A new participant pathway & a price increase for STA

The NDIA have this morning made two important announcements:

1. A new participant pathway is being trialled
A new participant pathway will be piloted and trialled over the coming months before being rolled out nationally. The new pathway is designed to solve many of the issues experienced by participants in planning and implementation, with features including: 

• A consistent point of contact, who plays a key role in empowering participants to achieve outcomes
• Planning being undertaken with a skilled Local Area Coordinator or NDIA planner who will spend time understanding the unique needs of each participant
• A stronger focus on the broader system of supports for people with disability, including other government services such as health, education and transport, to promote greater inclusion and a sense of community for people with disability
• Communication which emphasises the objectives of the NDIS, with a clear focus on outcomes and goals during planning discussions
• Information that is clear, consistent and available in accessible formats, such as plain English and braille
• An improved NDIS portal and tools, combined with more straightforward processes that will reduce the administrative cost for providers.

Further information is available at https://www.ndis.gov.au/pathway-experience.html


2. The price limits for Short Term Accommodation will be increased
It is no surprise to anyone providing Short Term Accommodation that the current price structure is insufficient in many circumstances. The early findings of the Independent Price Review have supported this and the NDIA have today announced their intention to increase price limits from 30 October.

The new price limits will acknowledge the difference in costs to providers during different times of the week and for participants with more complex support needs. 

The updated Price Guides are available at https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-and-payment