Issues around self-management, a cornerstone of the NDIS, are not well-understood according to Helen Fisher, of Pathways to Leadership, who believes more information is needed to help families and individuals with disability make decisions about the type of services they require.
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The introduction of the NDIS in the Bega Valley will allow greater choice in the way disabled people can spend their funds. Ms Fisher recently held a workshop at Club Sapphire and said that there was a lot of discussion about the lack of information around the NDIS and self-management.
“Some people didn’t realise that they could self-manage their funds and could employ their own staff and enlist a wider range of community services,” Ms Fisher said.
“It means that you can engage with a local business which is of benefit to the local community. It’s about people having the opportunity to identify what they need, and when and how they need a service delivered,” she said.
Local service provider, Michaela Pascolutti, of Sapphire Support Services said there has been a lot of apprehension about self-managing.
“It doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself,” Ms Pascolutti said.
She explained that there there was a certain amount of administration and financial planning attached to self-management.
“But you don’t have to do everything yourself. You can have a plan manager to do the financial paperwork. You can have that assistance and the cost doesn’t come out of your funding. The NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency) will factor in a cost for a plan manager,” Ms Pascolutti said.
“Plan management is offered by Bega Valley Shire Council’s Disability Team and also by Pathways to Leadership. People can choose to self-manage just a portion of their funding,” Ms Pascolutti said.
Self-management also means that people can access mainstream services which may have been out of their reach previously.
Ms Fisher said she was hoping to run another NDIS workshop in the near future to help bring the ideas around self-management to more people in the area.
For more information contact Helen Fisher 0448 239 994 or email helen.fisher@P2L.net.au.
Council said that NDIS rollout in the Bega Valley Shire will follow a staged process, with most people transitioning to the scheme from 2017 and beyond. However, some high-needs groups will transition in mid to late 2016.
