Path to NDIS Provider: Your NDIS Business Basics Blueprint
In this webinar, we go through the requirements and obligations that a NDIS Service Provider must manage to operate within the NDIS space.
We take it right back to foundational knowledge, to ensure everyone is starting from square one.
We talk about:
Origins of the NDIS and who it is there to support
Registration and Compliance
Who’s who in the NDIS ecosystem
Getting paid as a provider
Staying in the loop for sector changes
Our goal at Kinora is to simplify the NDIS journey for everyone - here we share the important things you need to know about operating as a provider within the NDIS, so that you can feel confident, and ultimately, have a better chance of being a successful and sustainable NDIS business.
Want extra support along your NDIS journey?
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More information on the different plan management types: https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/creating-your-plan/ways-manage-your-funding
Pricing Arrangements: https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-arrangements
Code of Conduct: https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-and-standards/ndis-code-conduct
Your legal requirements: https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/becoming-ndis-provider/am-i-ready/requirements-and-eligibility/your-legal-requirements
Invoicing and record keeping: https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/working-provider/getting-paid/invoicing-and-record-keeping
Making payment requests: https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/working-provider/getting-paid/payment-requests
NDIS logo usage and promotional guidelines: https://www.ndis.gov.au/contact/ndis-logo-usage-and-promotional-guidelines
Apply for NDIS registration: https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/provider-registration/apply-registration
Worker screening: https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/workforce/worker-screening
Kinora service agreement template: https://bit.ly/NDIS_service_agreement
Kinora Service Provider Success Toolkit: https://bit.ly/NDISProviderSuccessToolkit
Allied Health Provider report writing tips: https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/working-provider/allied-health-providers/plan-reassessment-reports
DSC information on short notice cancellations: https://teamdsc.com.au/resources/the-new-short-notice-cancellation-requirements
Previous Kinora webinar about compulsory registration: https://www.kinora.com.au/resources/compulsory-registration-for-your-ndis-business
Kinora blog: 10 Strategies to become a provider of choice and be sought out by clients https://www.kinora.com.au/resources/10-strategies-to-become-a-provider-of-choice
Kinora blog: Take a good look in the mirror: how client feedback can build trust, grow your business and make you compliant. https://www.kinora.com.au/resources/take-a-look-in-the-mirror-feedback
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Forgive us if you are well versed in everything NDIS, but we just need to make sure that we're all starting from the same 0 point and we'll go into exactly why the National Disability Insurance Scheme exists and how the fundamentals of the scheme work.
So where did it come from?
So back in the day before the NDIS was introduced, disability services in Australia was state based, fragmented and inconsistent, which is interesting that they're now going back to a state based focused foundational supports, but that's an entirely different conversation for a different day.
So in 2011, the, sorry, the Productivity Commission released a report that changed everything.
It found that Australia's disability support system was underfunded, unfair, fragmented and inefficient.
So they came up with a National Insurance based scheme that would provide funding for people with permanent and significant disabilities that was tailored to their needs.
So it wasn't about funding organisations, it was about funding people.
Such a big change.
Yeah, exactly, exactly.
People 1st.
And I think sometimes we forget that, but that's where it comes from.
So the NDIS was legislated in 2013 and was rolled out in stages across the country and reached full implementation in 2020.
So today it funds over half a million Australians and many of those are receiving support for the first time.
In the last quarter of last year's NDIA report, they reported that 19,000 new people entered the scheme.
So it's not like everyone who requires NDIS support is already in there.
So it's it's, it's, it's growing.
And so the purpose of the NDIS, it's about choice and control.
And so it's designed to help participants live.
And this sounds interesting, but an ordinary life, so whatever that looks like for them.
So that might mean getting support to work, to study, to socialise or to simply just manage their daily life more independently.
2:12
The scheme also aims to control.
2:14
So it's up to so the person they want is what that ordinary life looks like.
2:18
Yeah, exactly.
2:21
And then the flaw in effect of that is for the scheme, it wants to increase community and economic participation for people with disabilities.
2:30
So getting them out into the community, getting them into the workplace if they choose to give people more control over their support.
2:38
So rather than designating people like you're in this catchment area, you get this support, people have the choice to work with who they want to work with and then move away from a welfare based model, which is old school, and to a rights based system, human rights, where disability is seen as part of life, not as something that should exclude people from participating fully in society.
3:01
Like shouldn't be a revolutionary concept, but it is.
3:05
Should it be?
3:05
But first in the world is, Yeah, first in the world, in Australia, it is this large, encompassing this many people.
3:12
So it's it's incredible to be a part of.
3:14
It's huge.
3:15
Yeah.
3:15
Our country, yeah, we're up there.
3:19
And so in terms of who it actually supports, it's designed for people with permanent and significant disabilities.
3:26
So that just means that their disability is life likely to be lifelong and has a substantial impact on their ability to complete everyday activities.
3:36
And further, to be eligible when they apply, they must be under the age of 65.
3:41
And there are obvious provisions for childhood access to the NDIS.
3:47
We won't necessarily dive into that today, but that's another pathway as well.
3:52
You must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or hold a protected special category visa and you have a disability that significantly impacts your ability to take part in everyday activities or you require early intervention to reduce the future impact of your disability.
4:07
So that would be in cases of acquired disability during someone's life.
4:13
So the NDIS covers a wide range of disabilities with the impact classified using the new Impairments notice for intellectual, cognitive, sensory, neurological, physical and psychosocial disabilities.
4:26
However, not everyone with a disability is eligible.
4:29
It's specific for those with a disability that will substantially impact their ability to function independently.
