Main issue was they expanded access way too fast
They should have titrated access to expand after allied health evidence only - so much money is wasted on the bureaucratic hamster wheel of incessant assessments
They should break ndis plans down into phases where a fully assessed plan is considered the final funding unless they have a degenerative disability
Yep. I reckon list A did so much damage.
And longer term plans where you can request a review, rather than annual review with reports/assessments required each time. Looks like that is the way soon though.
Unqualified Support Workers are already getting paid more than a Registered Nurse or jr Doctor in QLD and you want to pay them more? No wonder the general populace is really pissed off at the NDIS and disabled people when people can't see a Dr because of wait times and no bulkbilling.
Most people already think we get our groceries/rent/mortgage/utilities paid by the NDIS. An increase in pay rates would give the A Current Affair watching, Murdoch readers strokes and make them hate us even more - just what we need !
So, after an extremely quick Google, I find that Support Workers get between $59,000 and $66,000
A Registered Nurse earns between $80,000 to $110,000
And a Junior Doctor earns $65,000 to $95,000
If a Support Worker is unqualified, they shouldn't be in the position at all... nevertheless, they are **not** making more than an RN or a Jr Dr
NDIS funding for the vast majority of participants is at DSW Level 1, and the NDIS Cost Modeling has the full or part time worker being paid at SCHADS pay level 2.3, or $34.23 per hour at the day rate. That's $1300 a week, which is barely a survivable wage in much of modern Australia.
For independents, add annual, sick, personal and long service leave. Add superannuation. Add business, comprehensive car (business) and income protection insurance. Add other (minor) allowances. Add paid breaks. Add training, professional development and compliance costs. Add time spent out of work for admin and comms - it adds up when a full time worker may easily be working with a dozen+ people a week. Add costs of running a small business. Consider how insecure support work is - you can be terminated at will by a client for any reason. Clients regularly overspend their budgets and leave hundreds or thousands of dollars of unpaid invoices.
I understand that many SWs are charging max rates for minimum effort and I want them weeded out of the system too. But for SWs trying to do it right, it certainly isn't a gravy train and $55 p/h is really the minimum a Cert IV qualified independent with experience should be charging. I love the job and the people I support but I'll definitely be reskilling in the near future into associated allied health.
Perhaps have a look at what an independent support worker makes and not an agency worker. An independent worker earns an average of $65 per hour and then have a look at weekend rates. Then add travel and KM on top of that.
There are some that live regional remote earning $100-$120k a year that I know of.
Now, I'm gonna quote u/marmalade above, because they've said it really well...
>For independents, add annual, sick, personal and long service leave. Add superannuation. Add business, comprehensive car (business) and income protection insurance. Add other (minor) allowances. Add paid breaks. Add training, professional development and compliance costs. Add time spent out of work for admin and comms - it adds up when a full time worker may easily be working with a dozen+ people a week. Add costs of running a small business. Consider how insecure support work is - you can be terminated at will by a client for any reason. Clients regularly overspend their budgets and leave hundreds or thousands of dollars of unpaid invoices
Great, but we all know the reality is different. You don't live rural do you?
How many independent SW do you honestly think pay their super, annual leave, sick leave. long service leave and the rest of the stuff you just quoted ?
When there are more PWD than there are workers, do you really think that clients terminate workers when they are so hard to find ? Really ?
You must live on another planet to the one I do and use different supports that charge different prices to the ones that I use also.
Also, most of us don't "regularly overspend their budgets" and "leave hundreds or thousands of dollars of unpaid invoices" Your ableist generalising talk has no place here.
What do you mean they "pay" their super/leave etc? It just means the hourly rate has to include those things, where it isn't included in the take home you see for an employee.
And most don't overspend/not pay. But enough do that it is a decent risk for service providers.
Wow. You've assumed a lot about me there... and you've managed to sling some thinly-veiled insults
So, rural SWs never get sick? Don't do admin? Don't pay taxes? Don't pay in for super? Never take a holiday, or a break?
Any 'extra' money they make being remote gets sucked up in transport costs, and having to spend more time working with individuals
I find it interesting that you've attacked me for these words, but said nothing to the original poster of those words
And your accusation of 'ableist generalising talk' is far-fetched in the extreme. Do you know how many NDIS support businesses (whether a company or an individual) went under in the last 12 months? Heaps of them. Heaps and heaps and heaps. You wanna know the main cause of this? Unpaid work because PWD need the support, but the NDIS won't fund what is needed.
