Graphic depicts wooden blocks with the words rebuilding supports for everyone, it carries the Lama Care Logo and a smaller graphic representing two people building a tower.
When the NDIS review came out late last year, we were overwhelmed with three hundred and twenty-nine pages, comprising twenty-six recommendations and one hundred and thirty-nine supporting actions. It was a lot to digest!
In this post we will focus on “foundational support” and what this means in real terms.
When the NDIS begin to roll out in 2016 after having trialed the new scheme in small areas of different states, it became clear that the NDIS was here to stay. Many supports that were flourishing under each State’s disability services began to disappear as more and more people living with disabilities were transitioned.
Many initial plans with the NDIS incorporated a like for like system of support. What the participants were receiving on another program; they were entitled to the same support under the NDIS. Eventually, in around 2019 these like for like supports had all but disappeared.
The shutting down of these programs, of which many were either subsidised by the government or relied on funding from them was inevitable as the dependence on the NDIS took over and grew.
Here are some that suffered or never realised their potential.
Partners in the Community Program (LAC – Local Area Coordinators).
The program, originally designed to support participants and individuals with disabilities outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), aimed to facilitate connections with local community supports, assist in funding implementation, and help find appropriate supports in the marketplace. However, the introduction of Local Area Coordinators (LACs) served as a temporary solution to the government's employment cap, diverting them from their intended role as facilitators.
Instead of focusing on participant support and community connections, LACs were assigned the role of planners. With numbers around 150-170 participants each and KPI’s in some instances of 5-6 plans written a week, this became a huge workload.
After the initial three weeks training in Western Australia, LACs found themselves spending an additional two months on training modules rather than actively engaging with new participants and conveying the NDIS message. This delay not only hindered the LACs' ability to fulfill their intended function but also created confusion and anxiety among participants, who struggled to comprehend the role of LACs.
Home and Community Care (HACC)
HACC has all but closed down, it initially became part of the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) in 2018 and then transitioned the remaining clients to the NDIS. In WA, there is still a small program running under the HACC name, predominantly in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands on the tri state border between WA, SA and NT. Here the emphasis is on assisting the aged and those with disabilities with daily meals and a washing service. The program also assists in running the Women’s Centres and helping the local community. The services are still paid for by the Government through targeted funding received by the Ngaanyatjarra Health Service.
Assistive Technology
For people living with disabilities outside of the NDIS there are still different schemes that can be accessed, but they often have long wait times and substandard ongoing support. There were also Independent Living Centres which provided free and independent service on assistive technology before the NDIS, and they have closed.
Psychosocial Support
The figures coming from the NDIS review suggest that between 154,000 and 290,000 people living with mental illness were unable to access proper support and are struggling, often increasing the number of homeless or coach surfing to get by.
Adolescents living with disabilities
A high proportion are inadequately supported as there is limited support outside the NDIS and especially when transitioning to independence. SLES (School Leaver Support) services are lacking and ineffective in their delivery.
Adding to the list are the current ILC program, Advocacy groups and disability employment which leaves people living with disabilities little choice but to remain on the NDIS to be supported.
As the review uncovered: what a lot of people in the sector and participants already knew: that the Government needed to go back to basics and bring back “foundational support”. This would ease the fiscal pressure of funding the NDIS.
It also points to a lot of participants who would not require the NDIS if they had the right resources to choose from.
And it has then left those that sit outside of the NDIS not supported because of the closures of valuable programs. Simply, they have been left to work it out on their own.
What is the difference between foundational and NDIS support?
This chart from the NDIS review shows how the future of foundational supports might look.
As the chart above shows, only a small percentage of Australians living with a disability are actually NDIS participants. The other 2.5 million have to rely on support and services outside the NDIS, which have slowly been eroded since the NDIS rollout.
This scenario means that more people are turning to the NDIS, putting added pressure on the scheme to fund it.
The review has seen this gap and heard from people living with disabilities about the unfair nature of the support chasm that was created. The solution is to bring the community supports and rework them as foundational supports.
For example, some conditions (like ADHD) are not on the NDIS and people could then use these mainstream supports to assist them in their day to day.
NDIS participants would also be able to benefit from these supports and let the NDIS focus on participants with complex needs as it was originally designed to.
The Covid 19 lockdowns in 2020 also added in blowing out the NDIS budgets with directives coming down to fund most plans as they came in. This was an unforeseeable event and the measures during Covid were put in place to ease the situation.
This is what foundational supports may look like:
General Supports
These are universally available to all individuals living with a disability. General supports encompass a range of services, including:
Information and Advice: Providing relevant and helpful information along with valuable advice.
Capacity Building: Focusing on enhancing individual skills and capabilities.
Peer Support: Establishing networks for individuals to connect, share experiences, and support each other.
Self-Advocacy: Empowering individuals to advocate for their own needs and rights.
Employment Support: Assisting in securing and maintaining employment opportunities.
Targeted Supports
Are specifically designed for individuals with lower support needs who may not be eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This category includes:
Home and Community Support: Aiding in tailored to individual requirements within their home and community settings.
Psychosocial Support: Addressing mental health and emotional well-being needs.
Early Intervention for Children: Offering timely and specialised interventions for children to foster development.
Currently, there is no official confirmation; only recommendations and ideas are on the Governments table. Foundational support could see the possible return of HACC like support, better targeted assistance for psychosocial disabilities to enhance independence. The return of aids and equipment for lower-needs disabilities that are cost effective and a focus on early intervention for children. Additionally, efforts may be made to address the gap in support for teenagers transitioning into adulthood.
As with most government initiatives, these recommendations are still in a 5-year transition structure and it will be interesting to see how it develops and if the changes are enough.
The team will always be here to update you!
We wish you well, as always
The Lama Care Team
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