4:38
All right, so we're getting into how these participants are funded and how that directly effects providers yourselves.
4:50
So once a person is accepted into the NDIS, they received their, they receive a personalised support plan.
4:56
So that's the plans that is referred to on a very regular basis.
5:02
Providers aren't necessarily Privy to a participant's plan.
5:05
They can show you, but they're not obligated to with funding allocated for specific supports specific to their needs.
5:14
There's three ways that the participants can manage their funding.
5:17
So obviously on the screen they're self managed, which means that they take full control of their funding.
5:22
They choose their providers, they manage invoices and they claim reimbursement directly from the NDIA plan managed.
5:30
So a registered plan manager handles a financial side of things.
5:34
They pay providers on behalf of the participant and by using a plan manager and a self.
5:41
If you're self managed or if you're a plan managed, you can use both registered and unregistered providers.
5:47
And then the third option is agency managed or NDIA managed participants.
5:53
This is where the agency directly pays registered providers only and participants are limited to only utilising NDIS registered providers.
6:04
So as a provider, it helps to understand the different funding models so that you know whether or not a participant that approaches you, whether or not you can actually provide them services, how you'll actually get paid by that particular participant, whether it's through the Myplace or pace portal, through a plan manager or directly from the participant and how long that is likely to take as well.
6:26
So you can factor that into your business operations and what level of flexibility the participant has in choosing their providers.
6:34
Because as a great service provider, if you come across another provider that you believe can enhance the service provision for your particular client, that referral would be amazing for your particular client.
6:48
But you need to make sure that they actually can utilise their services or it would be helpful anyway.
6:53
It would be great.
6:54
It would also come down to exactly what funding they have in their plan, but we'll get into that a bit later.
6:59
We'll get into that.
7:00
But also the, the type of plan management can also help you know who to go to if you have any issues with payments or anything on that side of things.
7:07
If you know an invoice hasn't been paid or you're just not sure if there is that funding available.
7:12
That sort of tells you who you need to go to, whether you know, you should always go to the participant first themselves anyway.
7:17
But if they're plan managed, there's also that other layer and go to their plan manager for assistance or if that agency manager can go directly to the NDIA for help too.
7:26
So that's just good to know.
7:27
Exactly.
7:28
It is definitely good to know.
7:30
All right, so we're going to dive into registration and compliance.
7:36
So ultimately, not all providers need to be registered.
7:40
And for some, staying unregistered can be a strategic decision.
7:44
But whether or not you choose to be register, all providers must meet certain obligations, including compliance with the NDIS Code of Conduct and worker screening requirements.
7:55
So who actually does need to register?
7:59
It's, it's actually a little bit of a, a repeat occurrence that we see even within Kenora provide a community that new businesses to the sector, especially those that are buying NDIS businesses off the shelf.
8:13
They're not aware that registration isn't compulsory.
8:15
So they may actually pay more for a registered business and not fully understand that there's actually a lot of work to do in maintaining that registration on an ongoing basis.
8:25
So it's not necessarily a great thing straight off the bat to be registered.
8:30
It's but it definitely opens up different opportunities to you as a business.
8:36
All right, whether or not you need to be registered.
8:39
Sorry, no, no, keep going.
8:41
I'm just like diving into this.
8:43
Hey, that's good.
8:44
Keep going.
8:45
Whether or not you need to be registered depends on who you actually wanna provide services to.
8:49
And there are, there's a bunch of, as you can see on the screen, there's a bunch of circumstances where you do actually need to be registered.
8:56
And this is part of the recent legislation changes that the government introduced last year, or at least part of it was.
9:04
So specifically if you want to deal with agency managed participants, you need to be registered participants that receive specialist supports, including high intensity personal care.
9:16
So that's really highly skilled or medical trained supports that that do need that extra level of oversight.
9:28
Specialist disability accommodation.
9:30
We're seeing more and more of SDA occurrence in, in just general conversations around the NDIS in terms of accommodation that's being built specifically for people with disabilities.
9:43
So they need to be registered, are growing and industry that for sure massive, yeah.
9:50
And then certain behaviour support services that use restrictive practises just so that they can have oversight over how these restrictive practises are being used within the business.
10:01
And then the other area is plan management services.
10:03
So if you're a plan manager, you also need to be registered and just want to flag as well that there are changes coming to that.
10:10
So there will be more roles that will need to be registered in the future, such as support coordination.
10:15
If you're a support coordinator, we we did hold a webinar on that last year when those changes came out.
10:21
So if you want to dive a bit more into sort of the future planning of if your role will be compulsory to be registered, yeah, we can get more into that.
10:30
You can have a look at that video.
10:33
We actually were holding out on this webinar in terms of we wanted to integrate the new changes that the government was expected to announce in early 2025, but they have not actually materialised yet.
10:45
So I'm sure we'll have to do an updated version of this when they actually materialise, but we're working with the information that we have right now.
10:53
All right, It's constantly involving landscape, isn't it?
10:55
It's a constantly evolving landscape, all right.
10:58
So you don't actually need to register as a service provider if you're working with self or plan managed participants.
11:06
So it just it reduces that the burden of registration and compliance.
11:18
So yeah, even though it's not required, it can open up access to those agency managed participants as well if you do go down the registration route.
11:28
So there's a whole new market of people that you can you can work with for sure.
11:34
Yeah.
11:35
OK.
11:35
So moving on the registration process, just to give a very brief overview of the process, we actually worked with Angela Harvey from Supporting Potential consultant out of based out of Newcastle last year.
11:50
So we've got a great webinar on the registration process that you can find on our YouTube channel.
