ndis and participant employment -...
TRANSCRIPT
5 SEPTEMBER 2018
NDIS and participant employmentScott McNaughton
General Manager Participant Pathway Design
National Disability Insurance Agency
2
The NDIS in the context of the broad
disability employment agenda
Early aims for the NDIS on employment
– Productivity Commission 2011
“In the awareness area, for example, the NDIS could recognise and
encourage employment of people with a disability and try more
generally to combat stereotypes that reduce opportunity.”
“The potential benefits of a more inclusive
society also extend to the wider community, including to employers.”
“The scheme would substantially increase
the personal wellbeing of many people with disabilities and their carers.
Such benefits are economic gains, even though they cannot be
measured with any accuracy and do not show up in conventional
measures such as GDP.”
3
Pathways to Employment
NDIS reasonable &
necessary
employment funding
(including Supported
Employment and
vocational capacity
building support and
School Leavers
Employment
Supports)
Other state -
based/community
employment
programs
Independent
pathway
Disability
Employment
Service (DES)
4
Jonathon’s got full-time work in sight
5
Already having secured three
days a week at a local green
grocer, the 19-year-old Tasmanian
is well on the way to achieving his
goal of full time work.
Johnathan worked with Burnie
Disability employment provider
APM to ensure his skills matched
its working environment and both
felt comfortable and supported,
and so far it’s been a real
success.
6
Improving participant outcomes
Improving participant employment
outcomes depends on many factors
7
Participant
Family, community
and employers
NDIS
Social Services
Education
“I want to be able to catch
public transport by myself,
so I can get to my course”
- Victorian NDIS participant
Family, community and employers
8
• The pervasive culture of low employment expectation
of people with disability must shift.
• The NDIA has a role through the Information
Linkages and Capacity Building to build community
capacity to create diverse, inclusive environments
essential to enabling positive participant experience
• Employers must improve the cultural, systemic and
physical barriers to enable an inclusive employment
environment.
“The real change, as ever, will only come if or
when employers can see a gift beyond the facade
of disability itself.” - Rick Morton, journalist
NDIA - Staff and Local Area
Coordinators (LACs)
9
• The pathway to employment varies for all
people. The NDIS planning practice needs to
adopt a holistic approach to support the
pathway to participation
• Social and economic participation are
intrinsically linked. Meaningful social
participation can be the foundation
stone of an employment pathway.
• SLES provides assistance with transition
from school to employment, supports aim to
build capacity, deliver vocational skills and
contribute to achieving employment
outcomes. include on the job experience,
targeted job skills, travel and communication
training.
10
Steps to improve the participant
experience
Steps to improve the participant
experience
11
“I love it there, I’m cooking, I’m making
all the cakes and desserts for the old
people, and I also help clean the
kitchen and the coffee machines.”
- NSW participant supported to gain
employment in an aged care facility.
The journey so far
When What
April 2017 NDIA initiated a Pathway Review in response to feedback from participants and
providers that their experience with the NDIS did not meet expectations. NDIA
engaged more than 300 stakeholders from all states and territories.
October 2017 NDIA announced a new NDIS participant and provider pathway, designed to
significantly improve the experience people and organisations have with the NDIS.
January 2018 NDIA started piloting key features of the new participant pathway in three Victorian
locations. In May 2018, over 1,000 participants entered the pilot to experience new or
enhanced processes in pre-planning, planning, and initial plan implementation.
January to April
2018
NDIA conducted 37 workshops across the country, engaging more than 1,100
participants, carers and stakeholders, to inform tailored pathways for to inform a
flexible NDIS pathway for people with different needs.
January to May
2018
NDIA commenced design and implementation of Provider Finder enhancements,
update of the Portals, and transitioning to the National Quality & Safeguards
Commission.
Common areas of concern for
participants
The plan development
process is unclear and plans
are confusing, leading to
more plan reviews
Systems and interactions
are clunky and frustrating
Communications are
unclear and do not meet
individual participants’
needs
"I'm visually impaired and they
sent me a letter. I had to call
the NDIA and have them read
it to me"
The process is phone-based
and impersonal, which does
not build trust and rapport
"I feel like I'm on an assembly
line; who cares about me?"