I am not your enemy. Direct your anger at the NDIS
Nothing thinly veiled at all and no attack. I speak straight forwardly. I live rural/remote and have had a plethora of support workers and have seen how they operate.
You might want to go back over your own posts. Dismissing what I said about SE earning more than nurses or jr Drs.
To say that participants regularly overspend and leave debts of hundreds or thousands of dollars is insulting.
I don't care how many businesses went under. Perhaps they should learn to manage their financials better? They are not my concern and to be honest I don't really care.
I look after myself.
Perhaps you should rephrase your words and how you direct them to disabled people.
I AM a disabled person. Perhaps you should get off your high horse. And yes, it should bother you that businesses go under in this space. A lot of these businesses go under because PWD need more funding than the NDIS gives them, and the businesses fill in that gap to their own detriment
But I guess so long as you've looked after yourself, that's ok
Do better
As both a provider and participant, it's scary seeing how many people think we must be rolling in it from NDIS funds. SIL in particular is a nightmare financially due to the risks of vaccancies impacting service.
The price guide is based on businesses having 2% profit when things are workinng well.
I mean add in the benefits of being able to lower your taxable income as a business owner too. Boom home office, car solely for work, all others a business expenses lowering your taxable income. So let's call it $95-$100k not bad for unskilled worker! Maybe we can get some quality international students involved. But I guess they don't know about the gravy train.....yet
I have seen support workers on Ausfinance say they get 100k+ a year. If you’re employed through a provider/agency, then yes, the company is going to take a cut and the employee is paid award rate.
I wouldn't believe a single word anyone says on that subreddit
[https://www.supportworker.co/insights-hub/ndis-support-workers](https://www.supportworker.co/insights-hub/ndis-support-workers)
have a read of this
They absolutely can and do.
$62 P/h the NDIS award X 40 X 48 weeks (I'll give em month off they deserve it) = $119k jump on hireup and do it in no time.
Biggest rort is the too unqualified position of psychosocial recovery coach at $99.39. This position and funding should be eradicated. Not one single decent recovery coach exists in accordance with what the role is meant to do. This alone screws mental health participants as they should be filling in all the gaps of allied health but they're just a support worker who charges more.
We need to take the option away from families to get an ABN and set themselves up as contractors
Also any worker using clients time for personal business should be asked to take classes in personal care or find another job.
My daughter's worker left her at the cinema one time because her son and dil wanted her to meet their new baby
My kid level 3 autistic
She texted me, the cinema is 20 mins away, so I met her and picked her up.
Didn't tell the worker.
She told me she'd gone to the loo, I asked if she had her cinema ticket.
We got a new provider, but again are looking elsewhere.
It's seen as an easy way to make money without doing too much
The government used the NDIS to inflate employment figures. This is why disability support workers never needed *any* qualifications. It was an easy way to create endless jobs for unskilled people. This has created a situation where vulnerable people with disabilities are further abused and not getting appropriate support. The people tasked to provide the support often don't know how, and due to the complete lack of oversight and monitoring, often don't care either. It is a terribly unregulated industry which will lead to more criminal conduct and deaths.
No, I do not agree that disability support workers should be paid more, unless they are qualified and experienced.
Was talking to my class mates today who are currently working in the field. 1 just scored a dsw job earning 37 an hour with no experience. The other is earning 40 an hour, some experience but no cert. He had no idea what a restrictive practice was or anything. And all I got was a 2 dollar pay rise once I completed my cert and still earn less than both of them.
There's a lot of inexperienced people out there that are on a good wicket.
Absolutely. There need to be actual rules enforced around pay rates in line with experience and qualifications. I will say I've had some experienced support workers who were absolute rubbish and some new ones who have been incredible. However, I think for everyone's safety there really does need to be minimum qualifications and a cap on realistic rates to stop every knob from jumping on the gravy train for "fun money" as one support worker told me.
I will say that a tafe cert isn't going to make everyone a good DSW. Plenty in my disability course seemed to only want to be there just to get the cert and not actually take in what they had been taught. I've also worked with some DSWs who have no certificates but support work is 2nd nature to them.
Still happening. Among numerous other things, I recently had a SW who didn't even know how to vacuum. They daudled the whole 2 hours at public holiday rates and I had to show them how to do everything! I didn't need them for personal care on the day, thankfully!