11:56
So if you actually decide to register, the process is simply you apply to the NGS Commission to be registered.
12:04
I know simply well, I mean, you can, you can set up this one.
12:08
You can.
12:09
The first step is complete the online application and provide all of your business details, the services that you plan to deliver and your policies and procedures.
12:19
So that is the instrumental bit of being registered.
12:23
The NDIA want to understand how you run your business.
12:27
The second instrumental step is undergoing an independent external audit.
12:34
So this is where a external consultant comes into your business and cheques that you are compliant with the requirements of the NDIA in you being able to deliver services according to their their rules and guidelines.
12:47
It depends on the type of service, doesn't it, the type of risk as to how you know involved that audit will be yes, yeah.
12:56
So your verification audit is for your lower risks services.
13:00
So therapeutic support or plan management.
13:02
So a plan manager, while they need to be regulated, they don't necessarily they're not inserting catheters and they're not managing medication.
13:11
So it's a much more indirect registration.
13:14
Whereas certification audit is for high risk services like personal care and accommodation and behaviour support.
13:21
So it just depends on the services that you're delivering and then that will have an impact on what your audit requirements are.
13:28
And then the third part of the registration process is that the NDIS Commission actually reviews and or they provide you feedback on your application in terms of how you can improve it to actually get registration, approve it or say no thank you, come back to us when you've got this all sorted.
13:51
So once you're actually approved, you'll receive a provider registration number and then that will allow you to work with agency managed participants.
14:03
It's not easy.
14:04
It's quite a process.
14:05
Yeah, it can take quite a long time for that whole process, can't it?
14:09
Yes, exactly.
14:10
So yeah, it's definitely not it for sure.
14:13
So, yeah, as you said, the registration process can take 6 months depending on the services that you provide and how long the audits actually happen.
14:22
The cost of registration comes up quite a bit within the community as well.
14:26
And that is a how long is a piece of string kind of question.
14:29
And that comes down to the size of your business and the services that you offer as well in terms of how detailed the auditing process actually needs to be.
14:38
And while you do actually need to employ an external consultant to go through the audit process, the NDIS has a list of recommended auditors that they work with.
14:54
So be sure to get multiple quotes, be as detailed as possible as you can when you're speaking to these auditors so that they can give you an accurate representation of of how much their services will cost.
15:09
Yeah.
15:09
And try and then even after work before yes as well to try and save a bit of time during that auditing process because obviously the less that they have to dive in and figure out the, the hopefully the less it will cost for you.
15:23
Yes, no, no running over costs yes, for sure.
15:28
And then even once you've gone through the audit process and the registration process, there is actually ongoing compliance requirements, including the fact that you need to re register every three years and their annual reporting requirements for certain registrations as well.
15:47
And you part of being registered means that your record management systems or the way that you go about your business means that you have the records to show that you are actually following your policies and procedures that you've submitted to the NDIA to show that this is actually how you are running your business.
16:05
You need evidence to show that this is how you actually run your business in practise.
16:11
So it doesn't stop that just getting a tick box checklist happen.
16:14
Yeah, Yeah.
16:15
It's a constantly ongoing process, isn't it?
16:18
It is ongoing, yes.
16:21
All right.
16:21
So in terms of what you need to do as a registered provider, so your obligations as a registered provider, while you need to go through the audit process for the registration itself, having your own internal regular audits to prove that you meet quality and safeguard standards.
16:42
As in this is the evidence that I was talking about.
16:44
If you're doing that on a regular basis internally, it's there's less of a stress to actually do it on the annual basis when you actually need to report it to the ND, to the NDIS Commission.
16:57
You need to have a stringent complaints and incident management process, and you need to be aware of your mandatory reporting requirements to the NDIA.
17:06
So that all needs to be documented.
17:08
And every single instance of a complaint or feedback needs to be documented within some sort of system.
17:13
And you need to have a process to show that you've actually acknowledged and worked with whomever is providing feedback or a complaint to find a solution.
17:24
So that's kind of that's kind of huge.
17:26
Really.
17:27
Yeah, it's a yeah, I think under underappreciated for how much actual work is involved in that.
17:37
Yeah.
17:37
So part of that is the very stringent record keeping of service delivery.
17:42
So service notes, ongoing, ongoing basis payments and then also compliance documentation.
17:51
So that's your your policies and procedure and how you actually run your business.
17:55
So that is specifically for registered providers.
17:58
However, there's still obligations for unregistered.
18:02
So to actually work within the NDIS space, your workers at minimum need an NDIS workers clearance and that could also include a working with children's check and or a police clearance depending on the kinds of services that are being delivered.
18:19
Essentially every provider that provides services within the NDIS space, they have a legal obligation, excuse me, to report certain incidents including abuse, neglect and exploitation of participants, restrictive practises that are not registered and serious incidents affecting participants health, safety or well being.
18:49
And the obligation is that you must report it within 24 hours of being made aware of that issue.
18:55
So that's huge, Like, and making sure that all of your staff are aware of the obligation as well.
19:01
Yeah, yeah, totally.
19:02
Because if something happens, you know, with the support work and you don't find out about it for a couple of days, that can really, yeah, really be a bad thing.
19:08
Not obviously for the participant, but on the business as well.
19:11
If you haven't followed those strict timelines, definitely massive repercussion.
19:15
So yeah, education of staff in terms of what the obligations are is huge for sure.
19:22
And the final as part of your policies and procedures as well, just making sure that they're in line with what the Commission expects 100% most definitely.
19:32
And then the overarching code of conduct, NDIS code of conduct is how all businesses that operate within the NDIS system need to operate.
