Page 17 - Just Better Care Possible Magazine - Issue 4

Commissioning more support for NDIS participants
An independent body is being formed to manage complaints.
Have you got a complaint about the quality of services you receive under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)? A new independent body designed to regulate the NDIS market and manage complaints
is being formed to support participants in Australia. Rolling out in New South Wales and South
Australia in July this year, the Australian Government NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission will support the resolution of complaints people have about the quality and safety of NDIS supports
and services.
The commission will ensure services provided
under the scheme meet compliance standards, and are delivered by registered NDIS providers. It can also assist NDIS participants who may be experiencing an issue with their provider.
The commission will handle complaints relating to quality and safety of NDIS funded services but will not extend to complaints about the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) or to a customer’s individual NDIS plan. These will continue to be managed by the NDIA and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Just Better Care Chief Operating Officer, Alison Chandler, said the implementation of the commission was another safeguard for
people with a disability and would ensure the services they received were of a continued high standard. “People receiving any type of support services
should be able to trust that their provider is delivering the best service possible. The new commission will offer an extra level of support
to participants when a service doesn’t meet their expectations, or they need an independent person to speak to,” Ms Chandler said.
“Anything we can do to further protect the interests of people living with a disability should be seen as a good move.”
The rollout of the commission will continue in the ACT, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria in July 2019, and in Western Australia in July 2020.
More information about the commission is available online at www.dss.gov.au/ndisqualitysafeguards,
or by contacting your local Just Better Care office.
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