View the report as separate downloadable parts:
Committee Membership
Executive summary
Abbreviations
List of Recommendations
Chapter 1—Introduction
Conduct of the inquiry
Background to the NDIS
Background to planning
Interim report by this committee
Supported Independent Living inquiry
Review of the NDIS Act and the new NDIS Participant Service Guarantee (Tune Review)
Structure of this report
Note on evidence provided to this inquiry
Note on terminology and references
Acknowledgements
Chapter 2—Issues raised in the interim report
Standardised terminology
Planner training
Plan flexibility and funding for transport
Draft plans and joint planning
Plan gaps
Plan reviews
Administrative Appeals Tribunal reviews
First plan approvals and complex support needs
Children with acquired injuries and complex care needs
Committee view
Chapter 3—Plan funding
Impacts of reduced funding
Legislative framework guiding funding decisions
Lack of transparency in funding decisions
Unexplained funding decreases after plan reviews
Participants being forced to choose between supports
Plan inconsistencies
Issues with funding for assistive technology (AT)
Planners recommending cheaper supports
Funding for support coordination
Funding rejected for specific types of supports
Funding inflexibility
Funding for transport and travel
Crisis and emergency funding
Funding for advocacy and independent assistance with planning
Other issues
Committee view
Chapter 4—Informal supports and the role of families
Plans over-relying on the concept of parental responsibility
Caregivers being unable to work
Older caregivers
Respite and short-term accommodation
Support and capacity building for families
The Australian Government’s position
Committee view
Chapter 5—Overlap with other systems
Legal framework
Other inquiries related to interface issues
General issues raised about interface with other systems
Health and mental health
Child protection and family support
Criminal justice system
Childcare and after-school care
Transport
Other issues raised
Committee view
Chapter 6—The role of experts
Planners disregarding expert reports
Planners not reading expert reports at all
Planners changing expert recommendations
Expert reports being unsuitable for the NDIS
Impartiality of experts questioned
Allied health assistants and students
Consumable and ancillary items
Planner lack of knowledge of allied health
Limited NDIA engagement with the allied health sector
Expert teams within the NDIA
Other issues related to the role of experts
Independent assessments
Committee view
Chapter 7—Planner training and expertise
Planner errors
Performance pressures on planners
Planner retention and staff turnover
The number of planners
Planner expertise
Planner training
Committee view
Chapter 8—Planning for particular groups
Participants with psychosocial disabilities
Participants with other disability types
Participants experiencing family violence
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants
Participants requiring early intervention
Children and young people
Participants from low socio-economic backgrounds
Participants in custodial settings
Participants in out-of-home care and guardianship arrangements
Participants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Participants with complex needs
Planner expertise in certain disability types or groups
Committee view
Chapter 9—Planning in rural and remote areas
Lack of service providers
Shortage of planners
Planning meetings taking place via phone
Travel and transport
Insufficient funding for services
Other issues raised about planning in rural and remote areas
Committee view
Chapter 10—Administrative Appeals Tribunal appeals
Background
Eligibility to lodge an appeal with the AAT
Legal representation in the AAT
Length of process
Transparency of cases settled by consent
The NDIA’s conduct in the appeals process
Limited impact of decisions on NDIA policy
Access to advocacy and legal assistance
Committee view
Chapter 11—Communication
The NDIA not answering queries
No single point of contact
The complexity of written communication from the NDIA
Accessibility
Inappropriate or insensitive communication
Complaints
Other issues related to communication
Committee view
Chapter 12—Other issues raised about planning
Timeliness and delays
Planning meetings
Plan lengths and automatic plan roll-over
Plan implementation and utilisation
Self-management
Pre-planning
Excluding participants from planning meetings
The role of LACs
Surveys on participant satisfaction
COVID-19 and arrangements for planning
Other issues raised
Committee view
Appendix 1—Submissions
Appendix 2—Public hearings