News | 28 August 2020

Big NDIS changes are coming – Government and NDIS response to the Tune Review

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Faded red phone on yellow background. Text reads "Tune Review response released”

Some breaking news this morning …

The Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert has released the government’s response to the Tune review.

Just in case you have forgotten (because it already feels like a hundred years ago thanks to COVID) …

Tune Review

Last year Mr David Tune conducted a review into the NDIS Act. Not the whole kit and caboodle of the NDIS, but just what needed to change in the Act.

And even though it was just supposed to be about the NDIS Act, Mr Tune made a bunch of sensible, practical recommendations about a whole lot of things – like the need for simple and clear language to explain key NDIS terms like “reasonable and necessary”.

Things like greater flexibility in how you can use your NDIS funds. And outreach and support for people who are really missing out – like First Nations people with disability or people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.

And the good news is that the government appears to have accepted all the recommendations except for two – and those they have accepted “in principle”. That’s government speak for “we’re kinda on board but we need to hedge our bets for a few reasons”.

Great to see acceptance – now for making them happen!

Government response – Participant Service Charter and Participant Service Improvement Plan

The Minister also announced today the release of the Participant Service Charter and the Participant Service Improvement Plan (mouthfuls we know).

Those two documents do two things.

The Charter outlines the way participants can expect the NDIA to behave when it works with them.

And the Plan outlines all the work the NDIA will do over the next two years to improve people’s experience of the scheme.

Really critical things like introducing longer plans and greater flexibility in how you can use your NDIS funds.

But amongst all the other things there was one part of the announcement that did catch our eye.

Independent assessments

The Minister also announced that from next year the NDIA will fund independent assessments for people applying to enter the scheme. And then later in the year for people having plan reviews at critical life points – like leaving school or leaving home.

There is not a lot of detail about that one. We know that lots of you are worried about what those assessments will mean for you.

We do want the NDIS to be fair and consistent. And people shouldn’t have to pay for expensive reports that may or may not hit the mark.

But the most important thing of ALL – we need to make sure that people get the support they desperately need.

As with all of these things the devil is always in the detail.

There was a lot of information released today so we are working our way through it – so stay tuned (no pun intended)…

More information

👉 In the meantime you can read the announcement from the Minister here

👉 You can read the government’s response here

👉 You can read some media coverage here

👉 The Participant Service Charter is here

👉 The Participant Service Improvement Plan is here

👉 And if you want to go back and have a look at the Tune review again you can find it here

👉 Our summary of the Tune Review here

👉 Our submission to the Tune Review here

👉 Or browse all of our previous coverage of the Tune Review here

Videos

The NDIA and the NDIS Minister Stuart Robert have released a series of videos this morning.

An Update from Martin Hoffman and Jamie Lowe
NDIS Participant Service Charter and Participant Service Improvement Plan
Auslan – NDIS Participant Service Charter and Participant Service Improvement Plan
Independent Assessments

Future of the NDIS – Announcement from Minister for the NDIS, Stuart Robert MP

 

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