12 February 2021 - meeting 3 - communique

The third meeting of the Northern Territory (NT) Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) was held on the 12 February 2021. The purpose of the meeting was to talk about key issues Members would like the NT DAC to address in 2021. Presentations were made to Members on a number of projects and initiatives occurring in 2021 of importance to people with disability in the Northern Territory.

The Meeting was attended by the Minister for Disabilities, the Honourable Kate Worden MLA and Chief Executive of the Department of Territory Families Housing and Communities, Mr Ken Davies PSM. The Minister reiterated that the meeting was an opportunity to flag issues and for her to listen.

She noted the range and scope of discussions of the NT DAC were impressive and that the diverse membership of the NT DAC meant it had diverse experience to share.

Northern Territory Disability Advisory Committee – Priorities 2021

Members identified the key issues of importance that they would like to see carried over from 2020 and new issues to be addressed in 2021.

Member noted that a key opportunity to address issues is through inclusion in Northern Territory Disability Strategy and liaison through the DAC forum with the lead responsible areas and stakeholders who can instigate change.

The following items will be considered by the NT DAC in 2021.

• Review and implementation of new legislation for Guide Dogs and Assistance Animals.
• Employment opportunities for people with disabilities and supporting people with disabilities to maintain employment, including in the NT Government.
• Improving the options for people transitioning from school.
• Fair and equitable allocation of resources and expenditure for people with disability in remote areas that provide for the additional expenses incurred due to remoteness.
• The treatment of people with disability within the justice system and improving the interaction between the justice system and disability services and supports.
• NDIS related matters, including:
  • the effects of the NDIS on the mental health sector and people with psychosocial disability; and
  • barriers to accessing supports, with a focus on the NDIS access process.
• Sector development and market stewardship of the disability services sector, including a key focus on shortages in allied health services in the NT for children.
• Greater awareness and understanding of disability in mainstream services and the broader community, with a focus on:
  • the ways that disabilities can affect people’s interactions with services and the community; and
  • how service systems and community can accommodate and make reasonable adjustments to ensure inclusion and appropriate and accessible services for people with disability.
• Changing community attitudes towards people with disability, including:
  • changing the perception on what people with disability look like; and
  • looking positively at what people with disability can do, particularly when it comes to training, education and employment.
• Create greater awareness in the community of the NT Disability Advisory Committee and its role.

Current projects and initiatives of importance to people with disability in the Territory

Dan English, Northern Territory Manager of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), presented to the DAC. Mr English spoke to members about important changes to NDIS legislation and processes to occur in 2021. These changes were the subject of national consultation which closed on 23 February 2021; and continue to be discussed by the public and governments. Mr English noted the changes intend to lead to greater flexibility for participants when managing their plans; and will reduce inequities that have been observed in the NDIS in terms of the variation in supports that are provided to participants with similar functional capacity.

Mr English provided an overview of the following:

• Access and eligibility policy with independent assessments
• Planning policy for personalised budgets and plan flexibility
• Supporting young children and their families early, to reach their full potential - Early childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) reset.

Michelle McColm, Acting Director, Office of Disability (the Office), Department of Territory Families Housing and Communities spoke to members about the key priorities for the Office in 2021. Ms McColm provided an overview of the following key projects:

• Development of the NT Disability Strategy and the alignment of this to the new National Disability Strategy. The Strategy will be a plan which shows what we want for people with disability in the Territory and how we can make this happen. The Strategy will guide the Northern Territory Government and stakeholders as we work towards a more inclusive society where people with disability have the same opportunities as others to achieve their goals.
• Review of the current Northern Territory, Disability Services Act. Noting that the Act needs to reflect the changes that have occurred with the establishment of the NDIS and a renewed focus on access and inclusion for people with disability to mainstream services and social inclusion.
• Establishment of the NDIS Worker Screening regulations with SAFE NT. The Worker Screening regulations provide important safeguarding for people with disability who access specialist disability services under the NDIS by ensuring screening of the disability sector workforce.
• NT Data Sharing Arrangements with the NDIS, noting that this project includes a number of NT Government Agencies and clarifies data sharing arrangements between the NDIS and these agencies. Mr Ken Davies noted that the outcomes from the information system would ensure young people are getting the right supports early (so that it is not too late) and that everyone is getting their fair share.

Darwin Community Legal Services (DCLS) talked to members about their services and briefly on their submission to the NDIS consultations addressing changes to the NDIS in 2021. DCLS provides advocacy across a broad range of issues, including housing, care and support, employment, NDIS access, assisting applicants with reviews of NDIS decisions and assisting NDIS participants to self-advocate. DCLS noted that they welcome stories and feedback from the community so that they can also have a bigger picture of the systemic issues that people are facing in their day to day lives and are open to feedback regarding Independent Assessments and other processes. A number of members praised the service and stated it had been critical to them achieving NDIS access and in addressing equity and access issues.

You continue to support people in rural and remote, make yourselves available, come out, there are many stakeholders using your services and agree that without your help, we would not be heard.

Trudy Lee, Project Coordinator Disability and Primary Care Interface, NT Primary Health Network (NTPHN), talked to members about the Disability and Primary Care Interface Project being led by NTPHN. The NTPHN have been funded by the Information Linkages and Capacity Building program for three years to deliver a project to increase access for people with disabilities across the NT to mainstream primary healthcare.

The current focus of the project is on access to GPs. The project involves a range of consultation activities with people with disability, service providers and GPs and opportunities for people with lived experience and their families and carers to participate in co-designing of activities and resources. The project will result in resources and education for GPs and other primary healthcare practitioners in the mainstream area on best practice in Northern Territory Disability Advisory Committee Department of Territory Families Housing and Communities – Office of Disability Page 3 of 3 providing good service to people with disabilities.

NT DAC members were invited to participate in consultation activities.