By John Van Klaveren
The National Disability Insurance Scheme – headquartered in Geelong – faces serious issues according to assistant minister for social services, Mitch Fifield.
The Independent reported this week that the NDIS, set to create 300 local jobs, faced affordability issues.
Mr Fifield released an independent review of the capability of the NDIS Agency, currently being fitted out in a Brougham St office building.
The review authors said the agency “is like a plane that took off before it had been fully built and is being completed while it is in the air.”
Mr Fifield said the review made it clear the Agency’s foundations “need work in order to deliver and sustain the full NDIS”.
He said bringing forward the scheme’s commencement date and compromises to its proposed design caused a large number of significant problems.
The key findings of the review included:
· The ICT system put in place was the best available at short notice but is not fit for purpose
· The Board was not established until 1 July 2013 and while it’s members are high quality individuals, the selection process is not optimal for achieving the best mix of skill
· The Board did not select the Chief Executive Officer and the CEO did not select his temporary senior executive staff
· Most staff in the agency’s national office are temporary, pending permanent recruitment to positions in Geelong
· The data available from states is poorer than expected and a lot of time has been spent trying to clarify which people are current customers of state services
· The capability of the agency is weaker than it otherwise would have been and the systems and processes to help ensure consistency of approach are less developed
· Lack of clear guidance for staff on the way the Scheme operates, including eligibility and reasonable and necessary support.
Mr Fifield said the government was “determined to deliver the NDIS in full”.
