Australia's Individualised Disability Funding Packages: When Do They Provide Greater Choice and Opportunity?

Abstract

Australia's new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) uses individualised funding packages instead of traditional block-funded disability services to support people with disability. The NDIS works with the person and their family to assess the person's needs and develop a plan that determines their funding allocation. Funding can be used to purchase support from a disability service or from the open market. People can purchase support that suits their cultural and personal preferences. This paper examined whether individual funding packages met their aims in Western Australia, where they had been the primary mechanism of disability support for over 25 years. An exploratory case study was conducted consisting of face-to-face, in-depth interviews with 11 key participants: people with disability, senior government administrators, service provider managers, and a support worker. Complex systems theory was used to review the data and findings showed that individualised funding packages did not automatically result in more choice and greater opportunities. People needed information to make informed decisions; supportive and creative support from social workers and other professionals; and welcoming communities. The findings can inform policies and assist social workers facilitate maximum choice and opportunities for people with disability and their families.

Experiences of National Disability Insurance Scheme planning from the perspective of adults with intellectual disability

“…The present study, like other research, indicates that individualised funding does not automatically lead to greater choice and control for people with disability (Laragy et al ). The planning stage is the most important point for choice and control.…”

“…The UNCRPD aims to “promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity” (United Nations :4). Disability policies include individualised funding models, which encourage choice and control by allocating funding directly to people with disability and their families to purchase individualised supports (Laragy et al ). This is in direct contrast to the more traditional approach where disability service providers rather than consumers received funding to deliver supports to people with disability (Reddihough et al ).…”

“…This is in direct contrast to the more traditional approach where disability service providers rather than consumers received funding to deliver supports to people with disability (Reddihough et al ). Australia is following the lead of many countries including Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom and New Zealand, which utilise individualised funding models to support people with disability (Laragy et al ). Studies on individualised funding models for people with disability internationally have reported positive impacts (Glendinning et al ; Lord & Hutchison ).…”

The emotional labour of boundary spanning

“…It seeks to deliver a proactive and person-centred approach to support which combines elements of community development with care management. The coordinator is expected to give wide-ranging assistance rather than splitting care, health, housing and other issues into separate service streams ( Glasby, 2014 ; Kahana et al , 2011 ; Laragy et al , 2015 ). Recruitment to such a role emphasises the cross-cutting nature of the job where “Coordinators also provided information, assisted people in building their support networks, and helped people to purchase their own supports via direct consumer funding” ( Lord and Hutchison, 2003 , p. 98).…”

Policy, plans and pathways: the ‘crisis’ transition to post-parental care for people ageing with intellectual disabilities in rural Australian carescapes

“…Current social care policy reforms in Australia in ageing (Consumer Directed Care) and disability (National Disability Insurance Scheme; NDIS) are implementing individually funded budgets connected to care plans for the purchase of necessary services and supports from the care ‘marketplace’. These current reforms are expected to provide the levers to further dissolve the service-centric landscape and provide greater ‘personalisation’ of care (Laragy et al 2015).…”