BigDog Newsletter January 2024 by BigDog Support

January has kicked off with tremendous energy! We've dived straight into preparing for two major audits: NIDS and Child Safety Registration. This marks an exciting phase as we steer the company toward new horizons, extending our impact within the community. With over 12 years in the disability space and about 3 years in child safety, we're thrilled about the transformative journey ahead. As part of these developments, the Toowoomba office has undergone some changes. We extend our best wishes to Sam in her new role. Meanwhile, opportunities abound as we continue to recruit for open positions in Rockhampton and Toowoomba, with details available on Seek for those eager to join our dynamic teams. Amidst these changes, I've been diligently conducting staff appraisals over the past few weeks. Our focus is on ensuring the team's contentment, aligning with work goals, and maintaining high levels of job satisfaction. Looking forward, our plans include spending a few weeks in Rockhampton come February for Rockhampton Appraisals. The journey ahead is promising, and we're enthusiastic about the positive impact we'll continue to make in our community.

In This Issue 2 Editor’s Notes 3 2023 Disability Sector Report 4 NDIS Review 5 Navigators 6 New Disability Act 7 NGO Training Infographic 8 Toowoomba Community 9 Toowoomba Group

We’re all about keeping our car-sharing crew smooth and stress-free and remind everyone to keep the cars clean and let Tahnee or Tyla know if there are any damages or upcoming services due.

10 Rockhampton Community

A reminder that Steven, though retired, is still active.

14 What’s happening in January

11 Rockhampton Group 12 WhatsUp in Disability 13 Staff Updates

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NDIS Disability Sector Report 2023: the ‘worst year’ for providers David McManus Feel like the disability industry has had a rough year? You’re not alone. Providers have labelled 2023 the ‘worst,’ as some reported fiscal losses. The National Disability Services (NDS) State of the Disability Sector Report for 2023 is based on responses from 432 disability service providers across Australia who took part in the annual survey. The report found that the sector is struggling to remain viable as over a third of providers, who responded to the survey, reported financial losses The care industry faced many challenges throughout 2023, including high turnover rates and persistent issues with paperwork, in addition to cultural and workplace stress, causing 43%o of workers to feel ‘burnt out’ during the majority of their time at work. National Disability Services, the peak body for non-government disability providers, released its annual State of the Disability Sector Report today, on December 11, 2023, which reflected the turbulent financial performance of disability support providers.

The report found that 72% of not-for-profit providers and 67% of for-profit providers said they were doubtful that they could continue to provide NDIS services at the current prices. Additionally, 34% of providers reported a fiscal loss in the 2022 – 2023 Financial Year, with a further 18% reporting that they had managed to ‘just’ break even. Survey results also indicated that 82% of re-

spondents had received requests for services that they could not fulfil. Similarly, 78% of surveyed providers had reported ‘extreme’ to ‘moderate’ difficulty in finding support workers, with the availability of allied health professionals ranging from ‘low’ to ‘non-existent.’ NDS Chief Executive Officer Laurie Leigh said the report highlighted the urgent need to restructure pricing frameworks. “Providers are telling us there is plenty of work around, but either the pricing doesn’t make economic sense or they can’t get the staff,” she said. “We are already seeing some major providers cease their NDIS services and exit the market altogether, which most importantly, is impacting the people with disability who rely on these to thrive. “We welcome the independent pricing mechanism announced in last week’s NDIS Review, but if pricing issues are not addressed quickly, this will result in market failure and many more providers will not survive.” Busi Faulkner explained that reforms were needed to ensure that providers were able to support people with disability. “The NDIS must commit to the financial viability of the sector to ensure people with disability are able to access the safe and appropriate services they deserve,” she said. “The current system is like flogging a dead horse and there is a concerning lack of communication and ability to raise complaints within the NDIS system. “Whilst pricing reforms announced in the NDIS Review are welcome, if these systems and processes don’t improve quickly, the sector won’t be able to move forward.”

The Panel made 26 recommendations. Underneath each recommendation there are supporting actions which outline the steps that need to be taken to implement the recommendations – there are 139 supporting actions in total. The Terms of Reference had 3 clear aims:  Put people with disability back at the centre of the NDIS

• Better support for all children with developmental concerns, delay and disability, and their families • Improve the availability, diversity and quality of services • Improve quality of services and ensure appropriate safeguards through better and risk -proportionate regulation

 Ensure the sustainability of the NDIS for future generations.

• Secure the future sustainability of the NDIS by delivering better outcomes for people with disability with more responsive, efficient and cost-effective ways of providing support.

