Molly

schmy025@gmail.com

Disability service provider

Do you believe the current Frameork encompasses your vision of advocacy in the NDIS environment? if not, what changes are required?
– Yes, but it is quite general. It might be helpful for people requiring advocacy to have more specific ideas of what the Framework will do to support people. For example can they go to you if they are having difficulty with a supplier/agency? How will you support them to feel valued and respected (e.g. health promotion or programs, counselling)?
– There also seems to be a big focus on capacity-building for participants, which is great, but I think this should include family/consistent carers as well, who sometimes need capacity building to interact with services, as well as potentially being able to provide ongoing capacity building skills to the individual.

Are the principles of the Framework appropriate for guiding the delivery of advocacy for people with disability in a changing disability environment, including in the context of the NDIS? If not, what changes are required?
– Principles are great, but need strong follow through to uphold them.

Are the outcomes of the Framework still relevant or should different ones be included? If so, what should be included?
– I think the ‘choice’ outcome becomes even more relevant, as that is what NDIS should allow for individuals. However the decisions we make aren’t always the right ones in hindsight (and sometimes life is about making the “wrong” decision within reason). Or some people’s choices might not match what we think they should be. So measuring the outcome of choice, while important, might be difficult.

Are the outputs of the Framework still relevant or should different outputs be included?
– Coordinated communication is often difficult due to confidentiality. Therefore smooth processes between many different services and agencies may be a difficult outcome to achieve and would need early processes to enable this (e.g. consent forms at the time of access).
– Being in the disability area, I hear a lot about disability awareness, but often times these go missed in the general public (unless a ‘celebrity’ endorses them like the ALS ice bucket challenge). It would be great to see more out there in mainstream media that everyone sees.
– Again, strong follow through is needed to provide appropriate systemic advocacy that is upheld.

Does the Framework identify what is needed in the current and future disability environment? If not, what changes are required?
– I think so at this stage. It is difficult to say without the full roll out of NDIS, and knowing what disability services are going to be like then.

Do you have any other comments, thoughts or ideas about the Framework?
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