The NDIA gave us an update about the Participant Service Charter.

The Participant Service Charter is a document about:

• how the NDIA works with and supports participants
• what participants can expect from the NDIA.

Council Members shared some ideas about the Participant Service Charter.

Council Members explained how the NDIA should share information about how the Participant Service Charter works.

They explained the NDIA should share this information in ways that are easy to understand.

For example, in plain English.

Council Members shared the NDIA should include information about:

• different types of disability

• intersectionality.

You can be different in more than one way.

And people might treat you differently for each part of who you are.

We call this intersectionality.

This information will help the NDIA know if things are changing.

Council Members explained that the NDIA should look at information about:

• where participants live

• what type of services they use.

This will help the NDIA understand where participants need more services.

Council Members explained that some people with intellectual disability want to do surveys in person.

An intellectual disability affects how you:

• learn new things
• solve problems
• communicate
• do things on your own.

Council Members shared that the community wants to know who fills out NDIS surveys.

People want to know if people with disability fill out the surveys.

Or if their families fill it out for them.

Council Members want the NDIA to work with participants to explain what they do with their information.

The NDIA explained how they are using our advice about ‘Promoting best practice in early childhood intervention’.

You can read our advice on our website.

www.ndis-iac.com.au/s/Promoting-best-practice-in-ECI-in-the-NDIS-March-2020.pdf

But the NDIA aren’t using all of our advice.

Council Members shared some ideas about what they can do.

Council Members shared how the NDIA can find out if their supports are working through how many young children:

• start using the NDIS

• leave the NDIS.

Council Members explained that the NDIA should support parents to:

• understand they can say no to some therapy

• connect with other families like them

• support their young children in their day‑to‑day life.

Council Members shared how the NDIA should look at how the NDIS works with services that protect children.

This includes:

• out of home care

• organisations that check on children at home.

They want to make sure every young child with disability gets support.

The Australian Government will review the NDIS.

When the Australian Government reviews the NDIS, they check to see what:

• works well

• could be better.

Council Members talked about:

• ways to work with the NDIS review

• what the NDIS review needs to look at.

Council Members explained the NDIS review should make its reports clear.

And include how they work with the Disability Royal Commission.

The Disability Royal Commission is a way to look into the experiences of people with disability.

Council Members think the NDIS review should think about our:

• advice to the NDIA

• reports about the community

• Reference Groups.

The NDIS review should also:

• work with us on hard problems

• do more to let people know how the NDIS review will work.
• For example, sharing more information with people with intellectual disability.