NDIS Trial on ABC News
30/06/2013
ABC News 30/6/2013 NDIS Trial (19.13)
Children are the focus for the South Australian trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which takes effect tomorrow. Parents say the key benefit is a greater choice of disability services, but one advocate is concerned by a lack of clarity about who is eligible for help:
Karen Hoffensatts [phonetic] is caring for her 9 year old daughter and recovering from breast cancer treatment. She says the trial Disability Insurance Scheme offers financial relief, which is good for her own health and her daughter Grace. It also ensures a normal upbringing, as well as extra therapy.
Hoffensatts: “At the moment she’s fully integrated in a regular school setting and we’d like for that to continue. Obviously all of those things do cost money.”
The South Australian trial covers the zero to fourteen year old age group over 2 years, with $20 million of funding. Parents say greater choice for their child’s disability services will be its biggest benefit.
Unidentified parent: “I like the idea that we can tailor make this to suit the individual child and that’s the good thing. Parents will be able to create the best thing for their child and for their family.”
But an Independent MP says eligibility for involvement in the trial remains unclear. In Kelly Vincent’s opinion there should be more government consultation or it could end up creating an unwanted level of bureaucracy.
Vincent: “I think it’s quite worrying that here with a few days out from the rollout of the trial we still don’t know exactly who’s in and who’s out of the scheme.”
The State Government was doing its best to promote the scheme today and says it’ll mean more competition by providers. That’s a prospect not lost on non-profit disability services.
Unidentified spokesman: “It’s going to have to compete on outcomes for the services that it provides and more importantly it’s going to have to compete on responsiveness and so in some respects it’s good for the sector to be able to do that.”
The South Australian trial begins with children aged up to 2 years old with older children becoming involved gradually over 2 years.
