Opinion: Three quality independent supports are key to NDIS success

As the CEO of a disability support provider, like many in our sector I’m eagerly awaiting the final report of the NDIS Review.

Over the past year, I’ve shared and debated ideas about what the Review could recommend to improve the quality of service delivery under the NDIS.

And it’s become clear to me that for people we support, there are three crucial ingredients to NDIS success: a great support coordinator, suitable housing, and a quality support provider.

The story of InLife client Brianna says it all.

Brianna was four months pregnant when she had a stroke at the age of 29.

The precariousness of her situation was captured in an episode of Channel 9’s Emergency reality TV show.

Against the odds both Brianna and her baby Mahali survived. And now, with the help of the NDIS, this determined woman is rebuilding her life.

She has one of the best support coordinators in the business to ensure she has reasonable and necessary supports and can exercise choice and control over them (shout-out to the amazing Toni Rowe).

Brianna has moved into a brand new fully accessible apartment by Liverty Housing, who continue to set the standard for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).

And with the leadership of InLife’s equally amazing Daniella Gundry, she now has a team of consistent and long-standing support workers committed to helping her build a new life with her young family.

Brianna’s story is a wonderful example of the transformative power of the NDIS, with three providers working together to help our clients to achieve their goals. She is even learning to walk again, a huge milestone.

Importantly, all three of Brianna’s providers are independent and separate from each other.

When any of these three providers are not independent, there is significant potential for a conflict of interest and poor outcomes for the NDIS and for the participant.

And that’s why we’re calling on the NDIS Review and Bill Shorten to make this independence a critical focus of reforms.

As a support provider we frequently see this issue first-hand.

It was the case with one of our clients who moved to InLife earlier this year.

A woman in her 50s with multiple sclerosis, she was living in an amazing SDA property by Adaptive Housing.

Sadly, however, her quality of life was poor.

She had a largely revolving door of support workers she didn’t trust, inconsistent rosters and outdated hired equipment in her apartment. She was also being overserviced and felt she had no time to herself.

She was receiving both Supported Independent Living (SIL) services and Support Coordination through the same provider.

Then, when she decided to make a change, she was put under a lot of pressure to stay, including both inducements and threats. With her family’s support, she was brave enough to go through with it.

Now, with a new independent support coordinator (Dawn Veale, another gem) and a new provider, everything has improved.

Despite dealing with a degenerative disease, she has actually reduced her support hours (saving the NDIS money), while at the same time enjoying a better quality of life. She now has a consistent support worker team she has chosen and can trust.

And the outdated equipment in her home such as old hoists are being upgraded to better suit her needs.

It's a great example of the importance of these services being separate and independent.

This is clearly the case with housing as well.

The Disability Royal Commission specifically recommended moving away from the same provider supplying Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) services (reform 7.41).

We've seen why.

A number of people have been forced to leave our independent service because the only available housing provider required them to use a specific support agency.

In other cases we’ve been unable to work with clients because we refuse to pay the fees their accommodation provider has demanded of us.

It’s also well known that some support providers are renting accommodation on behalf of their clients and charging them subsidised rent, in order to secure their business.

We understand the predicament for NDIS participants - we're in a housing crisis, and much needs to be done to improve the supply of affordable and social housing that is accessible for people with disability. As the wonderful Luke Bo'sher put it recently, “housing is the absolute foundation to making progress in every area of social policy”.

But when it comes to the policy foundations of the NDIS, the message is clear.

Numerous reports have highlighted the systemic abuse and poor outcomes that can arise when housing and support aren’t separate. Participants should never be put in a position where they’re forced to accept terrible support in exchange for a roof over their head.

There are many areas the NDIS Review must address to deliver better and more sustainable outcomes for people with disability across Australia.

Keeping each person’s support coordination, housing and support provider separate and independent should be one of them.

For more actions we’d like to see taken in the NDIS Review, read our original submission here.