QAI made a submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee regarding the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No 1) Bill 2024.
QAI’s submission made the following key recommendations:
1. The Federal government release a transparent, over-arching plan outlining how the NDIS Review’s recommendations will be strategically implemented over time. The plan must be developed in genuine codesign with disabled people across a range of disability types and backgrounds.
2. Implement the NDIS Review’s intended ‘whole person’ approach by removing sections 34(1)(aa) and 32L(3) from the Bill and introducing a provision that will ensure disability supports are funded based on a holistic understanding of a person’s disability support needs.
3. Remove the provisions relating to needs assessments until the relevant processes and tools have been codesigned with the disability community and until they are accompanied by sufficient legislative safeguards.
4. Implement the NDIS Review’s recommended trust-based approach. There should be a significant increase in safeguarding measures around exercise of the proposed new Agency powers to limit choice and control, revoke, or suspend a person’s plan. The powers should only be available as a last resort, any their use should require proper written reasons, and a separate right of review should exist allowing participants to appeal these decisions without triggering a review of funded supports.
5. Delay the operation of ‘NDIS supports’ in both access and supports criteria until the rules have been codesigned and agreed, and foundational supports established.
Read our full submission via the links below.