The Reference Group connected with the community to find out about issues that affect them.

The Reference Group members shared these issues with the NDIA.

The NDIA have held information sessions in the community about how some laws will change.

This includes laws about NDIS supports.

Reference Group members shared that they like that the NDIA is doing this.

But members also shared that the community are unsure about how some laws will change.

Members explained that the NDIA should improve how they share information about changes.

This includes:

• having more information sessions

• sharing more information in different ways.

For example, in Easy Read and videos.

The NDIA shared that they have answered some questions about how some laws will change.

You can find the answers on their website.

www.ndis.gov.au/changes-ndis-legislation/ frequently-asked-questions-about-legislation

Reference Group members shared that the NDIA should teach the community more about home and living.

This includes what home and living supports the community can choose from.

Members explained that the NDIA should share more information that is easy to:

• understand
• find and use.

This information should also be created through co-design.

Co-design is when people work together to plan something new. 

The NDIA agreed that it’s important to share information the same way.

Members also explained that some providers share the wrong information about supports.

Providers support people with disability by delivering a service.

Members shared this has made participants more unsure about what supports they can use.

Participants are people with disability who take part in the NDIS.

Members worry that NDIS plans include only certain types of home and living supports.

An NDIS plan is a document that has information about:

• a participant and their goals
• what supports they need.

This includes group homes.

Group homes are places where people with disability:

• live together
• get support.

This also includes housing:

• for people who need daily support

• where lots of people live together.

Members explained that people with disability need more:

• supports

• types of housing.

The NDIA shared that they don’t pick one type of home and living support over another.

Reference Group members shared that people in the community worry about:

• NDIS plans

• home and living supports.

They worry that participants have less funding in their plans.

Funding is the money from a participant’s plan that pays for the supports and services they need.

They also worry that plans include types of housing supports because:

• they worked well before
• a lot of other people use them.

But these housing supports might not work for everyone.

Members also shared that people in the community worry about how long NDIS plans last.

They worry that the NDIA tells participants to have an NDIS plan that isn’t longer than 12 months.

NDIS plans that only last 12 months can:

• cause participants to feel more stress

• create more work for NDIS planners.

An NDIS planner is someone who:

• makes new plans
• changes plans.

Members explained that some participants worry about:

• using their NDIS plan wrong
• making a mistake.

Reference Group members talked about the NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce.

In this document we call it the taskforce.

The taskforce gave advice to the Australian Government about a new way to check providers.

Members shared that they’re happy with the work the taskforce has done.

This includes their work to share the different ways NDIS providers should be registered.

A registered provider:

• can offer different supports and services than other providers
• have to follow more rules.

Members also talked about how the NDIA:

• listens to other people’s ideas
• might make changes to support these ideas.