People with Disabilities WA Statement on the WA Planning Alliance Model

individual & systemic advocacy

People With Disabilities WA statement on the WA Planning Alliance model

People With Disabilities WA (PWDWA) has been involved as an independent advisor in exploring ways to increase the choice of people with disabilities, families and carers when it comes to who does their planning in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Perth Hills Trial Site. A developmental trial, known as the WA Planning Alliance model, is being implemented in October 2015 and will operate for the remaining nine months of the NDIS trial in the Perth Hills. People with disabilities WA strongly believes in the following principles related to planning: • people with disabilities should be able to choose who they wish to assist them with the planning process • people who have planning expertise can be situated in government, non-government and other community organisations and can be people with disabilities, families and carers • mechanisms should be in place to ensure that people can freely choose who they wish and have all the information they need to make an informed choice • Any conflict of interest a planner has should be stated upfront to people with disabilities, families and carers The alliance has been developed by six disability sector organisations who have worked with the Perth Hills Trial Site to co-design the model, including the development of guiding principles and transparent processes to minimise perceived conflicts of interest. The organisations invited to participate in the developmental trial had previously responded to Agency contracting initiatives. Valued Lives Foundation is undertaking a Lead Agency role to provide the first point of contact for participants and provide preplanning and information for participants to make an informed choice of who they wish to do their planning. The remaining five WA Planning Alliance members, Activ Foundation, My Place, Perth Home Care Services, Rise, and Therapy Focus, will be subcontracted by the Lead Agency to perform the planning and initial implementation function for up to 540 participants. Participants will always still have the choice to use the NDIA planner. Responsibility for the legislative components of the participant pathway, such as Access Decisions and Plan Approval, will remain with the NDIA.

People With disabilities WA Inc. 1/37 Hampden Rd. Nedlands ●Tel (08)9485 8900 ● 1800 193 331 Fax (08) 9386 1011 ● Email [email protected] ● web site www.pwdwa.org ● ABN 36 733 500 946 individual & systemic advocacy PWDWA sees that the key outcomes of this model include; • Increased choice for participants with regards to who can assist them to develop their plan. • Additional capacity to assist the Perth Hills Trail Site to achieve targets. • Further learnings about how potential provider conflicts of interest can be intentionally addressed and managed. • Further learnings about how choice of planner can be implemented. PWDWA also sees this as a first step to increasing the choice for having planners who are outside of service providers or government and could include peers, and other mainstream community organisations. People with disabilities WA will be staying involved with the alliance as an independent monitor and advisor on the steering group. Further inquiries can be made to Samantha Jenkinson [email protected]

People With disabilities WA Inc. 1/37 Hampden Rd. Nedlands ●Tel (08)9485 8900 ● 1800 193 331 Fax (08) 9386 1011 ● Email [email protected] ● web site www.pwdwa.org ● ABN 36 733 500 946