In NSW, the NDIS will begin with a focus on transitioning people currently receiving specialist disability supports through NSW Family and Community Services (Ageing Disability and Homecare or ADHC). From 1 July 2016, there will be no immediate change for these clients or people receiving NSW Health disability supports.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (the Scheme) will fund individualised support for people with disability, their families and carers. When fully implemented, the Scheme will benefit around 140,000 eligible people with disability in NSW and boost total funding of disability support services from around $3 billion to over $6 billion per year.
From 1 July 2016, eligible people with disability in NSW will begin to be covered by the Scheme in a managed and well supported way. The Scheme will be rolled out across NSW by July 2018.
NSW Health will play an important role in supporting patients by sharing available information about transition and helping people with disability prepare for the NDIS assessment process.
In NSW, the NDIS will be rolled out by local health districts with local management and staff supporting eligible and potential patients during transition.
From 1 July 2016, there will be no immediate change for NSW Family and Community Services (Ageing Disability and Homecare or ADHC) clients receiving community based disability supports. People receiving NSW Health disability supports will also see no immediate change in services they receive through NSW Health.
The Scheme will begin with a focus on transitioning people currently receiving specialist disability supports through NSW Family and Community Services. This will include existing clients who are living in supported accommodation and participating in a community access service, such as a day program or case management service. Local health districts will focus on assisting existing eligible patients to ensure they have a managed and well supported transition to the new Scheme.
The Scheme will also provide significant opportunities for people with mental illness. In the Hunter trial site there were 616 people with a primary psychosocial disability who were participants of the Scheme. This meant that they could access a range of psychosocial supports that they may not previously have been able to access. Work continues by NSW Health and the Commonwealth to confirm eligibility criteria for new mental health clients.
In year one, there will be approximately 6600 places for new participants. Where NSW Health staff would have previously referred a person to Ageing, Disability and Home Care for support, they should now refer that person to the National Disability Insurance Agency.
The National Disability Insurance Agency will make the final decision around new participants accessing the NDIS. They will carefully manage the intake of new participants to minimise impact upon existing disability clients scheduled to phase into the Scheme at each stage of the transition.
In circumstances where a person needs urgent support and an immediate service delivery response, NSW Family and Community Services may:
In preparing for the NDIS, local health districts and specialty networks will be required to identify people currently receiving NSW Health supports who may be eligible for the Scheme.
To access assistance from the Scheme, a person must have a permanent disability that significantly affects their everyday life and their ability to participate in the community; or a disability that is likely to be permanent, or be a child with a developmental delay, and there is evidence that early supports will reduce how much help the person will need to do things in the future.
A range of materials are available to support staff in assisting people to prepare for the Scheme, such as:
Further information and resources are available at NDIS.
Resident transition by local health district
The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a new way of funding individualised support for people with permanent and significant disability, their families and carers.
The NDIS focuses on eligible people, not programs or services. The Scheme provides information and referrals, funding supports (where necessary), personal plans, and support to access community services and activities.
The NDIS uses an insurance model to invest in and support people over their lifetime. The Scheme changes the way specialist disability services are funded (by Governments) and purchased (by consumers).
The Scheme is not intended to replace mainstream health services. NSW Health will continue to be responsible for diagnosing and treating people who present to NSW Health services including those with disability. This includes people with ongoing or chronic health conditions, mental health issues, emergency and routine treatment such as surgery, dental care and palliative care.
Around 140,000 people with disability across NSW will benefit from the Scheme when fully implemented. This includes approximately 50,000 people who currently do not receive NSW specialist disability supports.
More information about NSW Health and the NDIS is available on the NSW Health website at Disability.
Enquiries about NDIS can also be made via email at ndis@doh.health.nsw.gov.au.
For more information on the NDIS in NSW visit NDIS - New South Wales.