National Disability Insurance Scheme

 

The Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Women has grown providing services to Australians with a significant and permanent disability, their families and carers who are eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). 

TATSICFW has been part of the rollout of NDIS since the 1st of October 2016 and will be delivering NDIS services to Australians who are eligible in North Queensland.  

 

What is the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)?

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is an independent statutory agency, whose role is to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which will support a better life for hundreds of thousands of Australians with a significant and permanent disability and their families and carers.

 

What is the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)?

The NDIS is the new way of providing support for people with a disability, their families and carers in Australia.
The NDIS will provide all Australians under the age of 65 with a permanent and significant disability with the reasonable and necessary supports they need to live an ordinary life.  Supports may include personal care and support, access to the community, therapy servces. employment services and essential equipment.

Reasonable and necessary supports help people with disability achieve their goals, including independence, community involvement, employment and wellbeing.

As an insurance scheme, the NDIS takes a lifetime approach, investing in people with disability early to improve their oucomes late in life

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What is the National Disability Service (NDS)

National Disability Services (NDS) is Australia's peak body for non-government disability service organisations, representing more than 1100 on-government service providers.
Collectively, NDS membes operate serveral thousand services for Australians with all types of disability.

 

What is NDIS?

NDIS provides support and services for all Australians living with a significant and permanent disability, their families and carers.
NDIS enables participants to improve your outcomes through high quality supports which can maximise your potential, independence, intergration and inclusion within your community.

Participants will be able to buy services with their individual funding.  This funding supports your social and economic participation and helps meet your goal.  

Participants no longer have to fit into programs or services from an organisation. This choice is the participants to enable you with reasonable and necessary supports you need to live an ordinary life. 

NDIS has a lifetime approach, investing in people with a disability early to improve your outcomes later in life. NDIS enables participants to make their own choices and decisions about the services and support that best fits your goals. People with a disability will have reasonable and necessary supports to achieve your goals, including independence, community involvement, employment and well-being. 

TATSICFW Commonwealth Home Support Program and National Disability Insurance Scheme services aims to:

• Promote stronger, safer, healthier services to all Australians

• Provide cultually safe and competent services to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander participants across the Townsville Region

• Support a better life for Australians with a significant and permanent disability, their families and carers 

• Support and help people with a disabioity to achieve their goals, including independence, community involvemnt, employment and well-being

• Ensure CHSP clients and NDIS participants are not disadvantaged from accessing services

• Support community members with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds 

• Provide a better quality of life for all Australians with a significant and permanent disability, their families and carers

• Advocacy

 

TATSICFW can be an advocate on behalf of any potential particpant who has been given an appointment to ahve a care/support plan conducted by an ooutside agency, such as, an NDIS Planner.

 

What is Advocacy?

Advocacy is the process of standing alongside an individual who is disadvantaged, and speaking out on their behalf in a way that represents the best interests of that person. The aim of advocacy is to bring about beneficial outcomes in a way that enables each client to retain as much control as possible over how it is carried out.

 

Why would I need an advocate?

People need advocates for all sorts of reasons. Many clients can successfully advocate on teir own behalf, however there ard some people who may experience difficulty speaking up for themselves. In these instances, an advocate may:

 

• Assist the participant to access services

• Assist participants to change services

• Ensure tehat the service chosen is appropriate

• Communicate with the service provider

• Negoitate suitable resolutions where a complaint or dispute has arisen

 

We ask our clients or participants to complete a Nomination of Support Person/Advocate Form when they wish to nominate or change their advocate. Clients or participants have free choice to change their advocate whenerver they wish, however a new notification form must be completed with each advocacy change.

 

Cultural Safety

In the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 'Cultural Safety - what does it mean for our work practice (1999), Williams defines Cultural safety as:

 

"An environment that is spiritually, socially and emotionally safe, as well as physicaly safe for people; where there is no assault, challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are and what they need.  It is about shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge and expreirnece of learning together."

Cultural safety extends beyond cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity. It empowers individuals and enables them to contribute to the achievement of positive outcomes. It encompasses a reflection on individual cultural identity and recognistion of the impact of personal culture on professional practice.