The recommendations aim to:

Improve the Participant Experience

• Create a connected system of supports for all people with disability. This includes Foundational Supports and better access to mainstream services

The NDIS Review partly came about because many people with disability were reporting rather poor experiences of the NDIS. The NDIS Review has recommended a number of changes to the participant pathway, including:

 Restore trust, confidence and pride in the NDIS

• Ensure people with disability and their families have more help to navigate the new system of support • Ensure NDIS processes, especially for access and budget setting, are simpler, fairer and easier to navigate

• Ensure NDIS processes focus on the whole person and their support needs – not just their diagnosis • Provide more support for decision making so people can have genuine choice and control

Access and Eligibility More consistent and robust methods for making eligibility decisions and measuring functional capacity and creating a new access form and guidance materials. Assessments Develop a new assessment process to better evaluate a person’s support needs. At the Press Club, Minister Shorten emphasised that this process would be very different from the Independent Assessments proposed by the last government. Assessments would be conducted by a Needs Assessor, who is a trained allied health professional, social worker, or has similar disability expertise. The Needs Assessor would be the funding decision-maker.

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The Review proposed a fundamental shift in the way that people are supported to navigate disability support. Effectively ending the roles of Support Coordination, PRC and LAC as we know them and replacing them with a new role – Navigators. This is because the Review has heard how confusing it is to have so many different players involved in navigating the NDIS. The Navigator role would look very much like the current Support Coordinator function, with a greater focus on accessing support outside the NDIS. Specialist Navigators, ideally with qualifications in allied health or social work, would replace today’s Specialist Support Coordinators. Navigation support would be available to all people with disability, regardless of whether they are NDIS participants.

It’s unclear whether people would have any choice over who their Navigator is, though the Review calls out that continuity of support would be a priority in transitioning, and that they expect much of the Support Coordination and LAC workforce to become Navigators. Likewise, there are proposed Psychosocial Recovery Navigator roles, which the Review expects to be filled by the current PRC workforce. Navigators would be commissioned and funded by the NDIA outside of participant plans. They would need to be independent, meaning they could not provide other NDIS services. They would have nationally consistent governance, branding, online services, information management, monitoring and training. There are a lot of positive aspects to this recommendation. It is a return to the principles of local coordination, intended in the Scheme’s design but compromised with the addition of planning to the LAC role. The renewed focus on local knowledge, mainstream services and disabled people outside the NDIS is long overdue and the Review recommends Navigators be funded to spend more time with people than LACs and Support Coordinators typically are now. If these changes are implemented, it will not happen any time soon. The Review has specifically recommended a careful process of design and testing this idea in partnership with people with disability and the sector, prioritising continuity of support for participants and a smooth transition for the workforce.

The Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023 (the Act) became law on the 1st January 2024 replacing the Disability Services Act 1986. The Act allows the Australian Government to fund supports and services outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This ensures the right supports are available to all people with disability. The Act also broadens the disability supports and services that the Government can fund, giving the Government more flexibility to respond to the disability community’s needs. The new Act improves the safety of disability services by requiring providers to follow a Code of Conduct. The Code helps people with disability know what to expect from their provider and how to make a formal complaint if there has been a breach. The Act also improves the quality of disability services by setting a minimum standard for providers and their staff. Under the Act, people with disability can have a say in matters affecting them by taking part in developing and reviewing supports. Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said this flexible and contemporary Act supports the Albanese Labor Government's commitment to the full participation of people with disability in Australian communities. "Community expectations have shifted significantly over the past 35 years. The previous

Act embedded segregation into legislation, the new one has a strong focus on inclusion and broadens the type of supports and services that the Governments can provide," Minister Rishworth said. Minister Rishworth said the Act helps support the safeguarding of people with disability following the release of the Final Report into the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. "The Government has embedded human rights principles into legislation and listened to the perspectives of people with disability throughout the drafting stages to ensure that Commonwealth supports and services are responsive and create meaningful change," Minister Rishworth said. Minister Rishworth said the Act provides a contemporary legal framework enabling the Government to deliver measures consistent with the vision of Australia's Disability Strategy 2021 -31 and its five Targeted Action Plans. "Australia's Disability Strategy is our roadmap to supporting people with disability to participate as equal members of our communities. "Consistent with the Strategy, the Government will continue to drive improved accessibility and inclusion in Commonwealth services and across the Australian community," said Minister Rishworth. "Boosting employment opportunities, shifting community attitudes and improving the safety of people with disability are all top priorities for the Government." BigDog Policies that relate to the new Act have been updated.

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Toowoomba Day Service, we have been so busy kicking of the new year, we have started at our new gym Willows gym on a Tuesday. Oakey Army Aviation Museum was an awesome day out. Two big birthdays this week. Happy Birthday guys, And lunch at the Walton stores.