19:42
So whether you're registered or unregistered, you must be following the NDIS Code of conduct, which requires providers to act with honesty and integrity, respect participants rights to choice and control, deliver services safely and competently, and prevent and respond to violence, abuse and neglect.
20:00
And it doesn't just apply to businesses, as we said, it applies to all employees and subcontractors that operate within the space.
20:08
So everyone must follow, be aware of, essentially be trained in the code of conduct and have as part of compliance.
20:17
Everyone needs to have been taken through code of conduct and be aware of their obligations under the code of conduct.
20:23
All right, moving on to who's who in the NDIS.
20:31
So a lot of the conversations that we have in Kenora's provider community is how do I find clients?
20:39
And ultimately, it comes down to how you are connected to the community.
20:46
And these are essentially all of the connections that a participant has within the NDIS context of their community.
20:53
So finding a way to be relevant and helpful to all of these different areas of a participant's life means that you are aware of how to add value to their life as a service provider.
21:07
So at the heart of everything is obviously the participant and they're not alone.
21:14
They may come with families and carers, siblings, friends who are part of their day to day life and also informal support.
21:22
So your next door neighbour or community organisations that they have regular meetings with or catch ups with, they form such a integral part of the participants ability to live the life that they want to live.
21:39
Yeah, and then advocate.
21:41
Sorry, what you were saying here.
21:44
No, no, no.
21:45
Yeah, it's all right.
21:46
Because, yeah, advocates can be part of that group as well, so that there's specific disability organisations that people can reach out to if they need extra help specifically or usually with NDIS issues, they can be really helpful.
22:01
So that's just another sort of, you know, part of the team effort there to help get the participant, Yeah, the support that they need.
22:10
Yes, most definitely in terms of being valuable and working with a participant's support network, there's definitely, there's not A1 size fits all way to go about it, especially in terms of how to deal with families and informal support.
22:32
So inevitably the best way to go, to go about how a participant would like you to deal with all of these people is to ask them straight up.
22:40
So if you make assumptions that can create barriers in terms of trust.
22:48
Ultimately, you can, you have to be mindful that while a participant's family may want to be involved in the service delivery, you're providing support to the participant and their needs and wishes come first.
23:00
So they might not want to be involved or told information.
23:04
So yeah, you always have to take the participants once into consideration first.
23:09
Sounds obvious when you say it, but it it can, you know, can be tricky in some circumstances if there is that really strong support network around them.
23:19
But yeah, you just need to always make sure you're giving the participant the control in any situation.
23:25
Yes.
23:26
And I think that what helps that facilitate that situation is being super open with your communication, laying all of your cards on the table from the get go.
23:37
Be consistent in how you communicate and and just don't communication.
23:43
Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off.
23:45
I was just going to say in regards to communication, make sure that you're asking people as well what their preferred method of communication is like.
23:51
Some people might prefer you to email them information or talk on the phone.
23:56
It's really important to find out what works best for them.
23:57
And then like you said about be consistent with that.
24:01
Yes.
24:02
And with consistency and open communication comes trust.
24:05
And then ultimately that is what all of the successful participant provider relationships that continue through are based on.
24:12
So trust is what we are aiming for here.
24:15
Yeah, All right.
24:16
Having participants that trust you, they're going to refer you on to people that they know.
24:20
Yeah, other providers will see that you're a trustworthy business and you know, network with you and and refer clients as well.
24:27
So it's just, it should be dead.
24:29
Yeah, Yeah, yeah, totally.
24:32
All right.
24:32
Going through our list, support quarters and player managers, I mean, there may be some of you in the in the attendees here at the moment, but just in case you're not aware, support coordinators facilitate connecting participants with their supports that are laid out in their plan.
24:53
And they also make sure that their funding and service provision is aligned with their goals.
24:58
And they're also a really great advocate, an intermediary when things aren't necessarily going right for the participant.
25:05
So more often than not, support coordinators are the first advocate after the informal support.
25:11
So they're the first paid NDIS advocate for a participant.
25:15
And we do get a lot of requests within the community for new providers to get connected with support coordinators in their particular area.
25:25
Well, that is a great idea.
25:28
They are so busy.
25:29
So to be seen as a a valuable referral prospect, you need to be valuable to them and appreciate that their time is so precious and just be helpful without taking up too much time or attention that they are trying to help their participants with.
25:51
So that's just something to keep in mind.
25:54
Yeah.
25:54
And then plan managers, Yeah, sorry, plan managers, as we said before, while it's they're essentially performing the function of paying invoices, there's so many invoices that get paid.
26:07
They're, they actually become a really useful source of knowledge in terms of if you have issues with certain invoices getting paid or line items.
26:19
Speaking with their provider support people can be very helpful in actually streamlining your own business services.
26:27
Just making sure that you're not leaning too heavily on them for that kind of support.
26:31
But they are there as another point of contact for sure.
26:35
Yeah, they want to help get invoices paid quickly too, so they'll be able to help you know what?
26:39
Yeah, exactly what line items?
26:41
What, you know, support categories you should be claiming from that type of thing.
26:46
Obviously they're, they're hired by the participants, so they work for the participants.
26:50
So they might not be able to always tell you everything about a client's plan because they have the right to privacy and keep their plan private, but they can be, yeah, a really huge source of help on on the financial side of things.
27:02
And I think in terms of how you work with support coordinators and plan managers, it's really, and essentially other providers within the community as well, is to treat them as partners in service delivery and not just functions of this whole system.
27:18
So you're all working in it together.
