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October 2022
Culture and Capability of the National Disability Insurance Agency – Summer Foundation submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Tags: NDIS
Description:
Summer Foundation developed a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS on the capability and culture of the NDIA and the impacts on the experiences of NDIS participants.
The current culture and capability of the NDIA does not meet the needs of participants, but it can be improved. Through the Summer Foundation’s NDIS survey, participants reported that they live in fear of funding being cut, experience a lack of communication, collaboration and relationship building with the NDIA, as well as poor timeliness and efficiency.
Trust and confidence in the NDIS and the NDIA can only be restored if participants are seen as experts in their own lives. People with disability should be at the centre of all policies and solutions and included in any reform process through meaningful co-design. It is crucial that the NDIA works to strengthen choice and control for participants and builds their capacity to live well in the community.
October 2022
Home and Living decision-making – Policy Position Statement by the Summer Foundation
Description:
Improving the experience and outcomes of NDIS participants, particularly around Home and Living supports, is a key focus of the NDIS. There have been a number of improvements and positive changes in the Home and Living space, including improved application processes and reports by the NDIA. While there is still more to do to ensure straightforward and transparent processes to enable NDIS participants to access appropriate housing and supports, it is great to see the focus and positive traction from the NDIA. This position statement identifies a number of wins for the NDIA and participants.
August 2022
Value for money – Policy Position Statement by the Summer Foundation
Tags: NDIS
Description:
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) can point to value for money as a reason for not approving funding for any National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supports, however it appears to be more frequently used in housing and support decisions. Participants, their supporters and the sector report that value for money is not clearly understood, applied inconsistently and lacks transparency on how it is applied to individual plans. In line with NDIS legislation, the NDIA must consider long-term costs and benefits of supports as well as invest in capacity building measures that will reduce support costs over time.
August 2022
Summer Foundation – La Trobe University Research Program 2021/2022
Tags: accessible housing, disability support, hospital discharge, NDIS, YPIRAC
Description:
The Summer Foundation – La Trobe University Research Program is designed to understand the issue of young people in aged care. By researching the issues at each stage of the critical pathways that lead young people to aged care we can provide the evidence needed to create systems change that will solve this problem.
February 2022
How support from the NDIS has helped others
Tags: disability support, NDIS
Description:
NDIS participants speak about how the NDIS has helped them live the life they want to live.
January 2022
Pre Budget Submission (2022)
Tags: hospital discharge, housing, NDIS
Description:
The Summer Foundation is pleased to work alongside the Federal Government to enable significant improvement in the lives of people with disability. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an incredible social policy initiative, providing life changing opportunities to people with disability.
July 2021
Separation of Housing and Support – Policy Position Statement by the Summer Foundation
Description:
The provision of housing and supports must be separated to avoid conflicts of interest. Many participants receive a mixture of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Supported Independent Living (SIL), support coordination and other supports from the same provider. This presents an inherent conflict of interest that brings risk to participant safety, compromises housing security and limits or removes a participant’s right to exercise genuine choice and control.
This can result in limitations of a participant’s rights to exercise choice and control, including the inability to raise concerns or change support providers without putting at risk other services and supports they receive.
February 2020
Linda offers her advice on looking for SDA
Tags: accessible housing, NDIS, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Linda explains clearly the steps involved when looking for SDA.
She highlights the impact on her son, Trevor and herself since
he moved into an SDA apartment.
December 2019
Sam Shares ‘things that helped me move’
Tags: complex support, NDIS, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Sam has moved from a group home into an SDA apartment. Sam would like to share with others things that helped this move. “We don’t know what we could be, but it is a lot more than they expect.”
May 2019
Penny’s story
Tags: hospital discharge, NDIS
Description:
After a hospital stay and her husband no longer her carer, Penny was unable to return home. She put in a change of circumstances to the NDIS. Penny now says her supports enable her to live the life she wants to live.