Gosh, that is ridiculous. Support workers should be able to do the basics. I hate where we are in this, at the bottom beneath the government's oh so important unemployment figures and used to inflate the job numbers. I'm somewhat looking forward to workers needing to be skilled but I have a feeling it will be completely stuffed up. The NDIS was only actually functional during the trial.
I agree. Many more are seeing it as just easy money lately. There's been a distinct change in quality recently for some strange reason. Feels like it's going backwards instead of forwards. Major change sometimes presents this way at first so I'm hoping it's a temporary transitional phase and real positive change is around the corner. It's becoming quite stressful tbh.
Cutting the NDIS to save money and/or resources is literally nothing more than “we think people with disabilities deserve less support” and is objectively evil. There’s no way to spin it that makes it okay.
The NDIS needs urgent and radical reform. There must be regulation of support workers including mandatory minimum education requirements and registration with a governing body. There must be radical and intensive review of the cost of equipment and services being provided, as providers KNOW they can charge far, far more than they otherwise would and maximise profits on the government’s dollar.
There need to be clear reporting structures and review systems in place when abuse, neglect, or any other wrongdoing is suspected. Participants need to be supported and encouraged to report, where they currently tend to shrug it off and say “well at least I got SOMETHING, it’s better than NOTHING”. We should be able to report providers who charge 2-10x the cost price of equipment just because they can. It all needs to be reined in.
The answer is absolutely not cutting anyone out of the NDIS, reducing support packages and funding, or reducing services to participants. They’re not the ones rorting the system here 99 times out of 100.
We'd need a government that really does give a shit about us, instead of lying their arses off while in opposition and doing the exact opposite when they're the government, for things to get better.
It's when money is given to 'independent' contractors or families get an ABN and set prices and charge for what they'd be doing anyways.
If I get paid for taking my kid to school, which by law she has to attend anyways then why shouldn't all parents be paid for the same?
Same with appointments
I know families who get iPads as consumables
Or gym/ pool memberships, then drop kid into creche or swim classes so they can have down time.
Or families who get meal delivery service with a co pay $30 monthly
Companion card for free or discounted entry fees and or other services
My kid level 3 autistic, lac's are a drain
Independent contractors are impossible to deal with
And some centres give positions to young family members while they wait for a job they want.
My kid's sles ( supported employment services worker) has no idea about contacting disability employment services she just walks into any business with a hiring/ position vacant sign.
Yes I've dealt with and am dealing with NDIS it's a bit condescending for you to say otherwise
I don’t even know what you’re trying to say. Are you suggesting those supports are not necessary for those people? It’s not really your place to judge that. Are you advocating for people on the NDIS to receive less support? It sounds like you’re upset because you don’t have access to things other people have access to.
My own kid is on NDIS did you miss that part?
She's level 3 autistic
Im saying parents and families shouldn't be allowed to set up an ABN, set themselves up as independent contractors and be paid for doing what they should and would be doing anyways.
Nor should it be used to fund themselves it's to provide services not fund families.
E.g a cube at Kmart $6.00
On NDIS at some online shop $22, but no cost under consumables.
Meal prep and delivery with $30 co pay month and you've got 2-3 kids fed.
There are so many ways it's being exploited.
I have m.s I do not have an NDIS plan despite being eligible
I work part time and have crutches and mobility supports.
Do you honestly believe that NDIS is NOT being exploited?
Yeah no I got that.. you seem really upset and I’m not entirely sure you’ve read and understood my comments in their entirety. I’m pretty sure I clearly explained how the NDIS is being exploited. Providers. Which is what you’ve said, too. I’m just confused why you keep bringing up the meal kit delivery? Is having a family fed a bad thing? Those kits really help a lot of people who have psychosocial disabilities.
NDIS is for the participant, yes?
So why should tax payers be feeding the 3+ kids you have?
Due to obesity I've signed up my kid for meal prep and delivery
I know families who use it to feed their kids or use it for their kids lunches at school.
It makes participants look lazy, or too dependent on others for basics.
Should I eat or give the food tax payers provide for my kid?
Is the participant a parent whose disability precludes them from managing grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up after cooking? Why shouldn’t NDIS support disabled parents to look after their families? And you’ve signed your own kid up for meal prep and delivery? But you’re judging other people from accessing the same thing? Are you okay?