27:20
You show that you're able to do your job amazingly well and you help other people do their job and it just becomes this really amazing internal referral of consistent and like great service delivery.
27:35
So like, yeah, doing all of the things together is the best way to go about it.
27:40
All right, moving on.
27:40
Sorry.
27:41
Yeah, just before you move on just quickly, cuz like you said, we do get a lot of questions about how to connect with them.
27:46
Just wanna mention that most states or even local government areas will usually have a lot of networking events where you can, you can meet them and chat.
27:56
And that's just a good way as well as through your clients and, you know, showing value.
28:00
That way you can get out there into the community and try and make those contacts in other ways as well.
28:06
Yeah.
28:06
And more often than not, a face to face conversation with a support coordinator, like you get someone's vibe straight away so you can develop that rapport.
28:14
You can tell them what you're about.
28:16
You get a sense of who would be good to work with each other.
28:20
So yeah, networking out with industry events is a great way to to build a network for sure.
28:27
All righty.
28:28
So then and just, it kind of feels a bit commonsensical, but we just wanna also make a point of saying the NDIA, So the National Disability Insurance Agency is a very separate entity to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
28:44
So the Quality and Safeguards Commission is the regulator of the agency itself.
28:49
So they're the ones that make sure that everything is being followed to the letter.
28:53
And the agency is the one that actually does the function like operates the scheme itself.
29:00
So 2 very separate and distinct entities and the other one to be aware of is, oh, sorry, did you have something?
29:09
Oh, I was just going to mention that it's the Commission that you go through for that registration process and they maintain all of the, you know, code of conduct and everything like that.
29:18
So if you do become a registered provider, that's who you will be dealing with.
29:22
But then obviously it's sort of through the NDIA that you can provide the services to the clients.
29:27
So that's, so you get, provide services and get paid through the agency, get registered and make sure you're ticking all of the boxes through the Commission.
29:36
Yeah.
29:37
So they all intertwine in all the ways, but two very separate entities.
29:44
The last one that I wanted to talk about is the Administrative Review Tribunal or the ART.
29:50
It used to be known as the AAT.
29:53
So the tribunal can review and change decisions made by government agencies.
29:59
So that includes decisions that are made by the NDIA and some participants or potential participants who are trying to get onto this game use the function of the AIT to argue their case for access or to change their funding allocations.
30:12
So say they don't get accepted onto the scheme, however they feel that they have all the evidence that they need, they would then apply to go through the AIT process and the AIT is actually no cost legal process.
30:28
And the AITART work, the NDIA and the AIT work with the participant to get to a mutually beneficial solution.
30:41
So they will let the participant know where the evidence is lacking, what they actually need to provide so that they can get to the suitable agreement at the end of the process.
30:54
And just to make you aware that providers are sometimes actually called upon to provide evidence to support participants with their claims at the tribunal.
31:02
So not often, but it's definitely part of the process of working within the space.
31:09
And then just the last, just in the chat.
31:11
Sorry, I've just seen that Romney has asked what ART stands for.
31:15
So that was Administrative Review Tribunal, correct?
31:20
Yeah, just another acronym in the system.
31:23
Lots of acronyms added to the list and then the last group to be aware of, I think, Erin, you spoke about them briefly before, but advocacy groups and peak bodies, so just a few to kind of rattle off so that you're aware of them.
31:38
So there's People with Disability Australia.
31:40
So they are, they advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, Disability Advocacy Network Australia.
31:48
So they support advocacy groups who are supporting people with disabilities, the National Disability Services, which is actually the peak body for service providers within the NDIS.
32:01
So if you're not already on their mailing list, that is definitely an organisation to be aware of.
32:08
They do a lot of work in terms of lobbying for providers within the space and in terms of research about areas that are lacking specific services.
32:22
They ask for lots of feedback from providers in specific locations as well.
32:27
So if you would actually like to be involved in shaping the NDIS and and future service delivery options, then being involved with the NDS is definitely, excuse me, is definitely recommended as that's where that's where they focus their attention.
32:44
Excuse me for a second.
32:48
And then the last one I'd like, sorry, the last advocacy group that I'd like to make you aware of is the first People's Disability Network, who represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities, just to make sure that they have adequate, adequate representation for a further marginalised group of Australians.
33:15
Yeah, so individually back also collectively these organisations offer huge amounts of resources and training and guidance about how to provide ethical and person centred support.
33:30
They're great to have conversations with in terms of or users reference points for how to do best practise service delivery.
33:42
Yeah.
33:42
So it's definitely part of the what is required to be aware of operating in the system for sure.
33:50
You have anything else to add with that, Erin?
33:52
Oh, just to yeah, operating in that system.
33:55
It's, you know, it's kind of about working well with the whole support network.
34:01
And that's not just the participant obviously, but all these organisations and everybody working together on the scheme itself.
34:06
So that might sound a bit, you know, out there.
34:09
But yeah, it's, it's true though.
34:11
You can't really operate as an island if you're a service provider.
34:14
You're not going to be a successful little island talent all on your own.
34:17
Like you are part of a ecosystem of all of the things functioning together.
34:22
So gonna have a win of what providers out there that understand how to provide good service and are following all those compliance things.
34:29
The better you know, the less headlines is going to be in the newspapers about, you know, all those, you know, so called dodgy providers and things like that.
34:37
Yeah, that just makes the scheme stronger overall, having more providers providing good service.
34:42
Really.
34:43
Yeah, less justification because everyone's doing best practise.
34:48
Yeah.
34:48
Yeah, All right.
34:51
Pricing arrangements and price limits.
34:54
Oh my goodness.
