1. National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Lee Davids
Director of Continuous Improvement
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
21 November 2014

2. The NDIS is the new way of delivering disability support
Supports tailored to individual needs
Insurance approach for sustainable costs
Choice and control is central
Needs driven
Delivered in local communities
National coverage

3. Scheme principles
People with disability have the same right as other members of the community to realise their potential
People with disability, their families and carers should have certainty that they will receive the care and support they need
People with disability should be supported to exercise choice in the pursuit of their goals and the planning and delivery of their supports
The role of families and carers in the lives of people with disability is to be acknowledged and respected

4. Three key pillars underpin NDIS design
Insurance approach
Choice and Control
Community and Mainstream
Insurance approach:
Supports economic and social participation.
Mobilises funding for early intervention
Estimates and manages resource allocation based on managing long term costs across the life-course of individuals
Shares the cost of disability across the community
Choice and Control:
Participants have choice over their supports (that are reasonable and necessary) and who will deliver them.
Participants determine how much control they want over management of their funding, supports and providers
Scheme gives effect to certain obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - including respect for their worth, dignity and to live free from abuse, neglect and exploitation
Community and Mainstream:
People are supported to access and coordinate community and funded supports
The scheme will not duplicate or replace mainstream services
Effective interface with mainstream and community supports is central to the sustainability of the Scheme

5. Tiers for investment under the NDIS
NDIS aims to target around 410,000 people with ongoing, permanent disability. 
Targets around 4 million people with disability plus their primary carers (800,000).
The NDIS is a system for ensuring people with disability have the support they need to be part of the social and economic life of the community they live in. It is about more than just the specialised support people need.
The NDIS’ three different populations of ‘customers’ and targets for investments, referred to as the tiers:
Tier 1: Targets everyone in Australia. Creates general community awareness about the issues faced by people with disability and promotes inclusion and opportunities for people. This includes core services provided through the health, education and justice systems and other community supports – which all Australians access.
Tier 2: Targets people with disability and their families/carers. Provides general information about the most effective care and support options within generic and community support groups and services. This may include information, referral and web type services such as support groups, advocacy organisations and DES (Disability Employment Services) – which not all Australians would access.
Tier 3: Targets people with disability for whom NDIS-funded, individualised supports are necessary, and incorporates Tier 1 & Tier 2 services. Provides specific supports, aids and equipment from specialised and/or generic services and facilities in the community, according to an agreed plan and resource allocation for each person.
Targets everyone in Australia and includes community and mainstream services.

6. How things are changing under the NDIS
Feature
Former system
NDIS
Access criteria
Vary from state to state
Nationally consistent as set out in legislation
Choice and control
Varies from state to state - most people have little say over the supports they receive
Individual has control over the type and mix of supports, delivery and how their funding is managed
Level of assistance
Capped – people may be eligible but can spend years on waiting lists
Demand driven – people with disability get the support they need, when they need it, to make progress towards goals
Funding
Multiple programs within and across governments
Single pool of government funding administered by NDIA

7. The role of the NDIA
Delivering the national disability insurance scheme
Building community awareness of disability
Ensuring financial sustainability of the scheme
Collecting, analysing and exchanging data
Developing and enhancing the disability sector
Undertaking research related to disability and supports
Deliver the NDIS
As described in:
The Intergovernmental Agreement for the National Disability Insurance Scheme launch; and
The NDIS legislation
Ensure the financial sustainability if NDIS by:
Funding for individualised reasonable and necessary packages of support
Providing innovative and flexible support to people with disability
Taking a lifetime view of support needs and ensuring a sustainable balance of costs and outcomes
Report and advise on the financial sustainability of the scheme
Develop and enhance the disability sector by:
Successful transitioning of existing sector providers
Identifying and addressing barriers to success
Building a sustainable sector and workforce
Build community awareness of disability by
Managing the expectations of people with disability, their families and cares regarding access to NDIS support in the launch sites
Raising community awareness of disability and the social contributors to capability
Collect, analyse and exchange data about disability and supports
Implement IT systems which capture robust data and produce requisite reports
Analyse and use data to promote awareness and inclusion of people with disability
Undertake research relating to disability and supports
Share information on and learn from successful participant pathways
Modelling future needs, disability prevention, evaluating early interventions and supports etc.

8. Trial sites are established and expanding
Since 1 July 2013, the NDIS trial has been operating in:
South Australia
Tasmania
Hunter region, New South Wales
Barwon region, Victoria
On 1 July 2014, the NDIS trial commenced in:
Australia Capital Territory
Barkly region, Northern Territory
Perth Hills region, Western Australia (a two year pilot)
The Scheme now has 7 trial sites across Australia.
They are in the Hunter (NSW), Barwon (VIC), South Australia (for children under six years of age) and in Tasmania (for young people, aged 15 to 24 years).
As of 1 July 2014, we expanded the NDIS trial sites to include the ACT, Barkly in the NT and Perth Hills, in WA.
In addition, we are expanding our footprint, with an office in Colac in the Barwon region, and an office in Newcastle in 2015.
In Queensland, important preparatory work by the NDIA and the Queensland Government is forging ahead under a Memorandum of Understanding. Queensland will transition in July 2016.