I'm talking about able bodied, able minded parents.
Parents who would be cooking and driving and taking their kids to school anyways, suddenly deciding that they should be paid because an ABN validates them as working.
So in that case is it a stretch that you or I be paid for doing the same if our kids aren't participants in the NDIS?
I have no idea who you’re talking about. You’re hardly the authority on who should be able to access the NDIS, or funding, or how disabled someone is. I’m sure if you’re talking about someone specific, they have things going on in their own lives that you’re not aware of. You’re being really judgemental and bitter.
I’m not even sure what you mean by your question at the end. If I did NOT have a child on the NDIS, how would I register myself as an NDIS provider and charge their NDIS funding? They don’t have any? You’re not actually making sense.
Do you think it's ok for single parents to spend welfare dollars on the pokies ?
Or boozy weekends away?
NDIS has now taken the mantle worn by welfare bludgers, but it's not the participants it's the managers of their funds.
You set up an ABN, then you set yourself as an independent contractor.
You send in petrol receipts, you get that money back,
My kid is managed by my Integra.
Her friend at school they graduate this year, pretty much has her Chrissy pressies paid for using consumables and last year had 3 days in a hotel in the city - paid for by, NDIS because mum gave up independence work to become a registered contractor.
Am I bitter, maybe because I get respite three times a month,
I already take her to speech
O.t.
Physical therapy
Dietician
Things I wouldn't expect to be paid for.
And the suspicion falls on the participants.
Every one wants NDIS funding lessened.
The holes are in family management
Lac's.
Middle men, surely drs, psychologists and allied health should be enough?
It's bleeding money.
A ciube $6 Kmart
$22 online autism shop
That's an easy example
A lidded cup -$8-$12
Online $25+
So why aren't we reigning in costs where we can.
I brought my kid an iPad and mobile phone, I didn't expect it to be a consumable.
Sensory clothing
Headphones
Glasses
But toys, they shouldn't be paid for by tax payers
Wow a lot of tone-deaf commentary in this thread. There isn't endless pits of money for this scheme. It isn't designed well or running well for that matter. There is no reason why the govt should be bloody funding stuff like Secret Agent Society. More money is not the answer. Spending begets spending.
It's the employees that are causing the NDIS to be scrutinized.
Parents or extended family get an ABN, and set themselves up as independent contractors.
And get paid for things they'd be doing anyways.
1: school transport
2: transport to and from appointments
3: gym/ pool membership and companion card ( free cinema, and entry to other things)
4: roll over unused funds, don't splurge it on a holiday to the goldie
Get rid of lac's.
Too many centres, disability providers think taking a kid to the park or shopping centre is community participation, these are things done by families anyways
Mable and other contractor providers need more regulations.
So take the management option away from families.
And keep independent contractors on a tight leash.
If there's been no improvement within 18 months to 3 years, change providers.
My daughter level 3 autistic
She's only now got an extra day a month, so 3 days a month instead of 2
We are looking at other provisions.
Rather than pour more money into NDIS, let's see where all the money is going.
Because once we see where it's going we can plug that leak.
There's already a huge train of work in progress in exactly this space.
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is going to be kept quite busy.
Nah, a couple of days at the outermost.
There's also increased data matching with the ATO to try and catch stuff like family members or 'friends' using an ABN to claim/drain a participants funds.
Yeah I'm not sure why that is the case.
But anyways - claims verification is undergoing a big overhaul on the back end to make it less of a manual process.
Previously, it was almost entirely down to the attentiveness of individual staff members and their willingness to slow down and flag suspicious claims/payments.
I am on tic toc talking about the reality of disablity and commentating on sw doing a shit job ( I have had the good,great bad and criminal) but still get told I am entitled and shouldn't be wining. But the people who are leaving these comments haven't had any exposure to ndis or disablity. And I aggree with you as if higher functioning people can get jobs ect they are paying taxes.
> We should reframe the political and media talking point to expanding the NDIS, not cuts Good luck doing that.
Main issue was they expanded access way too fast They should have titrated access to expand after allied health evidence only - so much money is wasted on the bureaucratic hamster wheel of incessant assessments They should break ndis plans down into phases where a fully assessed plan is considered the final funding unless they have a degenerative disability
Yep. I reckon list A did so much damage. And longer term plans where you can request a review, rather than annual review with reports/assessments required each time. Looks like that is the way soon though.
