5 SEPTEMBER 2018

NDIS and participant employmentScott McNaughton

General Manager Participant Pathway Design

National Disability Insurance Agency

2

The NDIS in the context of the broad

disability employment agenda

Early aims for the NDIS on employment

– Productivity Commission 2011

“In the awareness area, for example, the NDIS could recognise and

encourage employment of people with a disability and try more

generally to combat stereotypes that reduce opportunity.”

“The potential benefits of a more inclusive

society also extend to the wider community, including to employers.”

“The scheme would substantially increase

the personal wellbeing of many people with disabilities and their carers.

Such benefits are economic gains, even though they cannot be

measured with any accuracy and do not show up in conventional

measures such as GDP.”

3

Pathways to Employment

NDIS reasonable &

necessary

employment funding

(including Supported

Employment and

vocational capacity

building support and

School Leavers

Employment

Supports)

Other state -

based/community

employment

programs

Independent

pathway

Disability

Employment

Service (DES)

4

Jonathon’s got full-time work in sight

5

Already having secured three

days a week at a local green

grocer, the 19-year-old Tasmanian

is well on the way to achieving his

goal of full time work.

Johnathan worked with Burnie

Disability employment provider

APM to ensure his skills matched

its working environment and both

felt comfortable and supported,

and so far it’s been a real

success.

6

Improving participant outcomes

Improving participant employment

outcomes depends on many factors

7

Participant

Family, community

and employers

NDIS

Social Services

Education

“I want to be able to catch

public transport by myself,

so I can get to my course”

- Victorian NDIS participant

Family, community and employers

8

• The pervasive culture of low employment expectation

of people with disability must shift.

• The NDIA has a role through the Information

Linkages and Capacity Building to build community

capacity to create diverse, inclusive environments

essential to enabling positive participant experience

• Employers must improve the cultural, systemic and

physical barriers to enable an inclusive employment

environment.

“The real change, as ever, will only come if or

when employers can see a gift beyond the facade

of disability itself.” - Rick Morton, journalist

NDIA - Staff and Local Area

Coordinators (LACs)

9

• The pathway to employment varies for all

people. The NDIS planning practice needs to

adopt a holistic approach to support the

pathway to participation

• Social and economic participation are

intrinsically linked. Meaningful social

participation can be the foundation

stone of an employment pathway.

• SLES provides assistance with transition

from school to employment, supports aim to

build capacity, deliver vocational skills and

contribute to achieving employment

outcomes. include on the job experience,

targeted job skills, travel and communication

training.

10

Steps to improve the participant

experience

Steps to improve the participant

experience

11

“I love it there, I’m cooking, I’m making

all the cakes and desserts for the old

people, and I also help clean the

kitchen and the coffee machines.”

- NSW participant supported to gain

employment in an aged care facility.

The journey so far

When What

April 2017 NDIA initiated a Pathway Review in response to feedback from participants and

providers that their experience with the NDIS did not meet expectations. NDIA

engaged more than 300 stakeholders from all states and territories.

October 2017 NDIA announced a new NDIS participant and provider pathway, designed to

significantly improve the experience people and organisations have with the NDIS.

January 2018 NDIA started piloting key features of the new participant pathway in three Victorian

locations. In May 2018, over 1,000 participants entered the pilot to experience new or

enhanced processes in pre-planning, planning, and initial plan implementation.

January to April

2018

NDIA conducted 37 workshops across the country, engaging more than 1,100

participants, carers and stakeholders, to inform tailored pathways for to inform a

flexible NDIS pathway for people with different needs.

January to May

2018

NDIA commenced design and implementation of Provider Finder enhancements,

update of the Portals, and transitioning to the National Quality & Safeguards

Commission.

Common areas of concern for

participants

The plan development

process is unclear and plans

are confusing, leading to

more plan reviews

Systems and interactions

are clunky and frustrating

Communications are

unclear and do not meet

individual participants’

needs

"I'm visually impaired and they

sent me a letter. I had to call

the NDIA and have them read

it to me"

The process is phone-based

and impersonal, which does

not build trust and rapport

"I feel like I'm on an assembly

line; who cares about me?"

Inconsistent experiences

dealing with NDIA staff and

LACs, and people often

have to repeat their stories

"I shared all this personal

information and it comes back

in this form; I can't tell if I got

what I asked for"

Need a better understanding

of how other government

and community supports fit

into their plans

"I didn't get help finding

relevant community groups"

NDIA staff and LACs are

unprepared for participants'

unique situations and

disabilities

"I spent our first couple of

meetings teaching my planner

about people with vision

impairment"

Lack of understanding about

how the NDIS works and the

goal-setting and planning

process

"I didn't know I needed goals

until they asked me for them

in my planning meeting"

"I have to keep repeating my

story to different people, over

and over again"

"The Portal doesn't work – my

service bookings disappear"

