For many small and medium-sized providers of supports and services to National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, the NDIS can be confusing – especially for new providers.
To understand the NDIS, you need to know a bit about the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act (2013) (the Act).
What is the NDIS trying to do?
Among other things, the objects of the Act are to:
- give effect to some of Australia’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
- provide ‘reasonable and necessary supports’, including early intervention supports, for participants;
- enable participants to exercise choice and control in the pursuit of their goals and the planning and delivery of their supports;
- promote the provision of high quality and innovative supports to enable participants to maximise independent lifestyles and full inclusion in the community; and
- protect participants from experiencing harm arising from poor quality and unsafe supports or services provided under the scheme.
How does it work?
The Act’s objects are achieved through:
- the NDIS, which follows an insurance-based approach, informed by actuarial analysis, to the funding of supports for participants;
- the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which delivers the scheme;
- a national framework that regulates:
- registered NDIS providers and their services and supports; and
- services and supports provided to participants by unregistered providers; and
- the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and the Office of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner, which oversee:
- the quality of safety of services and supports provided to participants;
- NDIS providers;
- allegations of misuse and fraud; and
- the NDIS worker screening database.
Source: sections 3, 4, and 8 of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth), as amended.
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