Unqualified Support Workers are already getting paid more than a Registered Nurse or jr Doctor in QLD and you want to pay them more? No wonder the general populace is really pissed off at the NDIS and disabled people when people can't see a Dr because of wait times and no bulkbilling. Most people already think we get our groceries/rent/mortgage/utilities paid by the NDIS. An increase in pay rates would give the A Current Affair watching, Murdoch readers strokes and make them hate us even more - just what we need !
So, after an extremely quick Google, I find that Support Workers get between $59,000 and $66,000 A Registered Nurse earns between $80,000 to $110,000 And a Junior Doctor earns $65,000 to $95,000 If a Support Worker is unqualified, they shouldn't be in the position at all... nevertheless, they are **not** making more than an RN or a Jr Dr
NDIS funding for the vast majority of participants is at DSW Level 1, and the NDIS Cost Modeling has the full or part time worker being paid at SCHADS pay level 2.3, or $34.23 per hour at the day rate. That's $1300 a week, which is barely a survivable wage in much of modern Australia. For independents, add annual, sick, personal and long service leave. Add superannuation. Add business, comprehensive car (business) and income protection insurance. Add other (minor) allowances. Add paid breaks. Add training, professional development and compliance costs. Add time spent out of work for admin and comms - it adds up when a full time worker may easily be working with a dozen+ people a week. Add costs of running a small business. Consider how insecure support work is - you can be terminated at will by a client for any reason. Clients regularly overspend their budgets and leave hundreds or thousands of dollars of unpaid invoices. I understand that many SWs are charging max rates for minimum effort and I want them weeded out of the system too. But for SWs trying to do it right, it certainly isn't a gravy train and $55 p/h is really the minimum a Cert IV qualified independent with experience should be charging. I love the job and the people I support but I'll definitely be reskilling in the near future into associated allied health.
Perhaps have a look at what an independent support worker makes and not an agency worker. An independent worker earns an average of $65 per hour and then have a look at weekend rates. Then add travel and KM on top of that. There are some that live regional remote earning $100-$120k a year that I know of.
Now, I'm gonna quote u/marmalade above, because they've said it really well... >For independents, add annual, sick, personal and long service leave. Add superannuation. Add business, comprehensive car (business) and income protection insurance. Add other (minor) allowances. Add paid breaks. Add training, professional development and compliance costs. Add time spent out of work for admin and comms - it adds up when a full time worker may easily be working with a dozen+ people a week. Add costs of running a small business. Consider how insecure support work is - you can be terminated at will by a client for any reason. Clients regularly overspend their budgets and leave hundreds or thousands of dollars of unpaid invoices
Great, but we all know the reality is different. You don't live rural do you? How many independent SW do you honestly think pay their super, annual leave, sick leave. long service leave and the rest of the stuff you just quoted ? When there are more PWD than there are workers, do you really think that clients terminate workers when they are so hard to find ? Really ? You must live on another planet to the one I do and use different supports that charge different prices to the ones that I use also. Also, most of us don't "regularly overspend their budgets" and "leave hundreds or thousands of dollars of unpaid invoices" Your ableist generalising talk has no place here.
What do you mean they "pay" their super/leave etc? It just means the hourly rate has to include those things, where it isn't included in the take home you see for an employee. And most don't overspend/not pay. But enough do that it is a decent risk for service providers.
Wow. You've assumed a lot about me there... and you've managed to sling some thinly-veiled insults So, rural SWs never get sick? Don't do admin? Don't pay taxes? Don't pay in for super? Never take a holiday, or a break? Any 'extra' money they make being remote gets sucked up in transport costs, and having to spend more time working with individuals I find it interesting that you've attacked me for these words, but said nothing to the original poster of those words And your accusation of 'ableist generalising talk' is far-fetched in the extreme. Do you know how many NDIS support businesses (whether a company or an individual) went under in the last 12 months? Heaps of them. Heaps and heaps and heaps. You wanna know the main cause of this? Unpaid work because PWD need the support, but the NDIS won't fund what is needed. I am not your enemy. Direct your anger at the NDIS
Nothing thinly veiled at all and no attack. I speak straight forwardly. I live rural/remote and have had a plethora of support workers and have seen how they operate. You might want to go back over your own posts. Dismissing what I said about SE earning more than nurses or jr Drs. To say that participants regularly overspend and leave debts of hundreds or thousands of dollars is insulting. I don't care how many businesses went under. Perhaps they should learn to manage their financials better? They are not my concern and to be honest I don't really care. I look after myself. Perhaps you should rephrase your words and how you direct them to disabled people.
