NewsMore news about the new NDIS pathway pilot
The NDIS made an announcement about changes to the NDIS pathway a few weeks ago. They promised to give us some more details soon. Today the NDIS posted a media release. There's an Easy English version too. It talks about when and where the pilot will happen, what happens next, and a few other important details.
What’s the NDIS pathway again?
The pathway is the journey, or process, that people go through when they’re dealing with the NDIS. It’s what happens before, during and after you become an NDIS participant. It covers contacting the NDIS, applying to be a participant, and starting and using your plan.
The pathway includes things like:
- Finding out what the NDIS is
- Finding out how the NDIS could help you
- Finding out if you can become an NDIS participant
- Talking to the NDIS to set up your planning meeting
- Having your planning meeting
- Getting your plan
- Using your plan to get things that you need, like supports or equipment
- Talking to NDIS staff and other people who help you with the NDIS, like Local Area Coordinators
- Looking at your NDIS plan again after a year, and making changes to it
The NDIS pathway is being redesigned, so that people with disability will have a better time dealing with the NDIS. The changes are things people have been asking for – like face to face meetings instead of over the phone.
Most of the changes will be piloted. That means they’ll test things out with some people first. If it all goes well they’ll make the changes happen for everyone in all of the NDIS areas around the country.
What do we know about the pilot?
Where
The pilot will happen in Victoria – in north east and eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
When
The pilot will start around the middle of December this year. It will run for around 5 or 6 months. After that, in late April or Early May next year, it will stop being a pilot, and start being the normal way of doing things everywhere.
What are they doing differently in the pilot areas?
- participants will have a ‘consistent point of contact’. This will probably be a Local Area Coordinator (LAC). This should make getting information and getting questions answered a bit easier
- you’ll get face to face planning meetings – with you, your LAC, and an NDIS planner
- you’ll get to see your plan while it is being made. You can ask questions and give feedback before it is finished
- plans will be designed differently, to make it easier to understand how it will meet your goals, and how you can connect to other government services and supports
- the process of choosing providers should be easier
What else is changing?
There are a few other changes being tested outside of the pilot. They include:
- making it possible to make small changes to your plan quickly through the portal
- having the option to let service providers see your plan in the portal, if you want them to
- more face to face pre-planning conversations around the country
Other specialised pilots are being designed to help:
- people with psychosocial disability (mental illness)
- children
- people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and
- people with more complex needs
When these pilots have finished being designed, they will be piloted in different NDIS areas.
The NDIS is hoping these changes to the pathway will mean people get better quality plans, and have better experiences with the NDIS.