Speak Out August 2019 Digital Edition

Association news

Policy & Advocacy

This was a wonderful opportunity for SPA to advocate and raise awareness of communication disability on the global stage, and it is hoped this will be built upon to empower and support greater participation of people with communication disability. ...and finally, the NDIS Mealtime support Since the inception of the NDIS, the funding and provision of mealtime supports have been subject to intersectoral debate between the health and disability sectors. We have strongly advocated for the planning and provision of mealtime supports for people with disability and oral eating and drinking difficulties, to be considered part of the NDIS "reasonable and necessary supports." We therefore welcome the new permanent arrangement that dysphagia supports, including the development of oral eating and drinking care plans and swallowing therapy, as well as thickener and tracheostomy equipment will be funded by the NDIS. Participants are reported to be able to access these supports through their plans from 1 October 2019. We are seeking further clarification on some specific aspects of this arrangement (as the interim arrangement should still apply until 1 October) and will inform members as soon as it becomes available. A new price guide As you may recall, Speech Pathology Australia, along with other allied health peak bodies, actively worked to resolve major concerns raised with the Independent Pricing Review in March 2018. Following this advocacy, it was agreed that tiered pricing for therapy supports will NOT be introduced, pricing for Allied Health Assistants will move to a two-tiered payment scale and travel and cancellations arrangements will be finalised after discussion with the allied health peaks. This revised price guide has now come into effect (1 July 2019) and includes increases for both therapeutic supports, and early childhood supports (including some non face-to-face activities). Early Childhood Early Intervention We have continually highlighted to relevant ministers and the NDIA, our concerns regarding delays experienced by some families to receive a plan under Early Childhood Early Intervention. The NDIA has now confirmed they will be implementing a specific strategy to reduce these delays. We welcome these changes to improve the timely access of young children to early intervention. Quality and Safeguarding Commission From 1 July 2019 the National Quality and Safeguarding requirements were expanded to include Victoria, Tasmania, ACT, the Northern Territory and Queensland, so the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Commission now oversees governance in all states except WA.

It’s been a busy year so far, in addition to the day-to-day P&A activities there have been both a federal and NSW election, and an unprecedented opportunity for the Association to advocate and raise awareness of communication disability at the United Nations in New York. General advocacy work Preparing submissions to relevant consultations is an ongoing policy and advocacy task, this year we have submitted eight to date, with others in the pipeline. Of note, was the Royal Commission into Aged Care, as the Commission was very interested in the issues we highlighted relating to communication access – ability to raise a complaint, access to communication supports etc. A Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability was announced in April - this is likely to be a major submission as the terms of reference overlap several sectors. At the time of writing this update the consultation deadline is yet to be confirmed. We also responded to the latest consultation of the review of items in the Medicare Benefits Scheme. The Allied Health Reference Group listed 18 recommendations in its report, all of which SPA supports, and we provided evidence supporting the recommendations relevant to speech pathology. As to the Mental Health Reference Group report, we have requested that speech pathologists be added to the panel of professions able to access the MBS mental health items. Once considered by the MBS Review Taskforce, recommendations will be considered by the Minister for Health and then the broader Government. We are pleased to be assisting several of the Branches with state/ territory-specific issues currently. Collaborative advocacy An example of effective collaborative advocacy was the successful outcome of a recent campaign led by Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) to delay the roll out of the DVA Treatment Cycle Initiative. Collectively we felt that this initiative was being rushed and so Speech Pathology Australia and other AHPA members individually wrote to the Minister to seek a delay to allow more effective dissemination of information to all stakeholders. The Minister agreed, and the Prime Minister granted permission to delay implementation until October 2019. Federal and state elections Further to the recent elections, we have sent our customary letters of congratulations/introduction, highlighting our current concerns and requesting to meet with the relevant ministers and shadow ministers, and their advisors. Several meetings have already been held for Victoria and NSW. SPA at the United Nations As detailed in the June, and this, edition of Speak Out, Speech Pathology Australia representatives, alongside UK and USA based partners, highlighted communication disability at side event discussions and presentations as part of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

As always, we will closely monitor the impact of these new arrangements on our members and NDIS participants.

Mark Smith Manager Policy and Advocacy Sandy Fowler Senior Policy Officer

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August 2019 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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