ACT NDIS Awareness Package Element 5: Assistance and Support

Agenda – Supports  Introduction  What are the key issues?  Taking part in work and employment  Independent living and housing  Health and well-being  Mental health services  Early childhood services  Family supports  What does this mean for our clients and consumers?  Where can I get more information

What are the issues I need to know about?  People with disability may not be sure about what services will be funded through the NDIS and what services stay as they have always been.  Not all the supports a person needs will be funded by the NDIS.  Many health, education, employment and children’s services stay the same as always.  Services that are not related to a person’s disability are probably provided by mainstream services.  Some services that used to be provided by other organisations (such as equipment from health services) might now come under the NDIS.  The NDIA can help with this when they are planning supports with the person with disability.

Taking part in work and employment  The NDIS helps people with a disability and their carers to do work by: Helping people who are not eligible for Disability Employment Services (DES) or Job Services Australia (JSA) to build their ability to take part in work. Personal care or help with transport if the person needs this. Equipment like wheelchairs, personal communication devices or a hearing aid. Supported work, such as Australian Disability Enterprises.  Employers and employment services are still responsible for: Changing the workplace to help people with disability keep working. Helping people build the skills to do their job and keep their job.  The NDIS does not fund course fees or other student fees. These stay with the education system and each person.

Independent living and housing  NDIS support for people with disability includes: Supporting their ability to live on their own in the community Home modifications to their own home or a private rental property Support with personal care, such as help with showering or dressing Domestic help at home if the person can’t do jobs due to their disability, e.g. assistance with cleaning and laundry Possibly helping with the cost if the person needs special housing due to a disability  Most people with disability will go on renting or will own a home as happens now.  People with disability will keep on paying for daily living costs such as rent, groceries, utility bills and housing

What about health services? The NDIS funds supports to help someone do daily activities including:  Equipment like wheelchairs, hearing aids and adjustable beds, and artificial limbs.  Home modifications, personal care and domestic assistance.  Therapy including physiotherapy, speech or occupational therapy, if this is because of the person’s impairment. The health system is responsible for hospital care, surgery, specialists, dental care, medicines, outpatient care, rehabilitation, palliative care and improving function after a recent medical or surgical event. The NDIS and health system work together if a person needs rehabilitation after an accident or injury. The NDIS funds:  Home modifications, aids and equipment.  Personal care and domestic help to help the participant to live independently.  On-going therapies to enable the participant to maintain their level of functioning.

Mental health services  Some people with a psychiatric condition have significant and permanent functional impairment.  The NDIS will fund supports like: Help with planning and making decisions and household tasks. Help to live independently and achieve goals. Support to take part in community activities, e.g. recreation, education, training and employment.  The supports offered by the NDIS will help the person with the functional impact of their psychiatric condition  This is not usually the sort of help that a person needs at the first signs of a psychiatric condition.  This may be helpful for people with permanent and significant functional impairments from a psychiatric condition.

Early childhood services  The NDIS funds early intervention support to improve a child’s functional capacity, or prevent it getting worse, including: Early intervention and therapies, e.g. physiotherapy, audiology, occupational therapy, podiatry, speech therapy. Behaviour support e.g. making a plan to reduce or prevent behaviours of concern. Individual support to help a child to attend an early learning service, e.g. a child who must be supervised by a nurse.  The NDIS funds supports that build a child’s functional capacity  The health system provides supports that treat health conditions, improve health and wellbeing or are clinical

Family support  The NDIS funds support that families need as a result of a family member’s disability, as well as supports that help family members keep caring for a person with disability, including: Family support and counselling due to a family member’s disability. Helping family members to manage the impact of a person’s disability on family life. Increasing the person’s independence, and helping the person to enjoy social activities independent of informal carers. Supporting long term family caring, e.g. supporting personal care and domestic assistance for the person’s disability.  If where a child lives or how a child is cared for changes because of a child protection order, the NDIS can go on funding the child’s disability ‑ related supports such as aids, equipment, therapies or transport.

What does this mean for our clients and consumers?  Do we know what health, education employment or early childhood services our clients are getting now?  What might change because of the NDIS?  What might stay the same?  Are there mainstream services our clients need but they are missing out on at the moment?  Do we think we can answer the questions our clients and consumers might ask us?

Where can I get more information? NDIS website at Factsheets and Publications.Factsheets and Publications Factsheets include: Participating in the NDIS – Australian Capital Territory How the NDIS works with other mainstream services Supports the NDIS will fund in relation to Healthcare Supports the NDIS will fund in relation to Mental Health Services Supports the NDIS will fund in relation to Family Support Supports the NDIS will fund in relation to Early Childhood Supports the NDIS will fund in relation to Education Supports the NDIS will fund in relation to Higher Education and Vocational Training Supports the NDIS will fund in relation to Housing and Independent Living Supports the NDIS will fund in relation to Employment Supports the NDIS will fund for participants in residential care Transportation supports the NDIS will fund for children