2022-23 NDIS Q1 QUARTERLY REPORT

2022-23 NDIS Q1 QUARTERLY REPORT

The recently appointed CEO of the NDIA, Ms Rebecca Falkingham PSM, released the 2022-23 NDIS Q1 QUARTERLY REPORT  on 5th November. Upon releasing the report, one of her first public statements, Ms Falkingham commented that:” I am encouraged to see improving employment opportunities for participants entering the workforce and participants increasing their social and community participation – these outcomes demonstrate the social and economic value of the NDIS”.    

DIA has once again dug through the Quarterly Report picking out the “highlights” to save you valuable time!

The report is a summary of how the Scheme performed from 1 July 2022 to 30 September 2022.

Key Scheme Numbers Include:

• 554,917 people with a disability are being supported by the NDIS
  
• 20,262 people with a disability joined the scheme in Q1 (an increase of 4%)
• 50% of new participants in Q1 were aged 0-6 (11,554)
• Participation costs in Q1 was $8.193bln, up from $7.542bln in Q4 21-22. 
  

The continuing value Intermediaries bring to both participants and the NDIS is clearly demonstrated by the increasing numbers of participants engaging Registered Plan Management and Support Coordination Providers across Australia.

On the data published by the NDIA, DIA’s CEO, Mr Jess Harper said:

“We welcome the release of the NDIS Q1 2022 / 2023 – Quarterly Report, the data in the report shows a continuing trend in participants requesting all or part of their funds to be managed by a Registered Plan Management Provider. The ongoing increase in the number of participants being funded with Support Coordination within their plan is also encouraging. We continue to call for a measure of adequacy to be included in the data”.

OVERVIEW

The Q1 2022 – 2023 quarterly report has bucked the trend of previous editions by being 27 pages shorter than the Q4 2021-2022 document at a still healthy 827 pages if you are, like DIA, interested in reading through the many pages of Appendices.  Essentially this Report takes the same format as the previous reports over 2021-2022 and is therefore an update of “more of the same” rather than providing any new or valuable information.  

Community and Social Activities – Areas of Improvement

The NDIA have again provided a series of graphs highlighting the increased participation in community and social activities over a 6-year period which on face value we will take as a positive, there is evidence that participants have increased community and social activities over the time spent in the Scheme.

Improved Employment Strategies Need to be Implemented

In 2019 the NDIA released its Participant Employment Strategy  that sets out the commitment and strategy from the NDIA to participants in finding and keeping meaningful employment. Subsequently, the NDIA have released two research papers on employment; Employment Outcomes and Exploring Participant Experiences  which have been used to formulate the NDIA’s Participant Employment Strategy 2021-22 Action Plan that aims to have 30% of employment age participants in meaningful work by June 2023. The NDIA notes that the current environment continues to be challenging but this important commitment needs to be a high priority for the NDIA given the significant benefits employment generates for participants and secondly, the often neglected benefits that the Scheme generates for society and the economy as a whole.

As shown below, when the age cohorts are combined there is significant improvement required in order for the 30% target to be met by 2023.

The SIP Continues to Slip….

Following the Tune Review, the NDIA implemented the Participant Service Guarantee (PSG) and the Participant Service Improvement Plan (SIP). The NDIA have been reporting on the progress of the SIP and over the past two years there have been several extended time frames noticed by DIA. Below is a snapshot of the delays from the original published completion date, the completion date in the 2020-21 Q4 report, the completion date published in the 2021-2022 Q1, the 2021-22 Q2 report, the 2021-2022 Q4 report and the updated completion dates published in the 2022-2023 Q1 report:

SIP – Face-to-face meeting with the person making decisions on plans and funding.
June 2021 to December 2021 to June 2023, June 2023 and still June 2023 (24 months behind).

SIP – Manage your plan via a new NDIA mobile app.
June 2021 to December 2021 to March 2022 and Completed June 2022 (12 Months Behind).

SIP – The website and portal will be clearer and easier to use.
December 2021 to December 2021 to September 2022 to September 2023 to September 2023 to June 2023 (15 Months Behind).