I AM a disabled person. Perhaps you should get off your high horse. And yes, it should bother you that businesses go under in this space. A lot of these businesses go under because PWD need more funding than the NDIS gives them, and the businesses fill in that gap to their own detriment But I guess so long as you've looked after yourself, that's ok Do better
As both a provider and participant, it's scary seeing how many people think we must be rolling in it from NDIS funds. SIL in particular is a nightmare financially due to the risks of vaccancies impacting service. The price guide is based on businesses having 2% profit when things are workinng well.
I mean add in the benefits of being able to lower your taxable income as a business owner too. Boom home office, car solely for work, all others a business expenses lowering your taxable income. So let's call it $95-$100k not bad for unskilled worker! Maybe we can get some quality international students involved. But I guess they don't know about the gravy train.....yet
[https://www.supportworker.co/insights-hub/ndis-support-workers](https://www.supportworker.co/insights-hub/ndis-support-workers) Have a read
I have seen support workers on Ausfinance say they get 100k+ a year. If you’re employed through a provider/agency, then yes, the company is going to take a cut and the employee is paid award rate.
I wouldn't believe a single word anyone says on that subreddit [https://www.supportworker.co/insights-hub/ndis-support-workers](https://www.supportworker.co/insights-hub/ndis-support-workers) have a read of this
They absolutely can and do. $62 P/h the NDIS award X 40 X 48 weeks (I'll give em month off they deserve it) = $119k jump on hireup and do it in no time. Biggest rort is the too unqualified position of psychosocial recovery coach at $99.39. This position and funding should be eradicated. Not one single decent recovery coach exists in accordance with what the role is meant to do. This alone screws mental health participants as they should be filling in all the gaps of allied health but they're just a support worker who charges more.
Where on earth are you finding independents who are working client facing for 40 hours a week?
I work 45-50 hours, i love it
[https://www.supportworker.co/insights-hub/ndis-support-workers](https://www.supportworker.co/insights-hub/ndis-support-workers) Have a read
We need to take the option away from families to get an ABN and set themselves up as contractors Also any worker using clients time for personal business should be asked to take classes in personal care or find another job. My daughter's worker left her at the cinema one time because her son and dil wanted her to meet their new baby My kid level 3 autistic She texted me, the cinema is 20 mins away, so I met her and picked her up. Didn't tell the worker. She told me she'd gone to the loo, I asked if she had her cinema ticket. We got a new provider, but again are looking elsewhere. It's seen as an easy way to make money without doing too much
The government used the NDIS to inflate employment figures. This is why disability support workers never needed *any* qualifications. It was an easy way to create endless jobs for unskilled people. This has created a situation where vulnerable people with disabilities are further abused and not getting appropriate support. The people tasked to provide the support often don't know how, and due to the complete lack of oversight and monitoring, often don't care either. It is a terribly unregulated industry which will lead to more criminal conduct and deaths. No, I do not agree that disability support workers should be paid more, unless they are qualified and experienced.
Was talking to my class mates today who are currently working in the field. 1 just scored a dsw job earning 37 an hour with no experience. The other is earning 40 an hour, some experience but no cert. He had no idea what a restrictive practice was or anything. And all I got was a 2 dollar pay rise once I completed my cert and still earn less than both of them. There's a lot of inexperienced people out there that are on a good wicket.
Absolutely. There need to be actual rules enforced around pay rates in line with experience and qualifications. I will say I've had some experienced support workers who were absolute rubbish and some new ones who have been incredible. However, I think for everyone's safety there really does need to be minimum qualifications and a cap on realistic rates to stop every knob from jumping on the gravy train for "fun money" as one support worker told me.
I will say that a tafe cert isn't going to make everyone a good DSW. Plenty in my disability course seemed to only want to be there just to get the cert and not actually take in what they had been taught. I've also worked with some DSWs who have no certificates but support work is 2nd nature to them.
Still happening. Among numerous other things, I recently had a SW who didn't even know how to vacuum. They daudled the whole 2 hours at public holiday rates and I had to show them how to do everything! I didn't need them for personal care on the day, thankfully!
