NewsIAC in focus: helping people with disability live an ‘ordinary life’
This is the second article in our 'IAC in focus' series of articles which will cover the very important work of the NDIS Independent Advisory Council (IAC).
The IAC is an independent group of disability experts that give the NDIS advice from the perspectives of people with disability, family and carers and service providers. They have told the NDIS how they think it could be improved and the NDIS has listened. The IAC has given the NDIS advice in the areas of planning, capacity building, co-design, reasonable risk, and workforce development.
What is the IAC?
The Independent Advisory Council (IAC) is very important to the NDIS. It is an independent group of disability experts made up of people with disabilities, carers and service providers. This group gives the NDIS advice on how to make the NDIS as good as possible. The NDIS then listens to this advice and uses it to improve how the NDIS works for people with disability and their families.
IAC advice on ‘reasonable and necessary’ supports
It is quite hard to understand the term ‘reasonable and necessary supports’. Reasonable means something that is fair. Necessary means something a person must have. ‘Reasonable and necessary’ is different for different people because everyone has different support needs. The IAC researched ‘reasonable and necessary supports’ in detail because these supports are what will help people with disability live their life the way they want.
Because of the work of the IAC, the NDIS has kept on checking how well ‘reasonable and necessary’ is working for people with disability. The IAC have studied ‘reasonable and necessary’ in different ways, including in relation to families, independence, self-management and planning. The research the IAC has done has been very important in helping the NDIS improve over time.
IAC uses the goal of an ‘ordinary life’
The IAC wants people with disability who use the NDIS to have an ‘ordinary life’. The IAC defines an ‘ordinary life’ as a life where people with disability have the same opportunities as people without disability. The IAC believes that a simple way to think about reasonable and necessary support is that it is the support that people with disability need to have an ordinary life.
The IAC wants NDIS participants to have good relationships, feel like they belong in their community, and be involved in making choices relating to their own life. The NDIS agrees with the IAC that thinking about an 'ordinary life’ will make it easier for people with disability to plan for the NDIS.
It is important to know that the NDIS listened to the IAC and now better understands the importance of reasonable and necessary supports in helping people with disability achieve an ordinary life.
IAC advice on the NDIS planning process
The NDIS was advised by the IAC that their current planning process for people with disability could be improved. The IAC said the planning process is too long and NDIS Planners need lots of skills to do it properly. The NDIS agreed with the IAC and has begun to change how NDIS planning works by focusing on allowing people with disability live an ‘ordinary life’.
Based on advice from the IAC, the NDIS will improve how support coordination relates to people’s NDIS Plans. This will make it easier for people with disability to have their NDIS Plans changed when their goals change. It will also make Plan Management options more flexible for NDIS Participants.
In the future, the NDIS will make sure NDIS planning will work more closely with Local Area Coordination (LAC) and the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) part of the NDIS.
IAC advice on improving the capacity building of people with disability
The IAC believes building the capacity of people with disability is extremely important. As a result, the IAC wants the NDIS to try more things that will help the capacity building of people with disability and their supporters. Because of this, the NDIS is continually working on their Disability Support Organisation (DSO) initiative. The NDIS is also developing the capacity of people with disability by encouraging people to access the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) and Local Area Coordination (LAC) services.
Self-management of an NDIS Plan is another way the IAC believes the NDIS can build the capacity of people with disability. The NDIS agrees with the IAC, and understands that the current Catalogue of Supports available to NDIS participants has limitations that can make developing an effective NDIS Plan difficult. This shows that the NDIS is learning from the IAC all the time.
The IAC advice on co-design and cultural inclusiveness
The NDIS agrees with the IAC that co-design is very important. Co-design means the people with disability who will use the NDIS also help others (including NDIS management) work out the policies that make the NDIS work.
Thanks to the research and advice from the IAC, people from rural areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and people with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are going to be more involved with the co-design of the NDIS from now on. This is because the NDIS has started the Rural, Remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Group. The NDIS has also started the CALD Reference Group. Both of these reference groups will work with the IAC to help improve the NDIS.
Based on recommendations by the IAC, improving the knowledge of people with disability from CALD communities and their families is now a priority for NDIS staff. This improved knowledge will help more people get the most out of the NDIS.
The IAC advice on balancing safety and risk
The IAC has told the NDIS that they need to make sure the Quality and Safeguarding Framework that is currently being developed keeps people with disability safe, but also gives people choice and control over the supports they can use. This is relevant because the IAC strongly believes the NDIS should allow people with disability the opportunity to take reasonable risks. The NDIS agrees with the IAC, and thinks NDIS participants should be able to take some risks to achieve their goals.
The IAC has told the NDIS that it should do more to encourage people with disability to be more independent. The IAC also wants the NDIS to show more respect for the choice and control of NDIS participants. In response to the IAC, the NDIS says this will happen by them making sure providers of services and support focus on their own capacity building. The NDIS believes this will result in providers of services and support offering better quality services to people with disability.
IAC advice on the disability knowledge of NDIS staff
The IAC believes the NDIS should do more to improve the quality and training of its workforce. The NDIS recognises that some staff members need extra training so they can better understand how to support NDIS participants as they deal with the NDIS. This means the NDIS has listened to the expert advice of the IAC and will begin to think about improving the disability-specific knowledge of NDIS staff.
IAC advice on housing
Finally, the NDIS is aware that housing is very important for people with disability. The NDIS will study the problems people with disability face when trying to find accommodation that is right for them. Further, the NDIS will work more closely with the IAC to come up with ways of improving the housing options available to people with disability.
The IAC end of year update 2015
The IAC has released the ‘Independent Advisory Council End of Year Update 2015: Supporting an Ordinary Life for People with Disability’. The NDIS is learning from this document, and using it to improve how the NDIS works.
The NDIS is listening to the expert advice of the IAC
The fact that the NDIS is listening to the IAC and constantly improving how the NDIS works is great news for people with disability. The NDIS is a new system of disability support, and the NDIS is learning all the time. People with disability benefit from the expert advice of the IAC, as the IAC represent the interests of people with disability and constantly encourages the NDIS to improve.