34:55
This is a huge document and it can be quite overwhelming at first if it if you dive into it, there's different price limits, price line item, even me price limits, line items and different ways of getting paid and very strict compliance rules in terms of how to actually get paid.
35:15
You need it to be all over a document.
35:17
Yeah, even though it's it's huge, it, it tells you so much information.
35:22
If you have a question about how to charge a client or anything, you should be able to find the answer in this document.
35:28
It's in there.
35:28
Yeah, yeah.
35:29
It just requires a bit of forensic investigation for sure.
35:33
All right, so it used to be known as the price guide, but it this full title is the NDIS pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and it sets how much providers can charge for services.
35:45
It is reviewed and updated regularly.
35:48
There's currently a investigation into music and art therapy at the moment.
35:53
So inevitably media there is generally a an update of the whole document, but there may be further updates coming in the coming months anyway.
36:04
So good.
36:07
A good tip is to bookmark the document itself and then just check back regularly for updates.
36:15
It can be how tricky to read through, but yeah, you're gonna go through it so don't worry.
36:21
I'm not gonna go through the whole thing at all.
36:25
So I was just gonna say 1 tip What, how I use it sometimes if I need to know about, you know, I need to know whether who, who can provide a particular therapy support or something.
36:37
You can go and do CTRL F and search for keywords in it because it's such a huge document.
36:42
And it, it'll find the support category that this particular, you know, role can charge from the line items, the rules around it, the cancellation rules, what days you can use it if you need an opera registration or anything like that.
36:54
Like it gets really, really detailed in there.
36:57
But I just find that, you know, CTRL F find function is really helpful.
37:00
So that's just one tip I wanted to add in where's definitely.
37:05
And I also just want to note that the function of the pricing arrangements and limits is that it is the capped price that you can charge for certain services, but it is not a suggested price limit to charge your clients.
37:24
So while it is well within a service provider's right to charge the maximum amount of the price limit, that is not the assumption that the price limit guide makes.
37:36
So it's we do here many reports of the fact that some providers charge the maximum regardless of the service that's being provide provided.
37:46
But the intention of the document itself is not to set the standard price limits for what you charge clients.
37:57
Yeah.
37:58
And then further, there's price variations depending on how this time of day that a service is being provided, the location or the complex nature of the service being provided.
38:08
And as Erin said, it's all detailed within the document itself.
38:12
And using the the search find function is the best way to go about it.
38:19
All right, so how client payments work.
38:22
So this is essentially how you'll get paid for providing services depending on how the client's fund is managed.
38:30
So when your client is agency managed or NDIA managed, you invoice the NDIS pace portal directly as a payment inquiry.
38:42
You must be a registered provider to get paid this way.
38:44
And payments are generally processed within a few days, but they're strict compliance rules.
38:50
So if you don't follow the rules to the letter, then there may be payment delays.
38:55
And there is a, a page on the NDS website that sets out exactly what needs to be on an invoice and that type of thing.
39:02
So Amy might be able to pop that in the chat for you.
39:05
So you can bookmark that one as well, just to make sure that you're you're following all those compliance rules.
39:10
Makes it bigger to get paid.
39:12
Yes, definitely.
39:15
So if your client is plan managed, you will invoice your clients plan manager directly and then the plan manager will pay you directly.
39:23
You don't need to be registered to be paid by a plan manager, but they also have rules that you need to follow in terms of how your invoices are laid out and how you charge for your particular services.
39:37
Yeah.
39:38
And our plan manager is also helpful in that way.
39:40
As we said before, they help participants to manage their funds as well.
39:46
So make sure that they've got enough in their budgets, they're in regular contact with their clients about what they've got in their budgets.
39:53
So having an open conversation with your clients, especially if you've got like a an ongoing arrangement for service delivery with your client, making sure that they do have the budget for that ongoing service.
40:05
Just to make sure that your client gets the service that they're expecting and you also get paid because they have the funding available for it.
40:12
So that is definitely something that is really pivotal to be aware of for sure.
40:20
Yeah.
40:20
Anything else that you can add in terms of the plan manage side of things, Erin?
40:24
Now I think that pretty much covers it.
40:25
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
40:27
And then self managed is you invoice the participant directly and they then claim they pay you and they claim their reimbursement from the NDIA directly, NDIS directly.
40:40
And then in this situation, payments can take longer, but it's up to the participant and they also need to manage their funds and how much they have available in their budget for particular services as well.
40:52
So if you if you are working with self managed participants, amazing.
40:57
They have so much flexibility, but they also have huge obligations in terms of making sure that they have funding available.
41:05
So being helpful in terms of budgeting with them just takes that little bit of stress off them.
41:14
Yeah.
41:14
And maybe making it easier to keep records as well.
41:16
Like if you're on top of your record keeping, it should be easier for them to as well.
41:21
And again, it goes back to how they prefer communication and things like that.
41:26
If they're requesting, you know, receipts to be emailed or something, it might be that they've got a specific folder for that kind of thing to keep new records in.
41:32
So anything you can do to facilitate that will definitely help them.
41:37
Most definitely.
41:38
Yeah.
41:39
All righty.
41:41
Avoiding common payment pitfalls.
41:43
So as we've said a couple of times, invoicing and compliance, making sure that you've got all of your business information, correct line items and that you're not exceeding price limits for your particular services, instrumental in terms of getting it in and out and paid.
42:02
I believe there's, yeah, the resource that you've shared before in terms of what the expectations for invoices are, that's in there.
42:12
Since the PACE pace system came in, which is just the way that participants plans are managed, there's a new function where participants need to endorse the service providers that they acknowledge they work with on a regular basis.
