Navigating a New Era of Housing and Living Supports: A Summary of the NDIS Review

Today, we're delving into a topic that touches the heart of inclusion and independence for people with disabilities: the NDIS review on housing and living supports. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been a beacon of hope for many, promising greater inclusion and participation in community life. However, as with any ambitious plan, there's always room for improvement, and that's precisely what the latest review aims to address.

How closely they have hit the mark, and how much implementation will occur remains to be seen, but nonetheless, we're deep diving into the the recommendations.

The Present Scenario

Currently, the NDIS supports approximately 41,000 participants with around-the-clock living assistance, 31,500 of these participants are receiving SIL, and 9,500 have an equally high level of support but ADL supports, representing a significant investment in the scheme's budget. SIL payments alone in the 2022/23 financial year were 8.8 billion, a quarter of the total scheme payments.

Despite this significant investment, many participants continue to encounter obstacles in exercising choice and control over their living conditions. The review underscores the inconsistency and lack of transparency in funding decisions for housing and living supports, which compromises the ability of participants to select their support arrangements and cohabitants.

Envisioning Equity and Consistency

The review panel proposes a vision where funding for housing and living supports is allocated in a manner that is clear, equitable, and consistent, tailored to the individual needs and circumstances of participants. This approach aims to ensure that participants with comparable needs are afforded similar levels of support, thereby fostering fairness across the system

Strategic Recommendations

To realise this vision, the review outlines a series of recommendations, including:

• Pre-budget Setting: Implementing a thorough needs assessment by qualified assessors to ensure a comprehensive understanding of participants' requirements, allowing for review prior to budget allocation
• Provisional Budget: Offering participants a provisional budget based on their support intensity and individual overnight support needs, with guidelines on exceptions for one-on-one living supports
• Support Exploration: Assisting participants in exploring and evaluating various living arrangements within their provisional budget through the aid of Housing and Living Navigators
• Budget Finalisation: Adjusting the participant's budget based on the actual cost of their preferred living arrangement

Introducing Housing and Living Navigators:

A critical innovation proposed by the review is the introduction of Housing and Living Navigators. These specialists are envisioned to provide expert advice on local housing and living options, aiding participants at crucial life stages to navigate their choices and secure a budget that aligns with their preferences and provisional NDIS budget.

Whilst a very welcome recommendation, identifying, training and supporting these navigators to have the knowledge required for success in this role will be tricky. In a world where planners, SCs, SSCs, OTs and every other professional acronym has difficulty understanding the complexity of the home and living legislation and operational guidelines, I'd suggest it isn't the personnel that are the problem. Simplifying the jargon and providing clearer more transparent information about these supports would go a long way to helping every participant and professional working in this space.

Empowering Shared Decision-Making

The review also advocates for the establishment of a shared support facilitation function to empower participants who share supports to engage in collective decision-making. This initiative aims to ensure that living arrangements are chosen freely and not by default, enhancing participant autonomy.

Whilst I am not sure how this gets set up and works without conflict of interest rearing its ugly head, it is a great recommendation that would greatly benefit a lot of the clients we support in home and living.

A Gradual Transition

Acknowledging the significant shifts these recommendations entail, the review suggests a phased approach to implementation. It emphasises that no participant should be compelled to relocate from their current residence unless they opt to, ensuring a seamless transition to the new framework

Conclusion

The recommendations from the NDIS review mark a critical step towards a more equitable, transparent, and participant-focused approach to housing and living supports. By championing genuine choice and control, the NDIS aspires to better fulfil its mission of fostering inclusion and participation for all participants. As these recommendations unfold, they herald a promising new chapter for Australians with disabilities, reinforcing the NDIS's commitment to improving lives through tailored support and empowerment.