THE NDIS AND ME ROS

THE NDIS AND ME ROS HARMAN, MSWA MEMBER The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been in the news for about four years now. It’s new! It’s going to be great! It will transform the lives of people with disabilities! It’s going to be too expensive! There are going to be problems! The Prime Minister kissed another baby! Blah, blah, blah. For the average pleb like me, the news has become confusing and boring. But the NDIS is coming to me, in July this year. A few weeks ago I was contacted by a Local Coordinator from the Department of Communities to start the process of developing my very own individual NDIS Plan. She came over one day and took notes as she asked me about my life. She wanted me to think about everything I do now, or want to do, and what help I might need to make it happen. We discussed the services I am already receiving from MSWA like physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and the art and craft group I attend. I also mentioned the home care service I receive and the gardeners, the taxi subsidies, continence aids and advice, and maintenance of my mobility equipment. I have also discovered that all these services can be provided or coordinated by MSWA. It will be great to have everything provided by them, an organisation I know and trust. And as part of my plan all of these things will be funded by the NDIS. We also discussed some things I would like to do if I had support. I would like to go out sometimes to movies, or the theatre or exhibitions, but I have some anxiety about going alone. I would also like to travel interstate to visit my daughter and sister, or to my old home town, Albany. Currently, if I do these things I need to rely on the goodwill of my sisters or friends, and their availability. With funding from the NDIS, I will be able to pay a support worker to accompany me at a time of my own choosing. Not long after this visit, I received a draft copy of my plan. I noticed that I was feeling some anxiety at this stage, worrying about whether I had got it right. Had I included everything? What if I needed something else in the future? Would I be able to change things? I took the plan to the NDIS team at MSWA to check it out. The team member was very helpful and identified a couple of improvements that could be made. She became my advocate in the NDIS process and contacted the Local Coordinator to see that the suggestions were included. Knowing this, I felt a great weight lifted off my shoulders. She did tell me that this team of NDIS support at MSWA is there specifically to help Members with their NDIS process, preparing their plan and making sure they get the best outcome for them. In fact I could have had them there at the initial meeting with the NDIS Local Coordinator. One of the important messages of the NDIS is that it is about giving people with disabilities a choice. I have always been happy with MSWA’s support and fortunately it is well placed to provide many services. As I continue on my journey, with the possibility of increasing disability over time, MSWA will be my first choice as service provider. Change is scary. I’m happy with the way things are now. But change is coming anyway, and I am glad to have help as I negotiate my way through it. 18 | MSWA BULLETIN AUTUMN 2018

NDIS UPDATE NIGEL CAREY, MSWA MANAGER NDIS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WA goes with the Federal model of the NDIS! We had all been waiting several months for the final decision to be made on whether WA would be adopting the Federal model of the NDIS or a State model of the NDIS. In mid-December the decision was finally made: WA is adopting the Federal model. MSWA has successfully worked across both the NDIS and WA NDIS trial sites and we have many Clients in both Schemes. We are therefore enthusiastically looking forward to this great opportunity! We are primarily relieved that a decision has finally been made and the sector can now move forward with greater certainty. From our Members’ point of view there is very little difference between the two Schemes. The models are underpinned by the same philosophy of ‘choice and control’ and the benefits of both Schemes are very similar, so the impact on Clients will be minimal. So, what are the next steps? Clients with a current WA NDIS plan will receive a letter informing them of their transfer to the NDIS. The dates of the transfer are as follows: April – July: WA NDIS Clients living in Perth Hills, Bayswater, Bassendean, Chittering, Northam, Toodyay and York will be asked to transfer to the NDIS July – November: WA NDIS Clients living in Rockingham, Mandurah, Armadale, Murray and Serpentine-Jarrahdale will be asked to transfer to the NDIS August – October: WA NDIS Clients living in Cockburn and Kwinana will be asked to transfer to the NDIS September – December: WA NDIS Clients living in the lower South West will be asked to transfer to the NDIS The NDIS team at MSWA would be happy to help you better understand what this means and to guide you further on the process when you receive your letter. This year the NDIS will also be launched for the first time in the following new areas: July 1st • East Fremantle • Fremantle • Melville • South Perth October 1st • Joondalup • Wanneroo • Bunbury • Capel • Dardanup • Harvey • Waroona The NDIS team will be organising a series of information sessions to communicate how the NDIS can benefit you, and to help with pre-planning. Please don’t hesitate to contact MSWA’s NDIS team and we will register you for an information session in a location which is convenient for you. Please also feel free to circulate this information to people you know who have a neurological condition including stroke, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease and acquired Brain Injury; to name a few. Please contact the NDIS team if you have any questions or if you require further information. Our NDIS team members are: Christine Richards: Client Relationship Coordinator Email: christine.richards@mswa.org.au Phone: 9365 4867 Pranjal Pawar: Client Relationship Coordinator Email: pranjal.pawar@mswa.org.au Phone: 9365 4810 Annabel Vasquez: Client Relationship Coordinator Email: annabel.vasquez@mswa.org.au Phone: 9365 4806 MSWA BULLETIN AUTUMN 2018 | 19