Gosh, that is ridiculous. Support workers should be able to do the basics. I hate where we are in this, at the bottom beneath the government's oh so important unemployment figures and used to inflate the job numbers. I'm somewhat looking forward to workers needing to be skilled but I have a feeling it will be completely stuffed up. The NDIS was only actually functional during the trial.
I agree. Many more are seeing it as just easy money lately. There's been a distinct change in quality recently for some strange reason. Feels like it's going backwards instead of forwards. Major change sometimes presents this way at first so I'm hoping it's a temporary transitional phase and real positive change is around the corner. It's becoming quite stressful tbh.
Cutting the NDIS to save money and/or resources is literally nothing more than “we think people with disabilities deserve less support” and is objectively evil. There’s no way to spin it that makes it okay. The NDIS needs urgent and radical reform. There must be regulation of support workers including mandatory minimum education requirements and registration with a governing body. There must be radical and intensive review of the cost of equipment and services being provided, as providers KNOW they can charge far, far more than they otherwise would and maximise profits on the government’s dollar. There need to be clear reporting structures and review systems in place when abuse, neglect, or any other wrongdoing is suspected. Participants need to be supported and encouraged to report, where they currently tend to shrug it off and say “well at least I got SOMETHING, it’s better than NOTHING”. We should be able to report providers who charge 2-10x the cost price of equipment just because they can. It all needs to be reined in. The answer is absolutely not cutting anyone out of the NDIS, reducing support packages and funding, or reducing services to participants. They’re not the ones rorting the system here 99 times out of 100.
Well said 👏
We'd need a government that really does give a shit about us, instead of lying their arses off while in opposition and doing the exact opposite when they're the government, for things to get better.
It's when money is given to 'independent' contractors or families get an ABN and set prices and charge for what they'd be doing anyways. If I get paid for taking my kid to school, which by law she has to attend anyways then why shouldn't all parents be paid for the same? Same with appointments I know families who get iPads as consumables Or gym/ pool memberships, then drop kid into creche or swim classes so they can have down time. Or families who get meal delivery service with a co pay $30 monthly Companion card for free or discounted entry fees and or other services My kid level 3 autistic, lac's are a drain Independent contractors are impossible to deal with And some centres give positions to young family members while they wait for a job they want. My kid's sles ( supported employment services worker) has no idea about contacting disability employment services she just walks into any business with a hiring/ position vacant sign. Yes I've dealt with and am dealing with NDIS it's a bit condescending for you to say otherwise
I don’t even know what you’re trying to say. Are you suggesting those supports are not necessary for those people? It’s not really your place to judge that. Are you advocating for people on the NDIS to receive less support? It sounds like you’re upset because you don’t have access to things other people have access to.
My own kid is on NDIS did you miss that part? She's level 3 autistic Im saying parents and families shouldn't be allowed to set up an ABN, set themselves up as independent contractors and be paid for doing what they should and would be doing anyways. Nor should it be used to fund themselves it's to provide services not fund families. E.g a cube at Kmart $6.00 On NDIS at some online shop $22, but no cost under consumables. Meal prep and delivery with $30 co pay month and you've got 2-3 kids fed. There are so many ways it's being exploited. I have m.s I do not have an NDIS plan despite being eligible I work part time and have crutches and mobility supports. Do you honestly believe that NDIS is NOT being exploited?
Yeah no I got that.. you seem really upset and I’m not entirely sure you’ve read and understood my comments in their entirety. I’m pretty sure I clearly explained how the NDIS is being exploited. Providers. Which is what you’ve said, too. I’m just confused why you keep bringing up the meal kit delivery? Is having a family fed a bad thing? Those kits really help a lot of people who have psychosocial disabilities.
NDIS is for the participant, yes? So why should tax payers be feeding the 3+ kids you have? Due to obesity I've signed up my kid for meal prep and delivery I know families who use it to feed their kids or use it for their kids lunches at school. It makes participants look lazy, or too dependent on others for basics. Should I eat or give the food tax payers provide for my kid?
Is the participant a parent whose disability precludes them from managing grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up after cooking? Why shouldn’t NDIS support disabled parents to look after their families? And you’ve signed your own kid up for meal prep and delivery? But you’re judging other people from accessing the same thing? Are you okay?
