NDIS Robo-Planning Neither Reasonable Nor Necessary, Says Advocate
Image credit: No Disadvantage
In further confirmation that the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has left behind the original intention for the NDIS to be a co-designed scheme, the Minister for the NDIS, Linda Reynolds, and NDIA CEO, Martin Hoffman, revealed more details of the controversial independent assessments in a Senate Committee hearing last week.
By way of justifying the proposed changes to the scheme, Minister Reynolds claimed that there was confusion over what constituted the “reasonable and necessary” supports that are a requirement of the NDIS Act. She indicated that this lack of clarity made it difficult for planning staff to make decisions. “We’re relying, I think, too much on individual public servants’ judgment and also their natural empathy,” she said.
Mr Hoffman explained to the committee that as part of the independent assessments, a series of standardised assessment questionnaires would be administered by health professionals. Individual scores on these questionnaires would be fitted into one of 400 “reference groups” (or “personas”), developed by actuaries, that would consider the person’s disability type, age and other factors. This information would then be used to “determine a plan budget”.
Bruce Bonyhady, one of the original architects of the NDIS, has previously described the plans for independent assessments as “robo-planning”, and he’s not alone. Dr Darren O’Donovan, a senior lecturer in administrative law at La Trobe University, described this as a “cookie-cutter algorithm” and expressed concern that resulting funding packages would not be tailored to the individual’s needs.
Dougie Herd, a well-known disability advocate who was involved in the establishment of the NDIA, was visibly angry when he spoke to the Senate committee on Thursday. “Nobody, nobody is putting me in a box and giving me a score. I’m an individual with rights enshrined by the parliament here, as part of the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities... Imagine me and 432,000 other people being put back in a box. That is neither reasonable nor necessary.”
He emphasised the lack of consultation the NDIA has undertaken and its secrecy in withholding information about its plans from both people with disabilities and the NDIA’s joint venture partners, the state and territory governments.
“We can make this scheme work, so long as the agency which has been given the responsibility to lead this joint venture between the states, territories and commonwealth commits itself to consult with people,” Mr Herd said.
“If it doesn’t do that, it will fail like the old broken system it was meant to replace. We need a process of individually-focussed, personalised, sensitive assessment and planning that responds to individual need, and delivers the supports that we need.”
Mr Herd reminded the committee that the original model of the NDIS was built on co-design. Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John has questioned why the principle of co-design has been abandoned.
Unfortunately, both the Minister and NDIA seem intent on powering ahead with these changes, regardless of how unreasonable and unnecessary they are.
Say NO to #RoboPlans! Please write to your federal MP and remind them that you are an individual, and you don’t fit into a box!