December 2021 Wrap

Dec 23 / Linda Hughes
As 2021 comes to a close, we want to thank you for your ongoing work to support people with disability to achieve good outcomes and to live well in the community. We are very proud to support the development of the sector and to work alongside people with disability as allies.
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We have all navigated challenging disruptions over the past year and we hope you can pause during the holiday season to reflect on your achievements during that time. It was a busy year!
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COVID – depending where you live…waves 2, 3, 4, 5 and/or 6

We had hoped better for 2021, but COVID continues to be a significant concern. We eventually got there with the vaccine rollout for people with disability, but with the latest variant it is now time to get boosters as we continue doing what we can to reduce the risks of transmission.

Dr George Taleporos has produced a special video podcast series: Living with COVID which includes lots of great information for sharing.

UpSkill lead, Linda Hughes, writes about the importance of hospital passports and supporting people with disability to stay safe with the surge in COVID cases.

And our friends at Ablelink and The Growing Space have contributed to the Coming Out of Lockdown: Resources for Support Coordinators. This is an essential resource for support coordinators and contains important checklists, contact lists and templates.
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Independent assessments

The NDIA’s proposed independent assessments generated much controversy through the first half of the year.  Strong opposition from the disability community and peak allied health bodies resulted in the federal government not proceeding with its proposals.

For a trip down memory lane, check out Dr Taleporos’ Reasonable and Necessary podcast series which includes interviews with NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds; NDIA CEO Martin Hoffman; NDIS Shadow Minister Bill Shorten and Senator Jordon Steele-John.
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NDIS consultations on Home and Living – An ordinary life at home and support for decision-making

Mid-year, the NDIA signalled a change in approach to both Home and Living and support for decision-making, releasing a consultation paper on each.  Last week the NDIA published its response to the Home and Living consultation. Watch out for more in 2022. You can read the Summer Foundations’ contribution to both consultations here.
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Operational guidelines on ILO, SIL and SDA

April saw the release of the Individualised Living Options (ILO) Operational Guidelines, and more recently there has been some tinkering with the Supported Independent Living and Specialist Disability Accommodation Operational Guidelines. We are already seeing the effect with more to come in 2022.
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Proposed changes to legislation

There was yet another consultation with the proposed changes to the NDIS Act: The Amendment Bill. We are sure this will remain on the agenda for 2022.
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And, finally the support coordination report

Back in September 2020 the NDIA held a consultation on support coordination and last month the Agency released the ​​Improving Support Coordination for NDIS Participants paper. This paper outlines responses from the consultation and the next steps for improving support coordination. Importantly, training and professional development feature in the paper.