This submission is in response to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) discussion paper on Support Coordination.
Ensuring Support Coordination and other service connection roles work well is central to a successful and fair transition to a market-based model of support. All NDIS participants should receive timely, quality assistance to understand and implement their NDIS plan, and to confidently and independently exercise choice and control.
The quality of NDS plans, including the provision of Support Coordination funding, largely depends on people’s capacity to learn about and understand the system and to self-advocate. People experiencing multiple and intersecting forms of disadvantage and isolation face greater challenges at every stage of the NDIS journey, from finding out how it works to accessing the Scheme, developing a plan and connecting to services.
Identifying and coordinating services can be particularly difficult for people with multiple and complex needs, including children and young people in out-of-home care or engaged in the Child Protection system, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people experiencing mental illness, homelessness or family violence.
Recommendations
- Ensure people with disability, their families and carers are aware of Support Coordination during the planning process.
- Include Support Coordination funding in all first plans.
- Provide adequate, ongoing Support Coordination funding and other targeted supports based on participants’ individual needs.
- Clarify the role of Psychosocial Recovery Coaches, and how their role complements and intersects with Support Coordination.
- Ensure participants can access both Support Coordination and a Psychosocial Recovery Coach if required.
- Work with governments to ensure ongoing, intensive Case Management is provided to participants with complex and challenging support needs.
- Topics:
- NDIS, Policy reform
- Author:
- Rhiannon Wapling
- Source:
- VCOSS
- Date published:
- Mon 14th Sep, 2020