00:01Given the proportion of autistic people on the NDIS, we do expect that a large number
00:09of autistic people will be affected by these changes and there is a great deal of anxiety
00:16and stress in the autistic community about what this will mean in terms of the life-changing
00:24supports that they are receiving from the NDIS.
00:28There is also some concern about the standardised functional assessment tool and whether it
00:36will be able to effectively capture the complexity and the diversity of autism and lead to equitable
00:44outcomes for autistic people.
00:46The minister in his speech today said the important thing is that we rebuild the other support
00:51systems for people outside the NDIS as part of this process.
00:56You said $10 billion has been allocated for that including $4 billion for the Thriving
01:01Kids program.
01:02How much confidence does that give you that these people will be adequately supported?
01:10Well, it is great that the government has announced that there will be funding for supports outside
01:15of the NDIS for people who may no longer reach the threshold for the scheme.
01:21We have learnt through Thriving Kids that we need a lot of clarity about what such a scheme or
01:30such a support program may look like and the most important thing is that that program is designed
01:36in consultation with people with disabilities and their families and their carers.
01:41And what about for those who remain on the NDIS, what do you make of some of the planned changes?
01:48For example, the average spend on social and community participation to be cut and the minister
01:55saying that that will have a material effect on people?
01:59Yes.
01:59Well, obviously, for participants who may have their plans reduced, that will mean that they
02:07will have to make real choices about the services and the supports that they may be receiving
02:16or able to receive.
02:17We know that the NDIS can be life-changing when plans work well and so any reduction is going to
02:26be
02:27very upsetting and concerning for participants and their families.
02:31The minister was also talking about some unscrupulous third-party providers and said to address this,
02:38the government would list quality providers and then people can choose from them.
02:44What did you make of that?
02:45Well, ASPECT is a registered service provider with the NDIS and we do welcome any reform that
02:55strengthens governance and accountability across the scheme.
02:59I think that safety and wellbeing of participants in the NDIS is paramount and so any measures which mean
03:10that providers are qualified and accountable will be a good step forward.
03:16And that would include the expansion of mandatory registration?
03:20Yes, it would. Just having registered providers will really help to ensure the safety of participants and,
03:27you know, help to ensure and increase that governance and transparency across the scheme.
03:34What about for people in remote areas who might not have access to registered providers?
03:42Yeah, I think that it's always challenging in remote areas to make sure that participants there have
03:52have the same equity and access to services. I think it will be important in terms of that
03:58mandatory registration that measures taken are commensurate with geography, with the level of support,
04:08so that any, you know, any registration that is done does not, as much as possible, does not impact
04:18participants being able to access services.
04:21And the Minister today described a digital payment system being introduced, and at times he kind of referred to a
04:31chaotic kind of free-for-all system at the moment,
04:35and that a digital payment system would help crack down on that?
04:41I think we don't really have the details about that.
04:46And so, yeah, look, I can't really comment. Currently, most providers are, you know, outside of any such regulated system.
04:56And so, you know, I think we look forward to the details of how that might evolve and develop.
05:03And so overall, do you feel like it was time that the system was looked at comprehensively?
05:08Or, yeah, how do you feel about how the government's gone about this?
05:12Look, I think everyone wants an NDIS that is sustainable.
05:18And, you know, we know that the NDIS can be life changing and is life changing for many participants.
05:26So I think that many of the changes are concerning and for participants.
05:34So, you know, we would encourage the government to continue to be very transparent and open and, you know, talk
05:44with the community,
05:45with participants and their families about the changes as they come through.
05:52So, this is the person you've got to look for.
05:53You can use the person who's been saying that they do not want to know what they want to be.
05:53And so, you know, they do not want to learn.
05:53Or, you know, the interact with the person who's done.
05:53So, you know, the person who's been looking for.
05:54You
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