Who are the National Disability Insurance Agency?
There are over 4 million Australians who have a disability, many of who, previously, had never received the disability support they need to participate more fully in the community. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is a Commonwealth government agency that is responsible for the implementation and management of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (or NDIS). The NDIS was legislated in 2013 after recommendations about the need for a major reform of disability services in Australia after a lack of support and funding. The NDIA was established as an agency to help fund costs associated with living with a disability, and it is estimated that within the next five years, the will provide more than $22 billion in funding a year to a half a million Australians who have permanent and significant disability. NDIA is made to help you understand the NDIS, determine whether you are eligible and decide how much funding you will receive.
What happens after being accepted for the NDIS?
Although it can be tricky to navigate, the NDIS can provide funding for people with disabilities to access services and support which are otherwise too expensive to take advantage of. The NDIA sums up the object of being supported by the NDIS as:
- National: all states and territories.
- Disability: intellectual, physical, sensory, cognitive and psychosocial disability; children with developmental delay.
- Insurance: peace of mind you will get the support you need.
- Scheme: designed to help people get the support they need so their skills and independence improve over time.
Funding through the NDIS is used by your provider to work with you to develop a plan, which will guide the support you to improve your skills over time. This plan will be a written agreement tailored to your individual needs. It may include what work you would like to be involved in, what your goals are, and what support and help you need. It is the guideline for planning to get the right support for you.
Advantages of using a service registered with the NDIA
You may assume that all services using the NDIS are registered through the National Disability Insurance Agency. They’re not! Service providers can be an individual person, a business or an organisation who delivers funded services, which of course, all offer different levels of experience and effectiveness. ‘Self-managed’ NDIS participants may choose whether to use a registered service or not. Service providers who are registered with the NDIS must meet strict government quality and safety requirements to be allowed to be registered through the Agency. ConnectAbility are a registered provider, which is an important consideration in selecting a service. Registered providers:
- Must have staff background checks and screening undertaken prior to employment – criminal records, working with children checks
- Have a formal complaints processes – providing clients and their families the ability to formally address any concerns
- Are required to undertake independent audit processes – this must be regularly undertaken to maintain registered with the National Disability Insurance Agency.
Why does ConnectAbility choose to be a registered service?
Through the availability of funding from the government, there are a lot of providers of disability services to choose from, who may appear to offer the same services. Choosing a registered provider means they have adhered to strict compliance requirements from local, state, and federal governments. All of our carers have been thoroughly screened through background checks prior to employment, which includes checks on criminal records, working with children and other employment undertaken. We also have external audits conducted regularly (which includes on-the-spot checks) by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission for our disability services, and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissionas a requirement of maintaining our registration. This means our high standard of care will never slip, and if you have a problem with the support we are providing, we are also required through the NDIA to provide a formal complaints processes to help you address this and reach an suitable outcome. Staff from independent services and other unregistered providers are not required to provide any of these services and may not offer them. Using a registered provider guarantees that you are getting the best level of care available.
Will I save money using an unregistered provider?
The checks we are required to undertake mean that you can be ensured we are providing the highest quality and upholding the safeguards that you would expect your loved ones to be treated and cared with. The NDIA also regulate the price according to official government pricing of the NDIS Quality Practice Standards and Aged Care Standards. Unregistered providers do not have to observe the quality and safeguards requirements and have no requirements to conduct performance audits to demonstrate they are following these recommendations of care. You are the only judge of whether their safety and quality are up to your standards.
How do I request ConnectAbility as my support provider?
ConnectAbility Australia has been operating for nearly 30 years and is a registered charity. We are a service registered with the National Disability Insurance Agency and an accredited provider of support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Federal Department of Health and the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. By choosing us to provide you (or your loved one) with support, you know you are receiving the quality assistance and access to products to help in your daily life to help you reach their goals. You will be supported by the experience of skilled leaders that support the training and development of our staff, and be assured that the policies, processes and governance measures we choose to adhere to mean that we will meet your high expectations of our level of care. We would be privileged to be a part of your life, so please contact us now. After receiving a customer support referral form, we will contact you to discuss support requirements and other information we may require. For information or assistance with completing the form, please call ConnectAbility’s NDIS team on (02) 4962 1000 or (02) 4349 3700.