The TATSICFW is a cultural competant service that embraces and values:

 

• Cultural understanding and connection

• Cultural Respect

• Cultural Protocols

• Cultural Safety

• Cutural Competence

• Cultural Heritage

• Cultural Awareness

• Cultural History

• Cultural Identity - genealogy - Apical Ancenstors

• Cultural Protocols for walking and living on Country

• Cultural model for healing and emotional well being

• Cultural Acceptance

 

NDIS Eligibility

You may be eligible to receive an individual suport plan if:

 

 

• you are under 65 years of age

• you are an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen who is a Protected Special Category Visa holder

• You have a permanent or significant disability that requires help from others to do things, equipment or assistive technology

 

Or you need to meet the early intervention requirments:

 

 

• your child is aged under 6 and has a developmental delay and 

• you and your child have a disability that is likely to be permanent or early supports would reduce how much help you or your child need to do things in the future

 

For further information on eligibility, please visit the NDIS access checklist

If you currently receive disability services you will be contacted by the National Disability Insurance Agency before your area transitions. 

 

TATSICFW NDIS Registered Services

The Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Women are registered for the following NDIS services:

 

• Accommodation/Tenancy

• Personal Activities High

• Assist-Life Stage, Transition

• Assist Personal Activities

• Assist - Tral/Transport

• Development - Life Skills

• Assistive Prod-Household Task

• Participate Community

• Group /Centre Activities

• Support Coordination

• Household Tasks

 

TATSICFW NDIS Support Coordinations

There are a number of ways TATSICFW NDIS can assist people with a disability in exercising your choice. 

We can assist with:

 

 

• Participants plan development - your goals needs and wishes.

• Development of your options and build capacity - to undertake self-management.

• Assistants with those people who are non-eligible to link you and your families and carers with other essential disability services.

• Building and maintaining strong relationships, build partnerships and to build a more inclusive community

• Advocacy support

 

NDIS Plan

TATSICFW can assist you with you plan. This planning process will assist you reaching your goals. Remember everybody's plan is different due to your individual needs. Your plan will include information about:

 

 

• Your support needs

• Your goals

• Your current supports

 

The planning workbook will:

 

 

• Help you understand the planning process

• Help us understand exactly what kin of suport you need

 

Eligible participants will then meet with a planner to assist you make a plan that is suitable to your needs. You can ask TATSICFW to be an advocate and assist you with your plan or someone else whom you feel comfortable with. TATSICFW provides advocacy for any person who requires help in understanding the plan and their care requirements.

 

First Planning Meeting

At our first planning meetings we will identify:

 

• Services you are currently accessing

• Supports you currently have

• Services and supports you would like to access in the future

• The kinds of social and economic participation that will help meet your goals

 

Preplanning can assist you with a smoother transition into the NDIS when you meet with the planner.

 

Goals

As a participant you may have short or long terms goals for different areas in your life. Short term goals are goals that you would like to reach soon and more easily. Long term goals you would like to reach over a long period of time.

 

What supports do you need to reach your goals?

Is there anything that is stopping you from reaching your goals?

What actions do you need to take to get to where you want to be?

 

Planner

A planner from the NDIS will contact you to organise a a suitable time to meet. At this meeting you will talk about your life and goals.
You should bring notes you have made or the workbook you have completed. You are entitled to take an advocate with you to this meeting. Tell the planner if you need a translator.

The planner may ask if your carer can share some information about the care they currently provide to you to assist with your plan.
Your planner will take the time to talk to you about what is best for reaching your goals and creating a good plan that is suitable for your identified needs.

Using the information gathered during your planning meeting will assist your planner to do up a plan that best suits your needs and helps you reach your short or long term goals.

 

Specialist Assessments

A specialist assessment is an exam that a specialist like a doctor or therapist will conduct. This assessment is needed to ensure you are getting the right supports. If you are required to have this kind of assessment, we will inform you:

 

• Why you need to have one

• How this will be done

• What information it will provide to us to assist you with your plan

 

How you will manage the funding for your plan?

Your planner will also discuss with you about how you will manage the plan from day to day. 

There are a few options that you can choose from:

1. Look after the plan yourself
NDIS will provide you with the money so you can purchase and pay for your own supports.

2. Have someone else manage your plan
The participant will choose someone to assist you with your plan. This person is called a plan nominee.

3. Use a registered plan management provider
This is an organisation that will manage your funds for you. Your planner can help you find a service provider.

4. Ask the NDIA to look after the plan
This means the NDIA will makesure that your plan is working well for YOU.

5. A mix of all these options
This means you can create your own way of looking after your plan. Your planner will send you a copy of your plan to sign.
Your planner will also discuss with you about how you wish to manage your money and suppports in the plan.

Our information planning booklets can assist you with this process. For more information on the NDIS please click the button to visit the NDIS website. To register for NDIS services please click the Register button.