Guide to NDIS pre-planning

Tags: NDIS participant, NDIS plan, NDIS resources

Description:

Pre-planning is the process of developing a detailed plan that is individualised to the NDIS participant, prior to the planning meeting with an NDIS planner. This resource describes how to use NDIS language and descriptions for disability related supports. It includes an example of a pre-plan template that incorporates NDIS legislative requirements.

Download the pre-plan template.

Support Coordinators – who are they and how can they support me

Tags: NDIS participant, NDIS plan, NDIS resources, support coordinator

Description:

A support coordinator is someone paid by the NDIS to help you understand and implement your plan. They can help you with a range of of different things as outlined in this resource.

Getting the NDIS back on track – A survey of people with disability

Tags: NDIS, NDIS participant

Description:

The Summer Foundation, with the support of People with Disabilities Australia, conducted research into people with disability’s experience of the NDIS. The research was seeking to understand what works well in the NDIS, how it has made a difference to people’s lives and what they would change about the NDIS.
 
The research amplifies the voice of NDIS participants (and close others) and provides invaluable insight into the lived experience of dealing with the NDIS.
 
Key findings include:

• The NDIS has transformed lives for the better and helped people achieve important life goals
• There is a deep distrust and lack of confidence in the administration of the scheme
• Many participants live in fear of their funding being cut due to policy change, miscommunication, or errors
• Dealing with the NDIS is stressful and time consuming, and difficult to access

View the Research Summary

Citation:

Winkler, D., Brown, M., D’Cruz, K., Oliver, S., Mulherin, P. (2022). Getting the NDIS back on track: A survey of people with disability. Summer Foundation.

Providing an evidence base for Home and Living decisions – A survey of occupational therapists

Tags: disability support, NDIS participant, occupational therapist, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

Description:

The Summer Foundation and Occupational Therapy Australia conducted a survey in July 2022 to explore the role of OTs in helping NDIS participants request SDA funding. The aim was to understand the functional assessment and report-writing process from the OT perspective and provide actionable insights to the NDIA.
 
Key Findings include:

1. Clear, concise and rigorous OT reports have the potential to help NDIS participants with the highest levels of needs secure adequate funding for housing and support, including funding for specialist disability accommodation (SDA)
2. However, there is currently very limited information about what evidence the NDIA needs from OT reports to make informed, timely and accurate decisions.
   Occupational therapists need to know what the NDIA thinks a ‘good’ functional assessment report looks like to help NDIS participants provide evidence for Home and Living decisions.

Citation:

Winkler, D., D’Cruz, K., Minter, E., Mulherin, P. (2022). Providing an evidence base for Home and Living decisions: A survey of occupational therapists writing functional assessment reports for NDIS participants. Summer Foundation.

Meet Kirsty – an NDIS participant from South Australia

Tags: housing, NDIS participant, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

Description:

Kirsty lives in an SDA apartment in Adelaide with her cat schmooka, she is an artist. Kirsty shares her experience with the NDIS.

Meet Trevor – an NDIS participant from South Australia

Tags: housing, NDIS participant, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

Description:

Trevor has just moved into his SDA apartment after a long wait for approval, he shares his NDIS experience.

Development and preliminary evaluation of a novel participant-led video intervention to train disability support workers

Tags: community participation, complex support, disability support, NDIS participant, participant led videos, support worker

Description:

This paper describes the development and preliminary evaluation of a novel participant-led video (PLV) intervention to support people with disability (PWD) and cognitive and communication impairments to communicate their needs and preferences to their disability support workers. The PLV intervention was piloted with five primary participants with acquired brain injury and cognitive and communication impairments, five close other supporters and five facilitators. Analysis of interview data revealed the PLV to be a person-centred experience for primary participants that was structured around sense of self and included having a voice and taking control in directing their lives, personal growth through participation and feeling validated through the experience. The production and use of PLV training resources has much potential to improve the delivery of support and maximise support outcomes by enabling people with cognitive and communication impairments to have choice and control, set their own goals and direct their supports.

Citation:

Douglas, J., D’Cruz, K., Winkler, D., Topping, M., Bucolo, C., & Finis, C. (2022). Development and preliminary evaluation of a novel participant-led video intervention to train disability support workers. Health & Social Care in the Community, 00, 1–12.

Improving Outcomes for Participants who Require Supported Independent Living (SIL): Provider and Sector Consultation Paper

Tags: for policy makers, NDIS participant, Supported Independent Living (SIL)

Description:

The Summer Foundation has extensive experience working alongside people with high and complex support needs to understand how to ensure that housing and support solutions can be developed according to their needs and preferences. We have undertaken demonstration projects and extensive research. Based on the outcomes of the research our understanding of what it takes to effectively support people with complex needs to live in the community has evolved.

Drawing on this, the Summer Foundation has outlined key problems with the current dominant SIL practice and set out a vision for a reformed SIL market.