NDIS planning inquiry interim report released

NDIS Planning Parliamentary Inquiry interim report released

Snapshot from the NDIS Planning inquiry recommendations showing the first 4 or 14

The interim report from the recent Parliamentary Inquiry into NDIS planning has been released. It includes many common sense recommendations that the community have been asking for for years, such as:

seeing draft plans before they are finalised
not having gaps between plans
quicker turn around for plan reviews
ability to review only the section of the plan you need reviewed (eg. only AT if you are happy with other sections)
having face to face meeting with the NDIS delegate who has the power to approve plans, not just your coordinator
improve privacy by reporting AAT outcomes without identifying the participant

This would be great. Splash Physiotherapy put in a joint submission with 4 families who had had extreme difficulty in their NDIS planning processes with real consequences for their quality of life and independence.

I’m glad the effort to put in these submissions is worthwhile, in that at least the MPs hear and understand the issues.

This was also the case after the Assistive Technology Inquiry in 2018, where some excellent recommendations were made by the Joint Standing Committee, although they were largely not implemented by the NDIA.

It’s validating at least to feel that we have been heard and understood, and keeps the advocacy for a fair and equitable NDIS going.

These recommendations can be referred to in future advocacy work by individuals and organisations when discussing NDIS and participant needs.

Why do we get involved in things like this?

It's true that writing submissions and being involved in advocacy takes a huge amount of volunteer hours and come at a significant cost to small practices such as Splash Physiotherapy. We feel it is important to be involved in improving the societal structures & systems that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families.

In this instance, we were also able to support four families to have their experiences and voices heard, by doing a joint submission. We are eager to continue to use this approach, and would love to add in the direct voices of the children and young people we work with where the subject matter is relevant and where there is interest.

This fits with our value:

Splash Physiotherapy value "We advocate to address social, environmental, policy and institutional barriers to participation - social model of disability". Image shows wheelchair basket ball players photographed from above.

Image description: Splash Physiotherapy value "We advocate to address social, environmental, policy and institutional barriers to participation - social model of disability". Image shows wheelchair basket ball players photographed from above.

Want to learn more?

Read the interim report here:

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_Disability_Insurance_Scheme/NDISPlanning/Interim_Report

List of 14 recommendations is here if you don’t want to go through the whole report:

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_Disability_Insurance_Scheme/NDISPlanning/Interim_Report/section?id=committees%2freportjnt%2f024350%2f72475

Read the public submissions to the Inquiry that were accepted for publication here:

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_Disability_Insurance_Scheme/NDISPlanning/Submissions

See the Planning inquiry page here: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_Disability_Insurance_Scheme/NDISPlanning

Shayna Gavin is a physiotherapist who is passionate about helping babies, children and young people learn functional skills so they can participate in life at home, school and in their community. Recognising that children do best in their own environments, she visits homes, schools, and leisure activities from football fields to ballet classes. She also has daily aquatic physiotherapy sessions available at two private swimming schools in Moonee Ponds and Greensborough, Melbourne. She combines principles of paediatric physiotherapy, Contemporary Neuro Developmental Treatment, motor learning, and swimming teaching to address the individual needs of each child and their family. She loves providing professional development to physiotherapists, allied health and education professionals, allied health assistants and swimming teachers.