National Disability Insurance Scheme

NDIS

Presentation for Q Shelter

Asset Management Forum

18 May 2017

Ellie McMillan, Suzanne Lister and Fiona Jardine, Housing and

Homelessness Services, Department of Housing and Public Works

Department of Housing and Public Works

NDIS basics

• Largest human & social reform since Medicare

• Insurance model for disability support

• Move away from block funding

• Flexible and tailored support

• Choice and control

• DCCSDS will no longer be support funder

• Market based approach to delivery of supports

• Administered by the NDIA

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

NDIS roll out

• Phased rollout across Queensland to June 2019

• 91,000 Queenslanders expected to benefit

• Most people transition in the last year

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

NDIS and Mainstream Interface Principles

• Principles to determine responsibilities of NDIS and other

systems, e.g. housing (p.18 &19)

• Agreed to by COAG in November 2015

• On COAG website

• Effective interaction and interface is crucial

• Avoids cost-shifting, duplications and creation of service gaps

Department of Housing and Public Works

NDIS responsibility - supports

• Reasonable and necessary supports

• Support people to live independently in the community

• Build capacity to maintain tenancy and behaviour management

support

• Home modifications in private dwellings (social housing dwelling

on a case by case basis)

• Fund ‘Special Disability Accommodation’ (SDA)

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

Specialist Disability Accommodation

• SDA position paper on pricing and payments

• Only 6% of NDIS participants needing housing

• DHPW decision not to register properties as SDA

• CHPs cannot register dwellings leased from DHPW or funded

through a CAA

• CHPs can register existing or build new SDA where department

has no funded interest

• Move away from group homes to smaller housing

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

Housing responsibilities -interface principles

• Continue to provide accessible accommodation

• routine tenancy support

• Encourage innovative affordable & accessible housing investment – private/corporate investors

• Homelessness specific services, outreach & emergency accommodation

• Home modifications in social housing dwellings

• NDIS does not take away requirement for social housing providers to make ‘reasonable adjustment’

• CHPs have responsibilities–interface principles

Department of Housing and Public Works

National Injury Insurance Scheme

• Commenced 1 July 2016

• Administered by NIISQ Agency

• People who sustain serious personal injury in a motor crash

• Reasonable & necessary treatment, care and support for their

lifetime

• Funds supports for home modifications in social housing

• Align NIIS implementation activities with NDIS

• Social housing providers to fund home modifications within

reasonable adjustment

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

DHPW commitment

• Housing critical mainstream service

• Align NDIS and NIISQ activities where possible

• Part of Qld’s transition & working groups

• Influence national & state NDIS housing agenda

• NDIS RLG Sub-committee on housing (Qld)

• People exercise choice & control about where & whom they live

(CRPD Article 19)

• Promote quality and safeguards for housing

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

Home modifications – social housing providers responsibility

• social housing providers to continue to provide home

modifications within reasonable adjustment

• This includes arranging and funding:

• an occupational therapist assessment

• the home modification

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

Home modifications - what isreasonable adjustment?

• DDA 1992 (Cth, Section 25 - Accommodation)

• Unlawful for a person, whether as principal or agent, to

discriminate against another person:

• on the ground of the other person’s disability

• by denying the other person access, or limiting the other

person’s access, to any benefit associated with

accommodation occupied by the other person

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

Home modifications reasonable adjustment – social housing

• Reasonable adjustment applies across social housing:

• owned and managed by DHPW

• owned by DHPW and managed by community housing

providers

• owned and managed by community housing providers

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

Funding for home modifications within reasonable adjustment

• DHPW funds home modifications:

• in dwellings owned by DHPW and managed by community

housing providers

• CHPs to fund:

• OT assessments for home modifications

• home modifications in dwellings owned by CHPs

• CHPs to consider:

• Who funds home modifications in dwellings lease from

another entity eg DCCSDS?

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

What is within reasonable adjustment?

• fund both major and minor modifications in relation to

disability.

• Health

• Safety

• Independence

• fixtures of the dwelling and related to access into and

within the dwelling

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

What is within reasonable adjustment?

• For example

• Grab rails, shower hose

• Major bathroom modifications

• Major kitchen modifications to enhanced access

• Ramps, low rise lifts

• Pathways and widening doorways

• Wall protection & mods associated with behaviours of concern

• Allow independent access into a dwelling and features within that dwelling

• Alternative to home modifications also considered such as a transfer to an alternative property before major modifications are provided

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

What does DHPW consider outside of reasonable adjustment?

• Disability specific equipment, eg:

• Ceiling track hoists

• Stand alone equipment

• Bidets

• Environmental control devices

• Leisure or therapy related modifications

• Features not provided within social housing, eg:

• Air conditioning

• Dishwashers

Department of Housing and Public Works

Process for home modifications funded by NDIS or NIISQ in DHPW owned dwelling

• Above reasonable adjustment

• Guideline developed – DHPW owned dwellings

• All require prior approval of the department before proceeding

• Modifications funded by NDIS will not always be approved, eg:

• Where the modification significantly changes the appearance of the property

• Makes the property look/feel institutional rather than a regular home

• Provisions for staff – e.g. offices, separate toilets

• Portfolio, asset or tenancy management reasons

Department of Housing and Public Works

NDIS/NIISQ funded home modifications in community housing

• Approval for modifications funded through the NDIS/NIISQ do not

impart extra rights to a particularly dwelling above and beyond a

regular tenancy agreement.

• A tenant may still be asked to transfer to another property if

required

Department of Housing and Public Works

Home modifications in community housing (DHPW owned) within reasonable adjustment

Client contacts community housing provider requesting home

modification

CHO forwards request to DHPW Housing Service Centre for

review

If request falls within reasonable adjustment then CHO to source

OT to complete client assessment

OT will not be funded by the

NDIS

Department of Housing and Public Works

Home modifications in community housing (DHPW owned) within reasonable adjustment

OT home modifications report forwarded to DHPW HSC for review

DHPW completes home modification

Department of Housing and Public Works

Home modifications in community housing (DHPW owned) above reasonable adjustment

If request is above reasonable adjustment, client to discuss request with NDIA and seek OT assessment

If home modification is approved by NDIA then tenant seeks permission

from CHP

CHP seeks permission from DHPW by completing a Request Form

OT funded by the NDIS

Department of Housing and Public Works

Home modifications in community housing (DHPW owned) above reasonable adjustment

DHPW provides CHP with an Agreement to be signed by CHP

CHP to notify DHPW at completion of work so inspection can be completed

Department of Housing and Public Works

Reflections?

• Application of Guidelines

• Responsibilities under DDA and NDIS

• Ensuring reasonable adjustment for home mods across CH portfolio, regardless of ownership

• Adequate funding sources in place?

• Funding for home mods within reasonable adjustment

• DHPW

• Other funding sources, DCCSDS, Qld Health?

• Organisation’s own funds?

• NDIS/NIISQ funding in addition to reasonable adjustment – consistent approach across portfolio

• Use of OTs

Corporate Services

Department of Housing and Public Works

Social housing and NDIS

Questions?

Department of Housing and Public Works

DHPW contacts

• Ellie McMillan, Principal Policy Advisor, Housing Solutions 300 74713

• Suzanne Lister, Senior Occupational Therapist 300 74380

• Fiona Jardine, Senior Occupational Therapist 300 74381