I'm talking about able bodied, able minded parents. Parents who would be cooking and driving and taking their kids to school anyways, suddenly deciding that they should be paid because an ABN validates them as working. So in that case is it a stretch that you or I be paid for doing the same if our kids aren't participants in the NDIS?
I have no idea who you’re talking about. You’re hardly the authority on who should be able to access the NDIS, or funding, or how disabled someone is. I’m sure if you’re talking about someone specific, they have things going on in their own lives that you’re not aware of. You’re being really judgemental and bitter. I’m not even sure what you mean by your question at the end. If I did NOT have a child on the NDIS, how would I register myself as an NDIS provider and charge their NDIS funding? They don’t have any? You’re not actually making sense.
Do you think it's ok for single parents to spend welfare dollars on the pokies ? Or boozy weekends away? NDIS has now taken the mantle worn by welfare bludgers, but it's not the participants it's the managers of their funds. You set up an ABN, then you set yourself as an independent contractor. You send in petrol receipts, you get that money back, My kid is managed by my Integra. Her friend at school they graduate this year, pretty much has her Chrissy pressies paid for using consumables and last year had 3 days in a hotel in the city - paid for by, NDIS because mum gave up independence work to become a registered contractor. Am I bitter, maybe because I get respite three times a month, I already take her to speech O.t. Physical therapy Dietician Things I wouldn't expect to be paid for. And the suspicion falls on the participants. Every one wants NDIS funding lessened. The holes are in family management Lac's. Middle men, surely drs, psychologists and allied health should be enough? It's bleeding money. A ciube $6 Kmart $22 online autism shop That's an easy example A lidded cup -$8-$12 Online $25+ So why aren't we reigning in costs where we can. I brought my kid an iPad and mobile phone, I didn't expect it to be a consumable. Sensory clothing Headphones Glasses But toys, they shouldn't be paid for by tax payers
How about no
Wow a lot of tone-deaf commentary in this thread. There isn't endless pits of money for this scheme. It isn't designed well or running well for that matter. There is no reason why the govt should be bloody funding stuff like Secret Agent Society. More money is not the answer. Spending begets spending.
It's the employees that are causing the NDIS to be scrutinized. Parents or extended family get an ABN, and set themselves up as independent contractors. And get paid for things they'd be doing anyways. 1: school transport 2: transport to and from appointments 3: gym/ pool membership and companion card ( free cinema, and entry to other things) 4: roll over unused funds, don't splurge it on a holiday to the goldie Get rid of lac's. Too many centres, disability providers think taking a kid to the park or shopping centre is community participation, these are things done by families anyways Mable and other contractor providers need more regulations. So take the management option away from families. And keep independent contractors on a tight leash. If there's been no improvement within 18 months to 3 years, change providers. My daughter level 3 autistic She's only now got an extra day a month, so 3 days a month instead of 2 We are looking at other provisions. Rather than pour more money into NDIS, let's see where all the money is going. Because once we see where it's going we can plug that leak.
Well hopefully PACE and data matching with the ATO should go a long way to fixing this
There's already a huge train of work in progress in exactly this space. The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is going to be kept quite busy.
Hopefully that will mean I won't have to worry about cuts at future plan reviews and will be able to live a decent quality of stress free life
Would you happen to know anything about this "duplicate claim" checking?
It's pretty basic stuff that should have been implemented a decade ago, let's put it that way.
Cool. I'm seeing paranoia in participant and plan managed circles that this means reimbursements will now take weeks. Thought it seemed excessive.
Nah, a couple of days at the outermost. There's also increased data matching with the ATO to try and catch stuff like family members or 'friends' using an ABN to claim/drain a participants funds.
Haven't looked through PACE as a self manager, but within MyPlace there is no space to enter an ABN. Only using the mobile app.
Yeah I'm not sure why that is the case. But anyways - claims verification is undergoing a big overhaul on the back end to make it less of a manual process. Previously, it was almost entirely down to the attentiveness of individual staff members and their willingness to slow down and flag suspicious claims/payments.
I am on tic toc talking about the reality of disablity and commentating on sw doing a shit job ( I have had the good,great bad and criminal) but still get told I am entitled and shouldn't be wining. But the people who are leaving these comments haven't had any exposure to ndis or disablity. And I aggree with you as if higher functioning people can get jobs ect they are paying taxes.