9. Scheme Achievements: Year One
8,585 participants were eligible for the Scheme – 78% with approved plans
Participant satisfaction with the Agency is approximately 95%
Meeting bilateral phasing targets and delivering within the funding envelope
The Agency has 500 staff and relocated the national office to Geelong
Almost 11% of staff identify as having disability.
Over 50% identify as having lived experience of disability
As at 30 June 2014, the overall experience of the Scheme was positive, with committed support packages and the number of participants eligible largely aligned with expectations.
Participant satisfaction with the Agency is also very high - rated at approximately 95%. These results are positive, but we need more qualitative information on the scheme to gain a better understanding of participants’ experiences.
To date, $285.4 million of support has been committed to participants with approved plans. Of this, it is estimated that $130.9 million (46%) will be provided in (including actual paid to date).
The funding envelope based on the bilateral agreements for is $148.8 million, including both cash and in-kind. Overall, for participants who have entered the scheme in the first twelve months, committed support for is around 88% of the funding envelope.
In , the funding envelope is $384.4 million. Committed support for is at 40% of the funding envelope to date.

10. Accessing the Scheme
People with disability who meet the access requirements will become participants in the Scheme
Access the Scheme through multiple channels and touch points
People in trial site areas can use My Access Checker to get an indication about whether they can access the Scheme
Gradual intake of participants into the scheme
To access assistance from the Scheme a person must:
Have permanent disability which has significant impact on everyday life and on the person’s ability to participate in the community, and
Live in Australia as a permanent resident of Australia; and
Be under 65 years of age; and
Meet the disability requirements; and/or
Meet the early intervention requirements

11. Each participant will have an individual plan and funding for supports
Individual goals
Other supports
(provided by
other systems,
family and friends)
NDIS funded supports +
My Plan
Through their individual plan the participant exercises choice in, and control over, their supports. Most participants will access a blend of informal, mainstream and funded supports.
Supports that are NDIS funded must be reasonable and necessary and must:
not replace or duplicate informal or mainstream supports
foster greater independence, social and economic participation
be evidence based
represent value for money
NDIS also aims to ensure that people with disability that are not able to access the scheme receive linking and referral supports where they need this assistance, to access mainstream services and community life.

12. Reasonable and necessary funded supports enable…
Progress towards a participant’s goals and aspirations (included in the Participant Statement in the plan)
Increased independence, social and economic participation
Includes employment
Reduces long term need for supports
Strengthening of the sustainability of informal supports
Reduction in future need for disability support for the participant and their family (early intervention supports)

13. How the NDIS works with other mainstream systems
The NDIS is not intended to replace the supports or services provided by other mainstream systems
Wherever possible the Scheme assists participants to access mainstream systems
Key principles determine whether the Scheme or another system is more appropriate to fund particular supports for participants
A participant’s plan includes supports the Scheme will fund, plus those supports that are the responsibility of other systems

14. The interface between the NDIS and Health
The NDIS will fund supports that help a participant to manage ongoing functional impairment that results from their disability.
This includes:
Supports that enable participants to undertake activities of daily living
Non-clinical supports
Some exceptions – nursing care that is integrally linked to care and support
Aids and equipment

15. The Health System is responsible for…
Assisting participants with clinical and medical treatment, which includes:
Diagnosis and clinical treatment of health conditions (including ongoing or chronic)
All supports directly related to maintaining or improving health status
Rehabilitation and support after a medical or surgical event
Medications and pharmaceuticals

16. Learning Organisation
As the roll-out proceeds, the NDIA will draw on the experience of delivering the Scheme
Learning based on experience will drive improvement
Openness to feedback will shape the Scheme
The Scheme will be continuously reviewed and improved
Continuous improvement supports long-term sustainability
Our slogan is: learn-build-learn-build.
This means this NDIA is committed to building an organisation capable of learning as it grows and being built to last.
Feedback identifies pathways for improvement; and we have an opportunity to learn from the experiences of the trial sites, to inform development as the NDIS moves toward full scheme.
This involves continual engagement with people with disability, their families and carers, providers and the community
Refining and making improvements will mean supports for participants are sustainable over the life of the NDIS.
To continue to be successful, we must:
Improve outcomes for people with disability
tell the story about those improvements
Ensure the Scheme is sustainable
within the funding envelope
Ensure the delivery of the Scheme is both efficient and effective

17. Questions? Visit: www.ndis.gov.au