42:29
So you need to make sure that clients that you're working with know about the endorsement process.
42:35
If you're not endorsed by participants that you work with, you'll still get paid, but they can be delayed up to 10 days so that the NDIS can go through their own cheques and balances to make sure that this service is being provided to this person.
42:54
So it just kind of they had the extra requirements to go through if you're endorsed by.
43:01
Sorry, yes, just that if that's only for agency managed support.
43:07
So if your client is plan managed, their plan manager is paid directly by the agency.
43:14
So they don't need to endorse you specifically.
43:18
They need to endorse your plan manager to get those payments quicker down the line.
43:22
So you don't need to worry about that for plan managed clients because it's sort of, yeah, managed by the plan manager.
43:27
I just wanted to extra bonus for plan managed clients for sure.
43:31
Yeah, yeah, so and then with endorsed, with endorsed once you're endorsed by your participant, payment should go through within the usual two to three business days.
43:42
Service agreements comes up time and time again in terms of making sure that everyone's on the same page in terms of the fine print.
43:51
And while it seems simple in terms of we we delivered this particular service and you want this particular service, there's so many details like when, what rates are being charged, what happens when there's a cancellation of a service.
44:06
And also just like expectations with service delivery not have.
44:12
If you're working with a participant who doesn't fully understand your service agreement, then it's highly likely that there may be a communication breakdown or disputes about certain payments being made in certain situations.
44:27
So definitely have a very clear service agreement.
44:32
Yeah, and it's just popped in the chat, one that we've created just a template that you can use.
44:37
But also if you use your own template, if you've got a regular service agreement that you use that sets out all of the terms of your service, you just need to be really clear that it matches the NDIS rules as well.
44:50
Because even if you've got a service agreement that says, you know, you know, if you cancel within a week, we will still charge 100%, that might not line up with what the NDIS says.
45:00
So your service agreement is then kind of void because it doesn't match up with the rules.
45:06
So you just have to make sure that it's still following the rules that the NDIS puts out there.
45:11
And that's the next point in terms of cancellation confusion, as Aaron said, just making sure that your cancellation policy and like in some allied health situations, you'll have your own cancellation policy and that's all well and good and that's how you operate your business.
45:25
But with NDIS specific clients, you need to make sure that those two match.
45:29
Otherwise you may be in some dire straits in terms of getting those invoices paid.
45:34
For Sure.
45:35
Yeah.
45:36
And just on that note about the sort of policies being maybe slightly different for NDIS participants because it needs to match the NDS rules, just want to say another one that we've had some questions about as well is payment times.
45:50
So just on that.
45:50
So you might, you know, your invoicing system might say payment required within three days or something like that, whereas the NDIS has other rules that they go by.
45:59
So you, you might not be able to, you know, hold them to account for that three days if that's what your invoice says, they'll go by the NDIS rules of payment times and things like that.
46:07
So I just want to add that in.
46:10
It's definitely something to keep in consideration in terms of cash flow for your own business for sure.
46:16
And and this comes down to maintaining your financial records as well.
46:21
And yeah, as you said, the payment turn around time and integrating that into when you receive funds and yeah, just how you tick through on your own invoicing and accounts receivable situation.
46:35
Yeah.
46:36
Well, Ryan, when you're getting to the near end of today's presentation, staying informed and adapting to change.
46:46
Well, as we said at the start of this webinar today, we're expecting a fair bit of change coming up.
46:52
And to be fair, it's, it's a, it's a situation of continuous improvement really.
46:58
So change is just a regular occurrence.
47:01
So making sure that you're actually in touch and on essentially email lists to NDIS, NDIS Commission, the advocacy groups for your particular interests and service areas.
47:20
Yeah, Amy's just popped in the chat, just a couple of the web pages for the E alerts, E newsletters that you can sign yourself up for.
47:34
Obviously Kenora is a great place to have peer support discussions about what is happening and how to adapt to change and how other people have adapted to change.
47:46
And then industry networking groups are also really great for for those discussions as well.
47:51
More often than not, there's a subject matter expert that is presenting about changes at any particular event.
47:56
So they're definitely helpful in, in the sense of keeping your finger on the pulse.
48:01
Excuse me for a second.
48:02
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
48:05
And yeah, I, I guess just keeping your eye on the news as well.
48:09
Like there's a lot of just kind of, I mean, you can't always take it at face value when it comes from the news, but at least it helps you to know that there's something big going on and you can look into it further from some reputable sources.
48:23
Most definitely.
48:26
Great.
48:26
Well, I think we have finished the content section of this presentation if we've got any questions.
48:34
Do we?
48:36
No questions.
48:39
It was a couple in the chat.
48:41
Yeah, there's a couple in the chat.
48:43
I'll just go back through it.
48:43
So we have one right at the start about where to find out information about what types of disabilities are funded.
48:50
So I guess there there are a couple of lists on the NDIS website that list particular conditions that they find generally do meet the NDIS eligibility criteria.
49:02
So you could look at those lists.
49:03
But apart from that there is a sort of deemphasis on diagnosis alone.
49:08
So, yeah, the NDIS is more about helping people with challenges to their functional impairment because of a disability.
49:20
So it's not necessarily about the diagnosis itself, it's about how it impacts them in their day to day and that level of impact that will, you know, decide whether or not people differently.
49:29
Yeah, 100% yes.
49:30
That's it.
49:31
So they have to like reach a certain level of support needed to get daily life activities done basically.
49:39
Yeah.
49:40
But it's not not exactly just a yes, this condition.
49:43
No, not that condition.
