Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Colleagues, the National Disability Insurance Scheme has the potential to transform people's lives, and it's essential that the implementation is right and meets expectations. There are many success stories of the NDIS working in my community, but, seriously, the rollout is falling short of expectations for some in the community. During August, I facilitated two NDIS public information sessions—one in Wangaratta and one in Wodonga, with the involvement of the National Disability Insurance Agency. I will write to the minister separately with what I've learnt, but I'd like to use this speech to highlight some of the concerns raised in these forums.

There was a large turnout at both of these sessions, with constituents from across the electorate sharing their experiences and ideas for improving the NDIS rollout. There were carers, there were academics, there were service providers and there interested members of public. Concerns were raised about the lack of qualified staff in the NDIA, which is causing anxiety and delays; the NDIS plans that did not meet clients' needs; a lack of coordination between disability and health services, resulting in clients missing out on existing therapies; and the problem of cross-border anomaly—so Albury-Wodonga, different states, and organisations not talking to each other.

Let me talk a little bit about service delay and NDIA staffing. The cause of delay was seen as the result of a lack of suitably qualified NDIA staff and the outsourcing of client and call centre services. Constituents shared stories of delay at every stage of the process, from preplanning to planning approval and to plan reviews, right through to putting the plans into action. One constituent had been waiting since September 2017 for the final plan approval for her living accommodation, and constituents relayed stories of delays of up to 12 months from when new equipment is supposed to be approved in their plan to when it is finally signed off.

The NDIA plans, in many instances, are not meeting client needs. People are concerned that they did not have a say in the final plan. They were advised to start using their plan and then they had to wait for 12 months for the review. We heard of clients' plans being created and approved without them having a say. One client received her plan with a key request removed, including an alternating mattress for her quadriplegic daughter. She immediately requested a review of her plan and is still waiting a year later. Again, the level of staffing and staff qualifications were seen as the cause of these problems. As a member of parliament sitting there listening to this, I was gobsmacked, because the problems were not that they were too complicated; they were just a matter of resources and the right people sitting down and solving it together.

A lack of coordination between services, particularly across border, was also a problem. For example, when there's a dispute about a service being provided by an NDIS provider or the health system, that can result in clients missing out on particular services altogether. There are also concerns that existing therapies are not being taken into account or being taken off the list of approved therapies. A local equestrian centre had groups of children with autism and other disabilities attending riding classes as approved therapy for many years. This has now virtually ceased since the rollout, as most clients on the NDIS do not have approval for this form of therapy and are unable to fund the session independently. That has had huge repercussions on the actual business that was set up to provide this service.

In closing, it's disappointing that the $2.5 million is being underspent—a significant level of support that's not being provided—and many of the concerns raised by my constituents stem from a lack of staffing resources. I did put questions in writing to the minister. He answered in May, and he promised that there would be action. But, in my community, it's yet to take place. I will finish with a call-out to the many, many people doing a wonderful job with the NDIS. To the Latrobe Community Health Service and Merri Health service providers: thank you for your work. To the planners, to the service providers, to the community workers at the frontline, to the allied health workers and, most of all, to the families and the parents doing their best to make the system work: thank you. Let's continue to make this really work for Australia, because it's a great system.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In rising to speak on this motion today, I want to note that, under the coalition government, the NDIS has reached a significant milestone, with more than 200,000 Australians now receiving support through an approved NDIS plan. The coalition government has made strong progress with the NDIS and will continue to work to improve it to support Australians living with a disability.

The NDIS, of course, is all about supporting people with a disability to live their best life their way and to achieve their goals. I'm a strong supporter of the NDIS, and I'm pleased to say that, across the Central Coast, more than 5,000 individuals have an approved plan and are being supported by the NDIS. Many of these people may be receiving support for their disability for the very first time, having never received state or Commonwealth support before the NDIS was established.

This government is building and delivering the NDIS for an estimated 460,000 Australians by 2020. It's one of the most important social reforms in Australia's history, and it's now fully operational in New South Wales, the ACT and South Australia, with ongoing rollouts in remaining states and territories. It not only has an important impact on individuals and the families it supports but brings with it opportunities for growth and employment. In 2016, for example, we were able to announce the establishment of an NDIA office in Gosford, in my electorate of Robertson, with 42 new jobs. I'm really pleased to be able to say that this office is now operational on the ground floor of the new ATO office in Gosford.

