IAC meeting bulletin, 29 February 2024

The Independent Advisory Council (IAC) to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) met online on 29 February 2024. The IAC discussed various aspects of the NDIS Review final report recommendations, its Advice for the NDIA Board and Work Plan.

Update from the Principal Member

Ms Leah van Poppel, IAC Principal Member, welcomed representatives from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Board and strategic leadership team. She also extended thanks to Professor Bruce Bonyhady AM, Co-chair NDIS Review, a Department of Social Services (DSS) representative, and  Ms Rosemary Kayess, Disability Discrimination Commissioner, for attending. Ms Kayess gave an overview of human rights and the NDIS. Ms van Poppel advised that the process for selecting new IAC Members to fill vacancies left by retiring members Ms Liz Reid AM and Ms Kerry Allan is progressing.

Update from NDIA representatives

Mr Kurt Fearnley AO, Board Chair, NDIA, acknowledged the recent Disability Reform Ministerial Council meeting and appointments to the NDIA executive and NDIA Board.

Ms Corri McKenzie, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Service Design and Improvement, NDIA, updated the IAC on work underway to implement decisions of National Cabinet in 2023 following the release of the NDIS Review. The NDIA together with DSS will engage the IAC on the commitment to introduce legislative and other changes to the NDIS to improve the experience of participants and restore the original intent of the Scheme.   

NDIS Review findings

Prof Bonyhady, joined the IAC meeting to take members through the NDIS Review’s main findings. The IAC discussed the role it can play to assist the NDIA to consider how the NDIS Review recommendations could be implemented so that the experience of people with disability in the NDIS is improved. IAC Members raised the importance of:

  • strengthening the provider market to provide better quality supports

  • choice and control for people with disability to live independently

  • qualifications and training of the workforce that might be involved in future planning and assessment

  • fair and equitable access to the NDIS.

Update on Government response to NDIS Review recommendations

The DSS provided an update on how the response to the NDIS Review final report and recommendations is progressing, including the town halls and other engagement activities that are being undertaken with the community to raise awareness of the Review, and to gauge community feedback.

DSS also provided updates on other related work, including the recently established NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce (Taskforce), community engagement on a response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission) final report, and the announcement made for initial investment to start work on the Review in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

IAC Members noted that community input will be used in the drafting of the Government response to the NDIS Review recommendations. The IAC members observed that the recommendation on foundational supports needs consideration to ensure that those supports will be available to those who need them. The IAC also expressed an interest in engaging with the new Taskforce.

IAC focus on NDIS Review recommendations

IAC Members discussed possible areas for future formal advice to the NDIA Board to address the NDIS Review recommendations, including:

  • Foundational supports and mainstream intersections

  • Participant pathways

  • Navigators

  • Home and living

  • Self-management

  • Quality and safeguards.

Members agreed to look back at IAC advice that is relevant to these topics.

IAC Advice and Work Plan

IAC Members endorsed ‘Enhancing behaviour support in the NDIS’, the Advice that the IAC had been working on throughout 2022-2023. Once finalised, the Advice will go to the NDIA Board.

The IAC decided to extend its current Work Plan to the end of June. This will allow the future Work Plan to align with the Government response to the final reports of the NDIS Review and Disability Royal Commission.

More information on the IAC

The IAC will next meet on 15 April 2024. Find out more about IAC meetings and bulletins at the IAC website. The IAC publishes an Easy Read version of this bulletin. This is part of its commitment to accessibility.

Information in Easy Read

You can also read this bulletin in Easy Read: