As news that Anthony Albanese failed to recall NDIS policy details dominates the headlines, NDS CEO Laurie Leigh says she can’t help but feel frustration that the focus is on ‘memorisation’ over ‘implementation’.

National Disability Services (NDS) is calling on all political parties contesting the federal election to not only pledge to deliver the strong NDIS that people with disability deserve, but to tell us exactly how they are going to do it.

In doing so, we are calling on all parties to guarantee three key principles:

Planning

Problems with planning have beset the NDIS from the beginning. Over the past year or so, there have been an increased number of reports that the funding in participants’ plans is being reduced in ways that participants and their families cannot understand. We need to find a better way.

Pricing

It’s time prices for NDIA supports were determined by an independent body. Pricing in hospitals is set by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority. A recommendation by the Aged Care Royal Commission will see this body expand and take on the function of undertaking an independent assessment of costs in aged care. This same body should be further expanded to independently assess the costs of delivering high quality and safe disability supports.

Partnership

The ground-breaking National Disability Insurance Scheme has reached a difficult point in its evolution. Design flaws are evident, but it is the diminished trust among stakeholders that makes resolving problems very difficult. Including providers in co-design activities will deliver better outcomes for participants, families and carers, the NDIA as well as providers.

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