SIP – Promote children and young people’s voice in their own plans.
June 2021 to December 2022 to June 2022 ,June 2022 and completed June 2022 (12 Months Behind).

SIP – Apply to the NDIS in your way including an online access form.
December 2021 to December 2022 to June 2023 and still  June 2023 (18 Months Behind).

SIP – Support more video-conference plan meetings.
June 2021 to December 2021 to September 2022 and still June 2023 (24 Months Behind).

SIP – Clearer about Support Coordination services and what to expect from them.
June 2021 to September 2021 to June 2022 to December 2023 to June 2023 (24 Months Behind)

SIP – We will have clearer guidelines and procedures so there is consistency in how we make decision and we will make more of these public.
December 2021 to December 2021 to June 2022 to September 2023 to June 2023 (15 months behind).

SIP – We will improve the way we provide you support for independent decision-making.
June 2022 to June 2022 to December 2023 to December 2023 to December 2022 (6 months behind).

SIP – Our guidelines will come in plain English descriptions and more examples.
December 2021 to December 2021 to June 2022 to June 2023 to September 2023 and completed September 2022 (9 months behind).

SIP – We will be clearer on what reasonable and necessary supports means, with case studies and examples.
December 2021 to December 2021 to March 2022 to June 2022 to September 2023 and completed September 2022 (9 months behind).

DIA will continue to monitor the progress of the deliverables of the SIP.

Section 5 Financial Sustainability 

Once again the projections included in the quarterly report are one dimensional with no clarification of any underlying assumptions.

DIA would again call for a more transparent multi scenario forecast path to be presented rather than the repetition of the “one scenario” forecasting of the future costs of the Scheme:

DIA is again pleased to see that the Median values of Payments have been included rather than just presenting the Average values. This provides an extra layer of context that has been sorely missing from much of the financial sustainability commentary from the NDIA. DIA would like to see this extended to the Plan Budget data which is still only presented as Averages.

Complaints and AAT Cases Remain High

Unfortunately, the last 2 years under the previous leadership will not be recorded as a great success for the NDIA. Given the numerous missteps the NDIA made it is not surprising, even to the casual observer, that both complaints and AAT cases had risen from Scheme lows just over 2 years ago.  DIA, and the broader disability community, are hoping that the commitments made by Minister Shorten, and the new leadership appointments, reverse the trend in complaints and AAT cases in the last quarter of 2022 and into 2023. Early indications are mildly encouraging.

 

Plan Deflation Is Occurring – A Change In Reporting?

Previously the NDIA had reported on plan budget inflation / deflation from the 2018-2019 year, however it appears that the 2018-2019 year has been dropped from the chart and on inspection the reported values seem to have changed from what had previously been stated. 

Anecdotally, DIA continues to hear that plan deflation has increased significantly during the second half of 2021 and during 2022 (possibly a major cause of the jump in complaints and AAT cases) and that the practice of keeping the value constant but extending the duration has also been prevalent. DIA would again question if the data presented by the NDIA accounts for this plan extension deflation effect.

It is interesting to note the differences in reported figures that were published in the Q2 2021-2022 Report:

It is increasingly difficult to get a clear picture of where the Scheme is actually headed as the messaging from the NDIA becomes more and more scrambled. More data isn’t necessarily better in this instance. It would be far more beneficial if clear, transparent and consistent data was provided giving participants and stakeholders the information required so that informed and constructive conversations can be had to make the NDIS all it can and should be.

CONCLUSION

Before we look specifically at Plan Management and Support Coordination, a few closing thoughts on the 2022 – 2023 Q1 Quarterly Report. In summary essentially more of the same (with a few adjustments from the NDIA). As a quick (if you can call 827 pages quick) snapshot of how the Scheme looks at the end of September 2023 it ticks the boxes but as per previous editions falls well short of providing the underlying transparency being called for from a growing number of parties. What is concerning is seeing the number of complaints remaining high, a sure sign that the NDIA has much work to do to regain the trust of the disability community.

PLAN MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT COORDINATION DATA

Intermediaries continue to increase in popularity with Participants, who see the undeniable value and importance Plan Management and Support Coordination brings to the Scheme.