The new NDIS participant pathway -

recap

Ph

as

e

Sta

ge

Pu

rpo

se

PHASE 1

Engaging with the NDIS

PHASE 2

Planning to achieve goals &

outcomes

PHASE 3

Achieving

goals and outcomes

1

Learn about

the NDIS

and how it

fits in the

broader

system of

supports

2

Decide to

proceed to

access

3

Receive

access

decision

Clearly communicate the NDIS' role within

the broader systems of supports and

services, including the role of the NDIS in

providing support to people with permanent

and significant disability

Support people with disability to access

the right supports for their disability and

circumstance, including applying for access

to NDIS-funded supports, if appropriate

Ensure people with a permanent and

significant disability are referred to the access

decision and receive a timely decision on

access

4

Understand

current

supports

and prepare

for

planning

5

Create a

plan to

achieve

goals and

outcomes

6

Receive

approved

plan

Empower participants to set goals to

achieve outcomes

Develop a plan to achieve outcomes which

includes government, informal, community

and funded supports to facilitate greater

social and economic participation

Approve plans with reasonable and

necessary funded supports

7

Activate

and

implement

plan

8

Use plan to

achieve

outcomes

9

Get support

using plan

10

Review

outcomes

and

progress

Activate plan and ensure that participants are connected to

providers of supports which meet their needs

Ensure that participants are able to exercise choice and

control in using their plans to achieve outcomes and

monitor for any emerging issues

Review plans when appropriate, measuring outcomes

achieved and setting goals for a new plan or exiting the

Scheme as goals are achieved

Developments to the pathway

• Clearer links to other service systems, including

housing, education and health systems

• Clear information provided in easy English and

multiple languages

• Stronger connections between LACs and NDIA

planners

• An easy-to-understand and accessible plan

• Face-to-face planning support

• Skilled planning and improved training with a focus

on disability awareness and cultural competency

• Better connections between participants and

providers, including improvements to the provider

finder

• Improvements to systems, including updates to the

participant and provider portals and the NDIS

website

• The NDIS undertook a ‘participants and carers’ survey to assess satisfaction with the pilot

processes.

• Over 160 carers and participants responded to the voluntary survey. NDIA staff and LAC partners

were also surveyed.

Overall, how was your

experience with the

planning process?

84% Very Good

or Good

Were decisions

regarding your plan

clearly explained?

97% YesDid the person from

the NDIS understand

how your disability

affects your life?

95% Yes

Do you know where to

go for more help with

your plan?

87% Yes

Did you understand

why you needed to

give the information

you did?

99% Yes

Are you clear on what

happens next with

your plan

87% Yes

Pilot results: participant and carers

survey

Workshops to develop a flexible NDIS pathway

After consultation about the new NDIS pathway, the NDIA conducted a further 37 workshops

to inform and develop tailored pathways for early childhood and people with complex

support needs, and a flexible NDIS pathway for people with different needs.

The workshops included participants, families and carers, partners, government

representatives, providers, peaks and local organisations, advocates and expert advisors.

37

Attendees

Key insights

Workshops

1128

Complex support

needs pathway

Integrated

relationships with

other service systems

Hard to reach /

assertive outreach

Crisis management

Skilled planners

Specialised support

coordinators

Early childhood

pathway

Early intervention

principles effectively

deployed

Specialist functional

assessment to support

access decisions

Family based early

intervention focus

Informed parents and

health professions

LGTBQIA+

Staff and partners

with specific

cultural sensitivity

Strong community

and peer networks

178 154 343 338 88 27

Psychosocial

Stronger connection with

existing local mental

health services

Skilled planners / LACs

who understand

psychosocial disability,

recovery based planning

and episodic need

Aboriginal &

Torres Strait

Islander

Remote & Very

Remote

Proper engagement

with Traditional

Owners, Elders and

communities

Involving local

Community

Connectors

Culturally &

Linguistically

Diverse (CALD)

Responsive access to

Interpreters and

translated collateral

Involving Multi-cultural

Community

Connectors

Strong focus on staff

and partner culturally

awareness

Key elements being delivered

• NDIS Pathway - national roll out of key pathway features

• Complex support needs – establish a specialised NDIA unit that will support

participants with complex needs

• Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) – national enhancements to the existing

Gateway with a focus on applying best practice early intervention strategies

• Psychosocial disability – testing a new approach to support people with psychosocial

disability that will include specialised planners and episodic and recovery orientated

planning

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – expansion of community connectors,

appropriate communication material and cultural awareness staff training

• Rural and remote communities – testing more innovative approaches to services

delivery, including innovative technology solutions

• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people – national roll out of interpreters, staff

trained in cultural competency and appropriate communications

• LGBTIQA+ - national roll out of staff trained in cultural competency and appropriate

communications

• Providers – continued rollout of national improvements

Next steps

• Communication and engagement with stakeholders

• Finalise rollout schedule, including:

• Progressive deployment of features of the NDIS

Pathway

• New plan format

• Testing and piloting of enhancements of

pathways

• Finalise recruitment and training schedule

• Finalise key features and enhancements for

implementation

• Mobilise resources for pilots and rollout

Laura's passion for business and

employment

20

“Using the NDIS to assist me

with the day-to-day obstacles

that I face, I’m able to focus on

growing my business without

being concerned about the

day-to-day financial difficulties

associated with disability.”

- Laura, NDIS participant and

small business owner

21