assessment – Assessment of Participants’ Needs
• Operational Guideline – Planning and Assessment – Facilitating the Participant’s Statements of Goals and Aspirations
• Operational Guideline – Planning and Assessment – The Planning Conversation
• Operational Guideline – Planning and Assessment – Supports in the Plan
• Operational Guideline – Planning and Assessment – Risk and Safeguards
• Operational Guideline – Planning and Assessment – The Plan Management Decision
• Operational Guideline – Planning and Assessment – Prioritisation of Plans – Urgent Cases

On carer issues

• Supports in the Plan - Supports for Sustaining Informal Supports

Operational Guidelines on Monitoring and Review of a Participant’s Plan

The Operational Guidelines on Monitoring and Review of Plans contain operational information about the ongoing monitoring and review of a participant’s plan.  The following have been updated:

• Operational Guideline – Monitoring and Review of a Participant’s Plan – Overview
• Operational Guideline – Monitoring and Review of a Participant’s Plan – Monitoring Plans
• Operational Guideline – Monitoring and Review of a Participant’s Plan – Review of the Plan
• Operational Guideline – Monitoring and Review of a Participant’s Plan – Extending Grace Periods

Operational guidelines: Supports in the plan

The following operational guidelines document how the NDIS will operate in relation to the following types of supports (relevant to people with psychosocial disability), outlining what people can expect that the NDIS will and will not fund.  Updates include:

• Operational guideline: Education, employment and training
• Operational guideline: Supports for sustaining informal support (including family and carers)
• Operational guideline: Supports to undertake household tasks
• Operational guideline: supports in the plan – the interface with child protection and family support services
• Operational guideline: supports in the plan - the interface with health
• Operational guideline: Supports in the plan – the interface with justice
• Operational guideline: Supports in the plan – the interface with transport
• Operational guideline: Supports in the plan – the interface with housing and community infrastructure
• Operational guideline: Supports in the plan – the interface with mental health
• Operational guideline: Supports in the plan – Personal care supports
• Operational guideline: Supports in the plan – Recreation supports

Frequently asked questions

Subscribers may be interested in this list of FAQs about the NDIS as at February 2014 compiled by NDS, the national peak body for non-government disability organisations.

NDS NDIS Ready

Again, I am attaching a reference to NDS Victoria Newsletter for your information.  We in the MHCA office find it a good source of national news about what is happening in NDIS land.

Stay in touch!

If you have any information that you would like to disseminate to others members of the network or contribute to these updates please contact Travis Gilbert on travis.gilbert@mhca.org.au.

As always we remain eager to hear about your experiences on the NDIS as it evolves.