BigDog Day Service Toowoomba Paul Myatt Community Centre 11-15 Alexander Street North Toowoomba 4350 Coordinator Jess Wright Phone: 4512 6020 dayservice@bigdogsupport.com.au

January Marks a fresh start to a new year. This also marks the reset point for all our SIL houses. All the houses are prepped with everything needed for a successful year after a wonderful Christmas. The year is also kicking off with a lot of renovations for our Rockhampton properties, with one unit nearing completion it will be straight onto the next, refreshing the houses to give our participants some updated facilities to enjoy. 2024 brings some exciting things such as prepping our houses for new kids in our child safety sector and a long-time participant making the transition into our SIL housing. We do still have some SIL vacancies available. If interested, please contact BigDog Rockhampton for more information. As we close the chapter on a wonderful 2023, we can’t wait to see what 2024 holds for the BigDog family, we wish everyone at BigDog a happy and safe New Years.

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As the school holiday program in Rockhampton wraps up, it’s safe to say it’s been a blast! From bowling to zoo visits, water parks, swimming, fishing, picnics, cooking, arts and craft, gym activities and so much more – the kids have had a fantastic 5 weeks. BigDog Support Services is grateful for the fun memories and can’t wait to welcome new faces during the upcoming Easter holidays! Rocky day service enjoyed a refreshing walk along Emu Park Beach today, followed by delicious fish and chips in Yeppoon.

BigDog Day Service Rockhampton BigDog Community Centre 170 East Street Rockhampton 4700 Coordinator Taylah Cox Phone: 4573 4611 rockhampton@bigdogsupport.com.au

NDIS Review The review was commissioned in 2022 amid various issues and complaints, including overpriced services, fraud and bureaucracy. The biggest concern, however, was the scheme's financial sustainability.

The NDIS now has more than 630,000 participants and annual spending on it has grown to more than $35 billion, becoming the second most expensive federal government program after the aged pension. With the cost of the scheme projected to reach $97 billion by 2032-33, the federal government in April announced an annual growth target of 8 per cent to try to rein in costs. Annual spending is currently growing at around 14 per cent. It's worth noting the vast majority of the estimated 4.4 million Australians with disability are not on the NDIS.

Creating more services outside the NDIS, including support for children with developmental delays, and hinging access on impairment instead of medical diagnosis, are among the key recommendations from a long -awaited review.

WhatsUp in Disability Stories in this issue include: • Navigators

The landmark report followed a year-long inquiry into the scheme, which was called over concerns the NDIS had become an "oasis in the desert" for people with disability and costs were growing at an unsustainable rate.

• Access and Assessment

The 329 page report made 26 recommendations to be implemented over the next five years and the 7 major items are included in this edition of WhatsUp.

• Support Workers

• Housing Supports • Service Providers

• NDIS Travel Allowance • State of the Disability Sector

To obtain a copy of WhatsUp in Disability magazine or to be a sponsor, please contact WhatsUp via: Office

11-15 Alexander Street, Toowoomba

spaull@bigdogsupport.com.au

Online

www.whatsupindisability.org

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• My Community • Polymyalgia Rheumatica Click on the above magazine cover to read this online at Issuu.

Steven Paull President

BigDog Support Services Magazine

2024 BigDog Football Sponsorship Shirts The 2024 Capras and Clydesdales Sponsorship Shirts are now available for all staff. Please go to your NGO Training App, 2024 Sponsorship Shirts, and select the shirt that you want and your size so that we can place the order by Thursday 31st January. If you do not provide this information you will miss out on this free offer.

Birthdays January 2024 3rd 5th 13th 19th 20th 22nd 27th 29th 29th

Scott L Damian R Jodie H Charlotte K Emily M Courtney C Jordan H Kristian S Abby Mc Bodie M Kira Lee W

Have a great day!

The event is called “we are not alone” and we are hoping to address isolation in the disabled community, particularly young disabled folks through an intersectional lens and see what gaps we can fill to better support our community. It will be hosted on the 19th of January 2024 at Rural Medical Education Australia (Griffith University building across from the Hooper Centre, on Hume street). If you are a young person or know a young person with a disability, chronic health condition or neurodiversity that would be interested in speaking at, participating in or attending our event please contact me through DM or email at wrna.day@gmail.com We hope to see you all there!

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BigDog Support Services Magazine

On Australia Day we celebrate all the things we love about Australia: land, sense of fair go, lifestyle, democracy, the freedoms we enjoy but particularly our people. Australia Day is about acknowledging the contribution every Australian makes to our contemporary and dynamic nation. From our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been here for more than 65,000 years, to those who have lived here for generations, to those who have come from all corners of the globe to call our country home. More than half of all Australians participate in Australia Day an in addition, over 16,000 new Australians become citizens on Australia Day.

Justice of the Peace This service is available at the Historic BigDog House 3 Clifford Street Toowoomba (please call first to make an appointment) The JPs in the Community Program is also available through major shopping centres, libraries, court houses and hospitals.

3 Clifford Street Toowoomba QLD 4350 PO Box 234 Harlaxton QLD 4350

(07) 4632 9559 1800 22 44 32 www.bigdogsupport.com.au

BigDog Support Services Magazine