Key recommendations in the National Disability Insurance Scheme review have been met with concern by the disability community, with a new survey finding nearly 70 per cent of respondents disagree with the proposal to make provider registration mandatory. Source: The Australian.
A 12-month review into the $40 billion-a-year scheme handed down in December made 26 recommendations to be implemented over the next five years that went to access, workforce, pricing and the need for more support outside the NDIS.
However, several recommendations have been met with alarm by some sections of the disability community and criticism that the proposed reforms will limit participants’ “choice and control”.
Advocacy group Every Australian Counts conducted a survey of nearly 1400 people – more than 70 per cent of whom were NDIS participants and family of participants. It found 68 per cent of respondents opposed the recommendation for all service providers to be registered. At present, only about 15,000 providers of disability services are registered; more than 150,000 are not.
Participants accessing unregistered providers, such as support workers, point to being able to form more personal relationships with individuals or small organisations providing services as opposed to big service providers, most of which are registered.
The survey also found 45 per cent of respondents disagreed or disagreed strongly with a recommendation that people who need 24/7 support should be funded at a ratio of one support worker to three participants except in extraordinary circumstances.
Every Australian Counts chair and member of the NDIS independent advisory panel George Taleporos said the survey signified that “the NDIS review was out of step with what our community wants”.
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said all participants and providers would benefit from the new design, which “will ensure the level of regulation matches the risk”.
Opposition assistant NDIS spokeswoman Hollie Hughes said Labor needed to understand that “choice and control around the choice of provider is absolutely key”.
FULL STORY
Disability community says no to key NDIS review proposals (By Sarah Ison, The Australian)
