Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to take note of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme NDIS planning interim report. Whilst I note this is an interim report, I would like to acknowledge the work of Minister Stuart Robert, in that some of these recommendations are already being implemented and we are already starting to receive feedback, via the committee, into the benefits that we are going to see through the implementation of these recommendations.

The interim report at the moment has made 14 recommendations, and they are based around the planning system of the NDIS. For many families—mine included—one of the most stressful times of year is when you are preparing for your planning meeting. We did make a recommendation in an earlier report about allowing two-year plans. That has come into play. By its very nature, that has reduced by half the number of times people need to go into a planning process, which also then has flow-on effects with regard to staffing and ensuring that people are getting speedy remedies.

I want to discuss some of the recommendations that were made and why they were so significant. One of the most truly disappointing things that you hear from people with a disability or from their families and advocates is the lack of understanding of planners when they go into a planning meeting. As the mother of a child with autism who has done a lot of work in that space previously, I can say that, when you have a planner ask a family when their five-year-old or nine-year-old is going to outgrow autism—which is a lifelong disability—it can be incredibly frustrating, upsetting and disappointing. It also gives that family very little faith that the planner is actually going to understand the impact of the disability, what it means, what it looks like and what supports will be required. So one of the recommendations that the committee made, and the minister has taken this on board, is looking at better training for planners and looking at having disability-specific planners. When 30 per cent of the cohort within the NDIS have autism, it probably makes a bit of sense to have some autism-specific planners—as well as for multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy or whatever it might be. It is important that people have access to people that properly understand their disability.

Another problem that we were constantly hearing about was the review process of plans—when people were receiving their plans and that the supports were not adequate. But quite often it wasn't the whole plan that was wrong. There might have just been one or two sections that were not quite doing what they were supposed to do, were not quite addressing the issues in the way they should be addressed. One of those issues was that, when people wanted to have a review of their plan, they had to have the entire plan reviewed and this was a lengthy process that often led to delays and lags between plans expiring and new plans being implemented. So we have recommendations addressing that. Allowing people to now review just a part of their plan gives them more security, more assurance, that they can use the other parts of their plan, if they're happy with them moving forward, without feeling that they're putting their whole plan at risk by going through a total review process.

In a further step, the committee looked at ensuring that participants of the NDIS are able to review their plan before it goes to the NDIA delegate to sign off. This means if there are any hiccups—any little parts that have been missed or accidentally overlooked or where amounts of money have been decreased unnecessarily or there has been an issue with a particular part of the plan—then the participant and their family are able to look at it before it gets signed off. By ensuring this happens, we are looking at reducing the number of reviews that take place.

The minister has been incredibly receptive. This is an interim report. We are continuing to look at it, but we are certainly hearing feedback on the ground and through the hearings about the changes that have already come into play, the changes that are already starting to roll out: these changes in planning will make a huge difference to participants and their families.

I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.