49:44
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
49:48
Another question from Alexis.
49:50
What about psychosocial recovery coaching?
49:52
Does that need to be registered now?
49:54
I believe that's one of the ones that will soon be compulsory to be registered.
50:00
So at the moment, no, but that is definitely coming soon.
50:04
So you probably want to get on that front foot, and it would be really good video to watch our previous webinar from last year about the compulsory registration changes coming up.
50:14
That might sort of give you a jumping off point there to know what to do.
50:17
You can say that in the show notes as well.
50:21
So that will be.
50:22
Yeah, absolutely.
50:25
Romney was waiting to hear about the independent review on art and music therapies.
50:29
Yeah.
50:31
And actually just said that they're extending it until April.
50:34
So they've apparently got over 600 submissions to the review.
50:38
So they've got quite a bit to wade through.
50:40
And I, yeah, the in the media, I think they've actually emphasised that they're not deciding whether or not music and music and art therapy is included as a support.
50:50
It's just how it will be funded in terms of price limits.
50:54
So that's what they're debating on at the moment.
50:57
So, yeah, yeah.
50:59
So it's like that'll always be covered.
51:01
But that doesn't, yeah, doesn't mean that it's going to be easy for providers to maintain a business in that space if those price limits change.
51:11
So, yeah, I know that would be really scary being in one of those professions at the moment.
51:16
And hopefully all of the submissions that, you know, they're wading through at the moment lead to a good outcome because I know there are so many people that benefit from art music therapy.
51:25
Just have to hope that they, yeah, keep it as a therapeutic support in there.
51:29
I think some other questions we have from Green Phoenix Community Services, Does renewing registration require all the same same steps to be repeated?
51:42
So I don't think it's as vigorous as when you first as strenuous, Yeah.
51:50
But it's essentially you will still have an external auditor come in to make sure that everything is still in place to see that you have the evidence to show that you are actually operating your businesses according to your policies and procedures.
52:02
So there is still that external verification for sure.
52:06
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
52:07
Every three years.
52:08
But as, as we said, yeah, yeah, once you've kind of got it all set up, got your ducks in a row, it's gonna be easier to maintain that.
52:16
So the next time, yeah, it's going to hopefully not be so difficult and so, so much of a process to go through.
52:24
Now.
52:24
There were also after there any grants for newer businesses who also wish to help with advocacy services too.
52:30
There is one grant information and linkages programme that might not be the exact name, I'll Google it in a second and we can pop it in the chat.
52:41
But that is a grant programme through the NDIS that funds businesses with, yeah, things like that that are going to help participants and help the scheme get better.
52:51
So look into that one.
52:52
I will find the link for you shortly.
52:53
But I'm sure that there might be other grants from other organisations as well.
52:58
Not that I know off the top of my head, but hopefully, yeah, we can we can have a look around and see what we can find.
53:05
Yeah.
53:06
You wouldn't be limited to NDIS funding for those sorts of things either.
53:09
So if you can show innovation or community need, then that's what grants are for.
53:14
So, yeah, amazing.
53:16
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
53:20
OK.
53:21
We've got a few questions at the end here.
53:22
How are we going to have time?
53:23
We've got one minute, one more.
53:27
OK, what did we have next?
53:29
Where to find more info about low and high risk intensity risk?
53:33
Now that was regarding, I'm assuming the different types of registration so that different audits that you have to go through the verification audit or the certification audit, is that right?
53:45
Verification and yeah, certified, yeah.
53:48
Now I'm not sure is there a list of the specification?
53:51
Yes.
53:52
OK.
53:52
So we can find, yeah, we can find the exact list of what services go through what type of audit and we'll we'll get that out to you.
53:59
Yes, definitely, for sure.
54:03
What is the current situation with ADHD diagnosis?
54:07
Generally, it is not, not, not approved.
54:11
Yeah, not eligible.
54:13
It could be that a participant has another diagnosis or something that they're on the ADS.
54:18
We then have ADHD as well.
54:20
But I think because it's viewed more as a medical issue because there is medication available that to manage.
54:27
Yeah, yeah.
54:28
That's kind of separately, yes.
54:31
So NDS doesn't cover any health conditions, which is a really tricky line to draw, which is which because they definitely crossover and people that have multiple, the same realm is something like diabetes.
54:45
So diabetes, well, it has potential to cause disabling impacts.
54:52
It's a medical condition which is managed from the medical system.
54:55
Same with ADHD.
54:57
So it is managed mostly through the medical system.
55:00
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
55:04
We've got a few questions there, but looking at the time, we don't want to hold anyone up.
55:08
So wrapping it up, yeah, we, anyone that has questions there that we didn't get to, we'll we'll get back to you.
55:15
We'll, we'll get some answers to you and we'll pop them in the Canora community as well so that everyone can see those questions.
55:21
Everyone can see amazing.
55:24
Thank you for joining us today for today's webinar.
55:28
And as we've just said, it doesn't have to stop here or in the chat.
55:32
Join Kenora and continue the conversation in there.
55:34
If you're not already a member, jump in.
55:36
It's a great place to continue learning and connecting with others in the NDIS space.
55:42
Thank you again for being here today.
55:43
We'll send out an email with a link to the webinar and the resources probably Friday morning.
55:49
That's how we normally go and we'll post a video and the resources within Kenora.
55:53
I am Yvette, that is Erin and IMI was in the chat.
55:57
We appreciate your time today and we look forward to seeing you in Kunura soon.
56:01
Have a great day.
56:03
Thanks for joining us everyone.
56:05
Bye.
56:05
Thanks.
56:06
Bye.