As a passionate supporter of the NDIS and the important role that it plays in the lives of so many people with disability and their families, I think it is fantastic to see just how many people across the Central Coast are benefiting from this important reform. In my electorate we're lucky to have a number of outstanding NDIS providers—organisations like Options Disability Theatre Company, which I've spoken about in this place before and which never fails to bring a massive smile to my face. I first heard about this amazing group called Options at a screening of a short film they produced, called Killing Hope. It was there that I first found out about the amazing work that Options Disability Theatre Company does for our community. Since then, I've had the privilege to continue to share in their journey. It's been wonderful to watch Options going from strength to strength, recently unveiling a new facility in Tuggerah and living the motto of that short film that I saw: you can't kill hope; it's absolutely impossible. Alex Copeland is just one success story from Options. He had a dream to start his own baking business, and with the support of Options he launched his own small business, Mr Alexander's Sweet Eats. He's an incredible baker and he's made some award-winning cakes, cupcakes and biscuits. Alex even completed his first motorised cake, an intricate owl with a turning head. Alex is just one example of the way that the NDIS supports people with a disability in my community to achieve their goals.

Earlier this year I had the chance to visit Lasercraft Australia, an organisation that's been operating on the Central Coast for the past 30 years and employs 30 part-time workers with a disability. Lasercraft provides a supportive environment and an opportunity for their supported employees to develop workplace skills, enjoy the social aspects of work and be involved in contributing to the community. Lasercraft's employees are also supported by an NDIS plan and, with the help of Lasercraft, are working towards their own life goals.

Fairhaven at Point Clare is another outstanding organisation that's supporting people living with disability and helping them to follow their dreams. When I first came to the Central Coast, over 30 years ago now, the school that I attended when we first moved there was actually co-located on the grounds of Fairhaven. So I have to say I've always felt a very, very special association with Fairhaven and all of the work that they do. I want to pay tribute to the chairman, Clive Blunt; the CEO, Monique Cardon, who both do an incredible job; and the participants at Fairhaven, who are inspirational.

Can I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to carers in our community during this Carers Week. Across the nation, 2.7 million Australians are unpaid carers. I'd like to acknowledge the enormous sacrifice and contribution of carers in our community. Carers Week is an important time for everyone in our community to say thank you to each and every carer, and I'd like to put on record my gratitude to each and every one of them in my community and, indeed, across the nation. Thank you for your compassion and for all that you do. Just as carers' work never stops, neither should our appreciation of them.

Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Robertson for bringing to the attention of the parliament the important work of those disability support organisations, and also carers.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During the parliamentary break that we've just had, hardworking disability workers united with employers, with service providers and with people with a disability at an NDIS rally organised by the Australian Services Union in my home town of Newcastle and, indeed, at rallies across the country. Rally participants wanted to highlight the really massive insecurity that disability workers now live with every day of their lives, and they wanted to shine a light on how this sorry state of affairs is hurting the people who rely on the NDIS.

As a former disability support worker, I was very pleased to attend the Newcastle rally and to stand in solidarity with my friends in the disability sector in calling for action to make the NDIS the very best scheme it can be—and that call is necessary. Make no mistake, the NDIS is the greatest social reform this country has seen. First championed, of course, by the legendary Gough Whitlam four decades ago, it became a reality under the incredible stewardship of the member for Jagajaga, Jenny Macklin, in the former Labor government. Indeed, the Leader of the Opposition, in his role as minister for people with a disability, was instrumental in ensuring this scheme got through this parliament. For the first time, the NDIS gave people with disability choice and control over the support they received.

Newcastle was one of the first national trial sites for the NDIS rollout. We had more than 10,000 participants. We were by far the largest site in Australia and, indeed, the most complex, dealing with people of all ages and disabilities. I had the great privilege of seeing so many positive impacts of the NDIS firsthand. From those of us on this side of the House, there's absolutely no disagreement with government members about the positive stories of the NDIS and what it can deliver. But we mustn't let our love for the NDIS blind us to what is happening right now. The implementation of the NDIS under this government, as is the case with most social reforms under conservative governments, has been far from optimum. It has indeed been a shambles, with people with disability and their families paying the price.

