❓ Hon Adele Farina questions the Minister for Disability Services regarding the impact of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and individualised funding on service access, particularly in regional WA, and the Minister provides assurances that funding will not be negatively impacted and access will be maintained.
AnsweredQoN 2094Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the national standards for disability services, in particular the standard relating to service access, and I ask: (a) will the Minister please describe the standard for service access that will be applied and any impact this may have on existing not-for-profit service providers in Western Australia; (b) how will service access be maintained in regional communities after the transition to individualised funding if there are not enough individuals with a funding plan accessing a service to replace the level block funding previously received by that service; (c) if services have a physical presence in a regional community where there are not enough recipients of individualised funding to support the continuation of that service, will block funding continue to be provided to ensure the ongoing presence of that service; (d) are organisations providing services to people with individualised funding likely to also service people with a disability or mental illness who have been deemed ineligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS); (e) if yes to (d), how will organisations be funded to service those individuals not eligible for the NDIS; and (f) does the Minister anticipate services will be lost in smaller regional communities once the transition to individualised funding is complete?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
2 December 2014
Responded by
Minister for Disability Services
Response time
40 days
a) All service providers on Panel Contracts with the Disability Services Commission are required to adhere to the National Disability Standards. Standard five (5) relates to service access.
Service access to date has prioritised the delivery of funding and services to people in the most critical and urgent need. Access is moving to an approach of entitlement under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which is being rolled out in sites across the country.
b) Under an entitlement system all eligible individuals with disability will be allocated reasonable and necessary levels of funding for their services where that is required. The budget required to roll-out the National Disability Insurance Scheme Funding is significantly greater than the funding currently committed to disability services, hence the level of funding available to people with disability to direct to non-government providers of their choice will be greater and ensure that organisations that are preferred by consumers are sustainable.
Both within and outside the NDIS trial sites, the transition to individualised funding will not impact on the funding allocated for services; it only removes the limitations on people's use of the funding.
c) The Government will work with communities, including service providers, to determine the best way through which people with disability can receive relevant quality services.
d) This is a decision made by Service Providers.
e) N/A Organisations can operate on a fee-for-services basis outside their contractual arrangements with the Disability Services Commission.
f) No. As previously described, the transition to individualised funding will not impact on the funding allocated for services; it only removes limitations on individual's use of their funds.
Service access to date has prioritised the delivery of funding and services to people in the most critical and urgent need. Access is moving to an approach of entitlement under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which is being rolled out in sites across the country.
b) Under an entitlement system all eligible individuals with disability will be allocated reasonable and necessary levels of funding for their services where that is required. The budget required to roll-out the National Disability Insurance Scheme Funding is significantly greater than the funding currently committed to disability services, hence the level of funding available to people with disability to direct to non-government providers of their choice will be greater and ensure that organisations that are preferred by consumers are sustainable.
Both within and outside the NDIS trial sites, the transition to individualised funding will not impact on the funding allocated for services; it only removes the limitations on people's use of the funding.
c) The Government will work with communities, including service providers, to determine the best way through which people with disability can receive relevant quality services.
d) This is a decision made by Service Providers.
e) N/A Organisations can operate on a fee-for-services basis outside their contractual arrangements with the Disability Services Commission.
f) No. As previously described, the transition to individualised funding will not impact on the funding allocated for services; it only removes limitations on individual's use of their funds.
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