NDIS Review delivers 26 recommendations, 139 actions to change the system

Key points:

• The final report from the National Disability Insurance Scheme Review contains 26 recommendations and 139 integrated actions to make the system more sustainable

• The Australian Government will release its response to the 329-page report in 2024

• The independent NDIS Review Panel heard from over 10,000 Australians with disability from each state and territory

Australians can now access the final report from the NDIS Review, as of 9am December 7, 2023, which laid out the proposed changes to the national disability support system.

The Review sought to address four key areas:

• A unified system of support for people with disability

The final report from the NDIS Review recommended a focus on housing, foundational supports and support to empower people with disability to live autonomously through inclusive mainstream services that are coordinated with the NDIS.

• Markets and support systems that empower people with disability

The report stated that an ongoing monitoring system, in addition to restructuring payment frameworks to incentivise the delivery of quality supports, should be a priority of the government.

• Stewardship of the unified ecosystem

The NDIS Review also concluded that clear accountability for administration was needed, in addition to the sustainability of the whole disability eco-system.

• A five-year transition

The report stated that reforms should be implemented as a package, staged over a five-year transition period, with participants given at least two years to transition to new arrangements.

The Review recommended the introduction of navigators to help people with disability find and access all services available to them, including mainstream, community, foundational and NDIS supports.

The final report also recommended that the NDIS remove ‘access lists,’ which have prevented people with psychosocial disability or those who live with a mental health condition, from receiving NDIS support — yet, make others automatically eligible.

Instead, the Review has concluded that people should be assessed to determine whether a person is eligible for the scheme based on the severity of their condition.

The Independent Panel sought further changes to NDIS eligibility, recommending that the Australian Government should allow those over the age of 65 who live with disability to access both the NDIS and the aged care system.

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said that he was grateful for the people who shared their stories with the NDIS Review and thanked the Review co-chairs — Professor Bruce Bonyhady AM and Ms Lisa Paul AO PSM — along with the Panel, which included Mr Kevin Cocks AM, Ms Judy Brewer AO, Dr Stephen P King, Mr Dougie Herd and Prof Kirsten Deane OAM.

“This is a significant moment in Australian history, particularly for people with disability and their families and the disability sector. Our nation will reap the rewards of the Review’s work,” Minister Shorten said.

“The objectives of the Review were to restore trust, ensure sustainability and give participants a better experience and more control, by making the NDIS more about people and less about bureaucracy through greater equity, transparency and consistency.

“National Cabinet yesterday agreed to deliver significant collaboration and investment to support all Australians with disability.

“The Albanese Government has made a commitment to humanise the scheme and ensure every dollar goes to the participants for whom it was intended. 

“It is important that Australians understand changes are not going to happen overnight and any reforms adopted by the Albanese Government will be developed with the disability community to ensure a better NDIS.”

In a bid to fix workforce attraction and retention, the Review stated the Federal Government should work with states and territories, unions, workers and participants to ‘urgently’ design and trial a portable training scheme, as well as a portable sick and carer’s leave scheme.

Australian Services Union NSW & ACT Secretary Angus McFarland welcomed the recommendation.

“We are overjoyed with the NDIS Review’s recommendation to introduce portable leave and training schemes for disability support workers. The ASU has been calling for these initiatives for a long time because we know they will make a huge difference to the lives of workers and people with disability,” Mr McFarland said.

“As the Review rightly points out, workforce challenges in the disability sector are well-known and widespread. The NDIS sector has one of the highest attrition rates in Australia. Demand for workers is soaring yet up to a quarter of workers are leaving their job each year because they feel burnt out and unsupported.

“High workforce turnover is eroding the quality of support and increasing the cost of service delivery.

“We thank the NDIS Review for endorsing our campaign to introduce portable leave and training schemes and thank Minister Bill Shorten for considering this recommendation. We urge the federal government to adopt these portable schemes as soon as possible.”

To read the 329-page report, please visit ndisreview.gov.au or check out the easy-read version for readily accessible information.

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