Services Purchasing and
Development
Deborah Roberts
Senior Project Manager
October 2013
NDIS & My Way
• As highlighted by Minister Morton earlier, on Monday 5 August 2013
the Prime Minister and the Premier of Western Australia signed an
agreement for disability reform in Western Australia. The agreement
is for a two year launch commencing on 1 July 2014.
• Under this agreement, the Commonwealth and Western Australian
governments will contrast two approaches for the delivery of
disability services in different locations.
NDIS & My Way
• Two approaches are being tested in order to allow genuine
comparison of the merits of the National Disability Insurance Agency
(NDIA - formally DisabilityCare Australia) model and the Western
Australian My Way model.
• This will allow the lessons to be shared during the launch period and
taken into the full scheme roll out of NDIA across Australia.
NDIS & My Way
Launch sites
• The State Government's My Way model
 Lower South West (LSW) region commencing July 2014
 Cockburn Kwinana area commencing July 2015
• A two year launch of the NDIA model will commence in the Perth
Hills area on 1 July 2014. Incremental roll out of the NDIA model will
take place over the two year launch period.
NDIS & My Way
How many people will be eligible for support in the launch sites?
•
In total, approximately 8,400 eligible participants (with permanent disability)
in Western Australia will benefit over the launch period.
Who will be eligible for support in the launch areas?
•
The eligibility criteria developed for NDIA (as set out in the National
Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013) will be used in both of the Western
Australian launch models. The My Way model will use the same eligibility
rules that will apply across the nation.
•
Both of the Western Australian launch approaches will apply to all eligible
people under 65 at the time of launch, rather than being limited to more
specific age cohorts.
NDIS & My Way
Will people with disability currently not accessing services be able
to access support in the launch sites?
• Yes. People with a disability who meet the eligibility criteria under
the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 and are
permanently living in the launch areas will be eligible for support in
the launch areas.
NDIS & My Way
Will people with mental health conditions be eligible to access
support in the launch areas?
• The eligibility criteria allows for people with impairments attributable
to a psychiatric condition to access the scheme where their
impairments are, or are likely to be, permanent, and result in a
substantially reduced function in undertaking daily activities and
capacity for social and economic participation. Impairments that vary
in intensity may still be considered permanent.
• ‘Functional impairment’ and ‘permanent’ are the key requirements
for eligibility and access to funding in the NDIS.
NDIS & My Way
• Assessment of ‘functional impairment’ is required for funding
allocation but appears that it may not be necessary for access to
planning and/or LAC services within NDIS. To be clarified!
• ‘Functional Impairment’ Assessment tool developed and used in
NDIS launch sites is lengthy (currently 88 pages).
•
It requires some external evidence to be provided i.e. doctors
reports with diagnosis, OT assessments.
NDIS & My Way
• Assessment cannot be completed by the consumer and must be
completed by the NDIA assessors/ My Way coordinators.
• Assessment results are compared to the reference packages
developed by NDIS to determine funding allocation.
• Launch sites are providing information about the accuracy of the
reference packages and funding allocations before full scheme
rollout.
NDIS & My Way
What will be similar in the two launch approaches?
There will be a consistent application of the key aspects of disability
reform including:
• consistent approaches to eligibility
• consistency in the determination of reasonable and necessary
supports
• a guarantee of portability provisions (for people moving between
launch areas – in Western Australia and inter-state)
• quality assurance system
NDIS & My Way
What will be different in the two launch approaches?
The key differences between the two approaches are:
1. Legislation
• The My Way launch will be implemented by the WA Disability
Services Commission under State Legislation. State-specific
operational guidelines will apply. The NDIA launch will be
implemented under the national legislation and use national
operational guidelines.
NDIS & My Way
2. Planning & LACs
• The My Way model uses Local Area Coordinators (LACs) as the first
and continuous point of contact in the planning process. LACs in My
Way sites also have access to flexible discretionary funding to use,
where appropriate, to assist people achieve the goals identified in
their plan. If further funding is required, the LACs will undertake the
assessment of functional impairment based on the information
gathered as part of the relationship building process. LACs will then
assist people with disability to be linked up in their community and to
assist in coordinating the supports (including purchased supports)
they receive.
