Speak Out December 2019 V2 DIGITAL EDITION

in practice

The NDIA has indicated that providers should contact providersupport@ndis.gov.au if they have any questions about the process. More detailed information is available below: • Information for the health sector • Disability-related Health Supports Operational Guidelines • News item: Funding for disability related health supports Information for providers The information for providers basically repeats or reflects what has been provided to participants. Options for funding provision of disability related health supports: • Updated price guides • Information for providers Delivering disability-related health supports—Information for providers includes information about options for participants who currently have an NDIS plan that does not include the necessary supports. See p 6. Allied health professional's service delivery time can still be claimed against the usual support items in the Capacity Building area, under Improved Daily Living, if participants have funding available in this area. For participants who don’t have any, or adequate, funding in Capacity Building Supports During a transition period which may extend through to October 2020, providers may be able to claim against any unspent funds from existing Core supports budget in an NDIS plan, thereby avoiding the need for a Plan review. In order to achieve this, the NDIS has created special support items for providers. Participants will be supported to identify the best solution for them by their LAC or Service Coordinator. Once the options for payment of providers have been clarified, the Provider will be able to set up a Service Agreement. See the Ask SPA section for more info. Nutrition and Dysphagia Assistive Technology Supports Assessment Template If you are supporting a participant who requires dysphagia supports as part of their plan, you will need to include this information in your planning report. The NDIS has developed a template for providers to use if recommending the inclusion of thickener. Improvements or issues with the AT templates can be raised through feedback@ndis.gov. au The template could also be completed to provide evidence for the need for any and all supports for mealtimes including assessment, development of an oral eating and drinking guidelines/mealtime support plan and any consumable products. As per any NDIS supports, there is a requirement to provide

information against the reasonable and necessary criteria. In relation to thickener or pre-prepared modified texture products, you may need to include information against the "value for money’" R&N criteria, including justifying purchase of one product which is more expensive over another. If you don’t currently have access to this comparative information, it is acceptable to simply request what the person is currently using and/or providing information about how and why the product you are recommending matches the participant’s functional needs. No additional resources are currently available (e.g., information about registered suppliers, comparisons of the different thickeners, information about their costs). In the short term, unless there are any significant clinical contradictions, recommending continued provision of whatever is currently being used is likely to be supported. Health continues to provide certain supports The NDIA have advised: "Where participant supports are not able to be transferred to the NDIS immediately, state and territory health services will continue to deliver disability-related health supports ensuring participants continue to receive these supports. In these situations, states and territory health services will work with the NDIA to request a plan review and transfer the delivery of these supports to the NDIS as soon as practicable." Members may be aware that there have been varying agreements and arrangements in place in different jurisdictions for provision of these supports from the Health system. It is hoped that the jurisdictional health systems will collaborate with the NDIA to provide information sessions for providers about how the transition processes will work in their jurisdiction. You are encouraged to share any ‘intelligence’ gained about local or jurisdictional variations in the process, and arrangements, via the Speech Pathology Australia Facebook Member Communities. Quality and safeguarding – mealtime support provision Members should also be aware that the NDIS Commission’s position is that recommendations provided by allied health professionals create the "standard" for a paid worker who is providing supports to NDIS participants. In other words, what is included in a mealtime support plan, such as recommendations for training, or review dates, or recommended texture modifications, or frequency or duration of mealtimes, become the "standard" for the provision of support to an individual, which paid workers will need to provide evidence that they are compliant with. Cathy Olsson Senior Advisor Disability

Erin West NDIS and Practice Advisor

35

December 2019 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Speak Out