Around 240,000 Australians should be benefiting from the NDIS right now, but we know the actual number is in fact close to 200,000. That means that there are 40,000 people missing out today. Something isn't working. Neglect, under-resourcing and an addiction to hiring contractors and consultants instead of permanent staff has seen progress come to a screeching halt. Reviews are being been delayed without notice. Items are being cut from plans so that people are finding it very hard to get the support they need. None of this is surprising when you consider that this government has underspent $2.5 billion in the last 12 months alone. Let's be clear: this is not an achievement; this is negligence—pure and simple.

The organisation is also being starved of human resources, thanks to a staffing cap imposed by the then Abbott government in 2014. Regretfully, this cap remains in place today. It was not lifted by the Turnbull government and it sure as hell is not being examined by the current Morrison government. This arbitrary, senseless cap means staff are already stretched beyond their limits, the rollout is falling behind schedule and people with disability aren't getting the service they need and deserve. The cap is not only crippling the entire NDIS system but also has the perverse incentive of driving millions of dollars of spending on contract staff. In fact, the NDIA has committed over $145 million for contract and temporary staff. They've spent $61 million on consultants and outsourced its call centre to multinational megacorporation Serco. It's outrageous that the NDIA is spending these vast sums of money on consultants and contractors instead of investing in a skilled, permeant workforce that can deliver quality support and services to the people that need and deserve it most, and that is people with disability. (Time expired)

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

According to the Department of Social Services, the NDIS aims to work with individuals to identify the supports they need to achieve goals in many aspects of their life. It aims to provide greater choice and control over how and when individuals receive support and ensures that they receive the support that they need over their lifetime. It also purports to focus on early intervention where getting early support can reduce the impact of disability on the individual. Unfortunately, this has not been the case or the experience of Sam Hensman or his family. Sam is a constituent within my community of Mayo. His family are requesting an urgent review of his approved NDIS plan. The current 2018 plan includes, devastatingly, less support than he received under the previous state government's scheme. Sam's progress will be severely hampered if a review is not urgently conducted.

In 2016, 23-year-old Sam was diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation, a condition comprising of a tangled network of abnormal blood cells connecting arteries to the brain. This led to Sam suffering multiple intracranial haemorrhages and resulted in Sam developing an acquired brain injury. Unfortunately, Sam was no longer able to speak or walk and required supervision 24 hours a day. Initially facing a grim outlook, Sam has been able to make exceptional progress and has defied all expectations with the love and support of his committed family and his fiancee, Tess. Numerous reports have been compiled by a variety of allied health professionals detailing his progress and the importance of continuing a range of therapies.

Formerly receiving support from Disability SA, Sam was receiving daily therapies including physiotherapy, speech, hydrotherapy and occupational therapy, as well as being provided with specialised equipment. Transitioning from Disability SA to the NDIS, Sam has suffered a dramatic loss of support—I am talking less than half. His current package gives him only a fraction of the services and resources he had before. He is now receiving the very basic care—survival mode, if you like—instead of receiving the sort of care that is supposed to help people like Sam thrive and achieve their goals of independence and community engagement. This is causing significant distress to him and his family.

This is not what the NDIS is supposed to be. The NDIA has been provided with all sorts of information from Sam's therapist and his doctors about what he needs. Further funding has not been included for the purchase of essential assistive technology as recommended by his therapists. Sam is trialling an assistive communication device, which the family fear will be retracted as funding is not available in his plan to purchase it. This would be devastating for his family.

Sam's NDIS review also requests reasonable funding to enable the purchase of multiple pieces of equipment, also all recommended by therapists who have been working closely with Sam for a couple of years now. The plan's current equipment requirements are considered greatly insufficient by Sam's therapists to provide the support he requires. With the support of therapists, Sam has managed to make huge improvements in verbal sounds, and his assisted walking is improving every day. Reasonable and adequate therapies are critical for Sam's wellbeing and safety. The amount specified in his plan does meet these requirements, and they should.