Inconsistent experiences
dealing with NDIA staff and
LACs, and people often
have to repeat their stories
"I shared all this personal
information and it comes back
in this form; I can't tell if I got
what I asked for"
Need a better understanding
of how other government
and community supports fit
into their plans
"I didn't get help finding
relevant community groups"
NDIA staff and LACs are
unprepared for participants'
unique situations and
disabilities
"I spent our first couple of
meetings teaching my planner
about people with vision
impairment"
Lack of understanding about
how the NDIS works and the
goal-setting and planning
process
"I didn't know I needed goals
until they asked me for them
in my planning meeting"
"I have to keep repeating my
story to different people, over
and over again"
"The Portal doesn't work – my
service bookings disappear"
The new NDIS participant pathway -
recap
Ph
as
e
Sta
ge
Pu
rpo
se
PHASE 1
Engaging with the NDIS
PHASE 2
Planning to achieve goals &
outcomes
PHASE 3
Achieving
goals and outcomes
1
Learn about
the NDIS
and how it
fits in the
broader
system of
supports
2
Decide to
proceed to
access
3
Receive
access
decision
Clearly communicate the NDIS' role within
the broader systems of supports and
services, including the role of the NDIS in
providing support to people with permanent
and significant disability
Support people with disability to access
the right supports for their disability and
circumstance, including applying for access
to NDIS-funded supports, if appropriate
Ensure people with a permanent and
significant disability are referred to the access
decision and receive a timely decision on
access
4
Understand
current
supports
and prepare
for
planning
5
Create a
plan to
achieve
goals and
outcomes
6
Receive
approved
plan
Empower participants to set goals to
achieve outcomes
Develop a plan to achieve outcomes which
includes government, informal, community
and funded supports to facilitate greater
social and economic participation
Approve plans with reasonable and
necessary funded supports
7
Activate
and
implement
plan
8
Use plan to
achieve
outcomes
9
Get support
using plan
10
Review
outcomes
and
progress
Activate plan and ensure that participants are connected to
providers of supports which meet their needs
Ensure that participants are able to exercise choice and
control in using their plans to achieve outcomes and
monitor for any emerging issues
Review plans when appropriate, measuring outcomes
achieved and setting goals for a new plan or exiting the
Scheme as goals are achieved
Developments to the pathway
• Clearer links to other service systems, including
housing, education and health systems
• Clear information provided in easy English and
multiple languages
• Stronger connections between LACs and NDIA
planners
• An easy-to-understand and accessible plan
• Face-to-face planning support
• Skilled planning and improved training with a focus
on disability awareness and cultural competency
• Better connections between participants and
providers, including improvements to the provider
finder
• Improvements to systems, including updates to the
participant and provider portals and the NDIS
website
• The NDIS undertook a ‘participants and carers’ survey to assess satisfaction with the pilot
processes.
• Over 160 carers and participants responded to the voluntary survey. NDIA staff and LAC partners
were also surveyed.
Overall, how was your
experience with the
planning process?
84% Very Good
or Good
Were decisions
regarding your plan
clearly explained?
97% YesDid the person from
the NDIS understand
how your disability
affects your life?
95% Yes
Do you know where to
go for more help with
your plan?
87% Yes
Did you understand
why you needed to
give the information
you did?
99% Yes
Are you clear on what
happens next with
your plan
87% Yes
Pilot results: participant and carers
survey
Workshops to develop a flexible NDIS pathway
After consultation about the new NDIS pathway, the NDIA conducted a further 37 workshops
to inform and develop tailored pathways for early childhood and people with complex
support needs, and a flexible NDIS pathway for people with different needs.
The workshops included participants, families and carers, partners, government
representatives, providers, peaks and local organisations, advocates and expert advisors.
37
Attendees
Key insights
Workshops
1128
Complex support
needs pathway
Integrated
relationships with
other service systems
Hard to reach /
assertive outreach
Crisis management
Skilled planners
Specialised support
coordinators
Early childhood
pathway
Early intervention
principles effectively
deployed
Specialist functional
assessment to support
access decisions
Family based early
intervention focus
Informed parents and
health professions
LGTBQIA+
Staff and partners
with specific
cultural sensitivity
Strong community
and peer networks
178 154 343 338 88 27
Psychosocial
Stronger connection with
existing local mental
health services
Skilled planners / LACs
who understand
psychosocial disability,
recovery based planning
and episodic need
Aboriginal &
Torres Strait
Islander
Remote & Very
Remote
Proper engagement
with Traditional
Owners, Elders and
communities
Involving local
Community
Connectors
Culturally &
Linguistically
Diverse (CALD)
Responsive access to
Interpreters and
translated collateral
Involving Multi-cultural
Community
Connectors
Strong focus on staff
and partner culturally
awareness
Key elements being delivered
• NDIS Pathway - national roll out of key pathway features
• Complex support needs – establish a specialised NDIA unit that will support
participants with complex needs
• Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) – national enhancements to the existing
Gateway with a focus on applying best practice early intervention strategies
• Psychosocial disability – testing a new approach to support people with psychosocial
disability that will include specialised planners and episodic and recovery orientated
planning
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – expansion of community connectors,
appropriate communication material and cultural awareness staff training
• Rural and remote communities – testing more innovative approaches to services
delivery, including innovative technology solutions
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people – national roll out of interpreters, staff
trained in cultural competency and appropriate communications
• LGBTIQA+ - national roll out of staff trained in cultural competency and appropriate
communications
• Providers – continued rollout of national improvements
Next steps
• Communication and engagement with stakeholders
• Finalise rollout schedule, including:
• Progressive deployment of features of the NDIS
Pathway
• New plan format
• Testing and piloting of enhancements of
pathways
• Finalise recruitment and training schedule
• Finalise key features and enhancements for
implementation
• Mobilise resources for pilots and rollout
Laura's passion for business and
employment
20
“Using the NDIS to assist me
with the day-to-day obstacles
that I face, I’m able to focus on
growing my business without
being concerned about the
day-to-day financial difficulties
associated with disability.”
- Laura, NDIS participant and
small business owner
21