NDIS & My Way
2. Planning & LACs
• In the NDIA launch, planning conversations will occur with specialist
planners. If funding is required, a specialist will undertake an
assessment of functional impairment (and linked to the reference
packages) to determine funding. LACs will then help people with
disability to be linked up in their community and to assist in
coordinating the supports (including purchased supports) they
receive.
NDIS & My Way
3. Sector Organisations
• Under the My Way model, disability service organisations will retain
their existing strong partnership and contractual relationship with the
Disability Services Commission, including the use of payments in
advance for disability service organisations.
• The NDIA launch will operate under a national pricing scheme which
reflects the conditions in local markets, including loadings.
Participants will be able to source supports from any NDIA registered
provider. Providers will be paid for services on receipt of an invoice.
NDIS & My Way
What does it mean for people with mental health conditions?
• The Productivity Commission has estimated that approximately 5600
people with severe and enduring mental illness may be eligible for
NDIS in WA.
• The Productivity Commission data suggests that approximately 800
people with severe and enduring mental illness may be eligible in
the identified launch sites in WA.
NDIS & My Way
• However, it is acknowledged that this data was provided by the
Productivity Commission at short notice and there have been
concerns raised that the data may not be accurate.
• There are suggestions that more people with severe and enduring
mental illness may be eligible for NDIS but it is early days.
•
At a national level, there is work happening to provide more
accurate data. The use of the Mental Health Services Planning
Estimator tool has been suggested as a possible option for
increasing accuracy.
NDIS & My Way
• In the context of the NDIS, the term ‘psychosocial disability’ appears
to be preferred by consumers and carers (see National Mental
health Consumer & Carer Forum Position Statement). That is ‘the
disabilities that are associated with mental health conditions’ .
• The term ‘psychosocial disability’ appears to be very helpful in
promoting a wider understanding (especially in the disability sector)
where people with severe and enduring mental illness may fit into
the NDIS.
NDIS & My Way
LSW My Way Project: Inclusion of people with psychosocial disability
• As announced by the Minister this morning, to assist the My Way
Coordinators in the LSW launch site to include people with
psychosocial disability, the Mental Health Commission and the
Disability Services Commission have agreed on a joint project
proposal.
• This project proposal aims to provide additional resources and
specific training and supports to LSW My Way Coordinators to assist
with engaging with new participants with psychosocial disability. This
will include the provision of relevant training to better understand
mental health and the recovery approach alongside self directed
support and person centred care.
NDIS & My Way
• This project will also engage mental health services and sector
organisations to assist with information about My Way, training as
needed and support to manage new ways of working.
• This project will engage a minimum number of 50 people with
psychosocial disability in the Lower South West region (but hopefully
will assist approximately 150 people with psychosocial disability over
the 18 months).
•
• The MHC and DSC are working towards a start date of 1 January
2014. This will provide an important opportunity for learning before
the NDIS launch start date of 1 July 2014.
What is My Way all about?
Further refining ways of working – enabling:
• Choice and control in the hands of people with disability, family and
carers
• Partnership with the sector
• Individualised, holistic, person-centred support based on planning
• Connection with community and generic services
• Decentralised decision making
• Seamless, outcomes based funding
My Way Key planning questions
 How would I like my life to be?
 Who am I and what is my life like now?
 What would I like to build on?
 How can this happen?
NDIS & My Way
Next Steps
• Bilateral and National Partnership agreements signed by end November
2013
• Establish Joint Steering Committee (December 2013).
• Establish working group for people with disability, families and carers,
service providers and other stakeholders to be part of development and
design
• Evaluation of both approaches to inform full scheme rollout nationally
NDIS & My Way
What happens at the end of the launch period?
• The State and Commonwealth Governments have previously
committed to provide ongoing support to participants in launch sites
until transition to full scheme commences or an agreement is made
covering ongoing support to launch participants.
NDIS & My Way
Questions/ Queries/ Comments?