In NDIS terms, Sam's approved NDIS plan will not even sufficiently support his goals. Listen to this: 18 months is the time frame given for his review—18 months for a 12-month plan is nonsensical. Sam and his family cannot wait 18 months to receive the reasonable and necessary support he needs. The member for Indi talked in her speech about the ombudsman's report that was delivered exactly five months ago today. It had KPIs in there about how long a review should take. It certainly should not take 18 months for a 12-month plan.

Sam's NDIS goals are clear. Sam will not give up, and I will not give up fighting for Sam and his NDIS package. I call upon the minister to urgently review Sam's case. I also call upon the minister to effect systematic change in the NDIS system. It has been five months since the ombudsman gave his report. Australians on the NDIS have immediate and pressing needs, and something must be done to fix the onerous NDIS review waiting times so that people like Sam are not left behind and waiting to suffer.

Ged Kearney (Batman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to support this motion on the NDIS. I thank the member for Lindsay for her advocacy for Australians living with a disability and her focus on ensuring they live a full, dignified life. The NDIS is the legacy of the Gillard Labor government, in particular the legacy of the work of Jenny Macklin, the member for Jagajaga, and Bill Shorten, the Leader of the Opposition.

The idea of disability care and support being delivered via insurance rather than a charity or welfare model was first looked at by the Whitlam government. In 1974 Whitlam declared:

Australians should not have to live in doubt or anxiety lest injury or sickness reduce them to poverty. We want to reduce hardships imposed by one of the great factors for inequality in society, inequality of luck.

People with disability and their families had to wait 40 years for another government to take up the fight. Labor's NDIS put people with a disability at the centre of the system and committed that it would lift some of the hard work from families and carers. It meant they knew that if something happened to them then their loved ones would be okay in the world.

Today the NDIS is helping more than 54,800 people who had not received any support before from either Commonwealth or state and territory governments. However, the NDIS is not working for everyone. Every day I hear from constituents who are struggling with the NDIS, many of whom have found that they actually have less support under the new structure. My constituents tell me that their questions to the NDIA go unanswered. They often require my office's advocacy to wade through the layers of bureaucracy to get the supports they or their loved ones need most. People with disability, their families and service providers all want a people-centred organisation, not a bureaucratic one. They do not want to wait on the phone for hours or have emails going unanswered or not have anyone locally to engage with and help fix problems. As the Productivity Commission observed last year, many of the problems are being created by a lack of staff and inadequate training.

We've also heard many cases of issues with the plans. Many people don't see a draft version of their plan before it's approved. Some participants are getting plans that are simply unrecognisable from their planning meeting. Another crucial gap I am seeing with the NDIS rollout is ensuring people with severe mental health issues get the support they require. These problems can and must be fixed. The government could start by removing the arbitrary staffing cap. It forces the scheme to rely on contractors and outsourcing, leading to delays and confusion. The cap had meant the agency had spent $145 million in contract and temporary staff, which included outsourcing the call centre functions at a cost of $63 million over two years. Labor have said we will remove the cap if we win government, but the Prime Minister needs to fix this now.

I also have in my electorate a wonderful organisation called Northern Support Services, who tell me the underfunding of the NDIS has severely hampered their ability to continue operating. This is worrying because the services they have provided for decades, and continue to provide to some of our communities' most vulnerable, are incredibly important. My own sister attends the Northern Support Services. I have served on their board in the past and I know what good they do, I know how closely they are knitted to the local community and I know how loved and valued they are. The way the NDIS is funded means it is impossible for them to continue operating as they do now, if at all. The group activities that my sister and many of her friends so love and that keep them connected and active will unfortunately be at risk due to massive underfunding.

The whole disability not-for-profit community sector, along with the unions representing the workers, are screaming out for funding reform that reflects the actual wages paid. Many workers in these wonderful organisations right across this country are paid well above the award, recognising their skill level and their experience, and many have bargained in good faith over the years for extra leave or better conditions. None of these are taken into account with the NDIS funding model, and none of the organisations wish to take these away from their loyal, hardworking employees, nor do they wish to inflict upon their clients and the people who use their services a casualised, unskilled, insecure workforce. The task now for everyone is to resolve the problems with the rollout of the scheme to ensure we get the best possible NDIS we can.

Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 19:13