NDIS Policy
The AWP supports the NDIS. It is a life changing scheme for many people. Although in it’s infancy as a scheme, there is still much need to “clean up the act” of the scheme to make it both more efficient and more people friendly.
While we support it we also realise that it needs a real commitment to adequate funding and an overhaul of its day to day operations. Without adequate funding it will not work. It's failure would throw the lives of thousands of people with disability in to chaos.
The needs of people living with a disability are complex. Each person is unique as are their needs. NDIS participants require adequately trained people to assist them to gain the best from the scheme. It must be people focused to ensure the best outcomes.
The AWP supports:
The Australian Workers Party supports the six key political objectives of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations.
1. Commitment to a Royal Commission to address violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of people with disability across all settings and encompassing all matters raised by AFDO and its members that are not currently in or are lacking sufficient weight in the Royal Commissions Terms of Reference as well as conflict of interest issues with two of the appointed Commissioners.
2. Commitment to funding the National Disability Strategy and progressive achievement of measurable outcomes at a federal level as well as ensuring this applies to all levels of government.
3. Commitment to set aside, as a clearly defined reserve fund, the full and ongoing funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and to provide any necessary legislation to this effect. This to be at the level required for full Scheme each year, including any funds remaining in the reserve fund from any budget underspend in any given year. This is to provide certainty for all approved participants and for the long term security of the Scheme.
4. Commitment to people with disability who are not part of the NDIS for continued access to services and relevant supports provided at a Federal and State/Territory level through COAG and other agreements or arrangements.
5. Commitment to equitable and sufficient funding of all national Disability Representative Organisations to fulfil their role for people with disability and their families; to add value in working with all governments on policy, initiatives and disability issues.
6. Commitment to equitable and sufficient funding of disability advocacy agencies and its national Peak body to fulfil their role for people with disability and their families; to add value in resolving individual issues and to provide input and data on systemic or other issues for resolution.
The AWP supports the NDIS. It is a life changing scheme for many people. Although in it’s infancy as a scheme, there is still much need to “clean up the act” of the scheme to make it both more efficient and more people friendly.
While we support it we also realise that it needs a real commitment to adequate funding and an overhaul of its day to day operations. Without adequate funding it will not work. It's failure would throw the lives of thousands of people with disability in to chaos.
The needs of people living with a disability are complex. Each person is unique as are their needs. NDIS participants require adequately trained people to assist them to gain the best from the scheme. It must be people focused to ensure the best outcomes.
The AWP supports:
- Greater overall funding to the scheme; across the scheme.
- The end of outsourcing of the NDIS call centre and first-point-of-contact avenues for participants. Anyone who answers a call for the NDIS should be an employee of the scheme.
- The end of outsourcing of scheme entry point facilitators such as non-government agencies who currently assist the entry of people into the scheme. NDIS trained planners should be the first port of call for anyone accessing the scheme.
- A better resourced and more efficient planning system which looks at need not dollars when dealing with participants.
- Adequate training of all NDIS officers, from top to bottom in disability awareness and disability rights.
- The creation of a Federal agency for Disability Advocacy to adequately deal with failures in the NDIS system.
- The establishment of a collective leadership and decision making body, rather than a corporate (CEO) structure which is often at odds with the intent of the scheme.
- More flexibility in the interface of mental health and aged care with the scheme.
- An extension of individual plans to 3 to 5 years in mutual agreement.
- An overhaul of the day to day operations of the scheme; that is more efficiency in addressing individual issues and needs.
- Greater powers of the NDIS Safeguards Commission in prosecuting fraudulent or negligent service providers.
- A commitment to addressing all unschedule review applications with a face to face meeting within one month of the application.
- A review of the legislative aspects of “choice and control” so that participant choices are truly listened to and not swept aside for bureaucratic expediency.
The Australian Workers Party supports the six key political objectives of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations.
1. Commitment to a Royal Commission to address violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of people with disability across all settings and encompassing all matters raised by AFDO and its members that are not currently in or are lacking sufficient weight in the Royal Commissions Terms of Reference as well as conflict of interest issues with two of the appointed Commissioners.
2. Commitment to funding the National Disability Strategy and progressive achievement of measurable outcomes at a federal level as well as ensuring this applies to all levels of government.
3. Commitment to set aside, as a clearly defined reserve fund, the full and ongoing funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and to provide any necessary legislation to this effect. This to be at the level required for full Scheme each year, including any funds remaining in the reserve fund from any budget underspend in any given year. This is to provide certainty for all approved participants and for the long term security of the Scheme.
4. Commitment to people with disability who are not part of the NDIS for continued access to services and relevant supports provided at a Federal and State/Territory level through COAG and other agreements or arrangements.
5. Commitment to equitable and sufficient funding of all national Disability Representative Organisations to fulfil their role for people with disability and their families; to add value in working with all governments on policy, initiatives and disability issues.
6. Commitment to equitable and sufficient funding of disability advocacy agencies and its national Peak body to fulfil their role for people with disability and their families; to add value in resolving individual issues and to provide input and data on systemic or other issues for resolution.