Anxiety, confusion ahead of NDIS rollout in March
SUNBURY disability provider Distinctive Options is already seeing up to 15 families access support and programs offered under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The scheme officially begins in Hume next March but families can begin to form NDIS plans now.
Distinctive Options chief executive Ernie Metcalf said while there were many exciting possibilities with the arrival of the NDIS, many of the 165 client families were nervous about the new system.
“We’ve had around 15 start to use it and most of those have been doing pretty well at an allocation level equal or better to what they had before,” he said.
“Each client gets some funding but flexibility has been added and clients can now apply for one-on-one support, for example, over attending our day services.
“What we do know is while there is more flexibility there is also an element of confusion, so advocacy is becoming increasingly important for parents and organisations like us.”
To help explain the new system which is set to change care, work, training and accommodation options for Australians with disabilities, Distinctive Options has taken part in several information nights while it has also diverted a staff member to an NDIS co-ordinator role.