NDIS Sector Development Podcast - By National Disability Services (NDS)

NDS Sector Consultant Graeme West looks at the Disability Royal Commission and outlines the theme and issues of interest to Australian Disability Organisation Boards and CEOs.

Disability providers overcame many significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now must work out how to prepare for a future with COVID-19 as an endemic disease.

Safer and Stronger - Yooralla CEO Terry Symonds talks with NDS Victoria State Manager Sarah Fordyce about how Yooralla has prepared for dealing with COVID-19 as an endemic disease.

There are concerns about COVID-19 vaccination rates for children with disability in the 5-11 years age group, particularly as Australia heads into winter. In this podcast, NDIS participant Leo and his mother Marika, share their experience with Leo's COVID-19 vaccination, what steps they took to make it easier for Leo and why they think getting vaccinated is important.Information about COVID-19 vaccines for people with disability and people who work in the disability sector is available from the Department of Health.People with disability, families, carers, and support workers can contact the Australian Government Disability Gateway for information and referrals about coronavirus (COVID-19).The Disability Gateway is free, private, and fact-checked.

Infection prevention control consultant Bruce Greaves shares his insights and tips from supporting frontline workers within COVID outbreak environments.Part 2 focuses on PPE gowns, face-shields, reusable PPE, airflow and role of vaccination.Correct use of face masks videos are available on the NDS website, see PPE in the Infection Prevention Control Toolkit.

Infection prevention control consultant Bruce Greaves shares his insights and tips from supporting frontline workers within COVID outbreak environments with NDS Disability Sector Consultant Heather McMinn.Part 1 focuses on personal clothing as baseline PPE, waste management and mask wearing and care of facial skin.Correct use of face masks videos are available on the NDS website, see PPE in the Infection Prevention Control Toolkit.

Deb Howcroft from NDS is joined by COVID-19 vaccine champion Uli Kaplan who is a disability advocate and filmmaker. Uli talks about his belief in the vaccine program, his decision to get the vaccine, and his experience in overcoming his skepticism of it.

Deb Howcroft from NDS is joined by Vaccine Champion Peter Romer, a house supervisor in regional Victoria. Peter discusses overcoming his hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine, the importance of seeking credible information, and shares some helpful insights on assisting participants to access the vaccine.

Deb Howcroft from NDS is joined by vaccine champion Trish Maloney who talks about how her experience living with polio has driven her commitment to vaccination and why the COVID-19 vaccine is important to her.

In the second part of a two part series on communication with staff during emergencies Daniel Muggeridge of Blue Bike Solutions talks through some of the principals and practices that can shape your communication choices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NDS Sector Consultant Graeme West is joined by Daniel Muggeridge from Blue Bike Solutions, a community sector transformation specialist provider. This is the first part in a 2 part series on communicating to staff during emergencies. In this episode, Daniel takes you through four scenarios highlighting the use of tools and technologies used to communicate effectively amongst the 'noise' created by mass communication during the pandemic.

Clinical Champion for the Victorian COVID-19 Vaccine Champions program Dr Anita Munoz joins NDS Communications Officer Deb Howcroft to discuss the importance of getting the right information out regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. They discuss the concerns posed by the delta variant, the importance of getting vaccinated, and communicating vaccine information to people from CALD communities. Anita also addresses a number of COVID-19 vaccine myths and explains how you can get the vaccine.

Amy Whelan from client experience consultancy Mesh CX Talks to Graeme West about the importance of client experience in disability services. This episode covers the challenges of upholding a client centred focus while dealing with changes brought about by the NDIS, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the Royal Commission.

Andrea McLeod of Melbourne City Mission speaks about how her team handled positive COVID cases and the changes that had to be implemented in response to those cases.

NDS Disability Sector Consultant Graeme West is joined by Senior Policy Officer Henry Newton. Henry provides an update onimportant recent findings from the Disability Royal Commission and suggests some actions that providers should be taking right now.You can find more information and stay updated on the disability by googling 'nds royal commission hub' or visiting https://www.nds.org.au/royal-commissionThis episode was recorded on 16th June 2021

Julie Ware from Scope Australia speaks with Graeme West from the NDS, Safer & Stronger team as they discuss Scope's 4 pillars set of outcomes

A personal journey about how a part time job with a disability provider turned into a rewarding career

Safer and Stronger Project Lead Louise Currie is joined by Josie Prioletti of Catalyst Training and Disability Services where they discuss the experiences of CALD Disability Support Workers and participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Catalyst undertook research into the main challenges disability service providers faced in 2020 and if these challenges were different for staff and participants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. They also investigated how disability services communicated safety messages to staff and particpants during this time and how were these messages were delivered to people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.This episode was recorded on 1 June 2021 when Victoria was in a circuit breaker lockdown.

Eugene Liston from NDS is joined by Bernie Goulding, OHS manager at Scope Australia, where they discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and wellbeing in disability services. Bernie talks about how her team managed the changing needs of the workforce during this time, and the importance of taking an integrated approach to employee wellbeing. This podcast episode was recorded in February 2021The NDS Wellbeing toolkit can be accessed at https://www.nds.org.au/index.php/covid-19-hub/victorian-covid-19-response/covid-toolkit#wellbeing

Graeme West of NDS talks to Maria Padisetti from Digital Armour about the challenges facing disability providers to maintain adequate cyber security and the potential consequences of security breaches.You can register for the online session on cyber security here https://www.nds.org.au/events-and-training/nds-events/how-to-manage-cyber-security-in-the-covid-era-and-beyond-3732

What was your first job? What did you learn about yourself during that job? Today over 60% of secondary students have paid, after-school employment. Unfortunately, many students with disability miss out on this important opportunity. In response to this, Ticket to Work embarked on the After School Jobs Project, providing support for over 80 young people with disability to land that first job. In this episode the Ticket to Work team share the outcomes of the project and what was found along the way.

In this podcast we hear about the experiences of a disability service which has found a creative way to improve their staff supervision.Alyssa McIntyre and Dee Evans from Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities or ADEC share how their service, which supports people from ethnic backgrounds, has met the challenges of workforce supervision.

In this episode we discuss the findings from the 'SVA valuation of key outcomes report'. You will hear Mitch Adams, Manager SVA Consulting and Michelle Wakeford, Ticket to Work Manager talk about the economic benefits of Ticket to Work to government, young people and their families.

Alan Hough from Purpose at Work presents on the role of clinical governance in disability service provision as a means of promoting quality and safeguarding.He outlines the meaning of clinical governance, how it relates to corporate governance, and how clinical governance may differ for different service providers.This episode is part of the NDS Safer and Stronger Podcast series. This series aims to help disability service providers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing information and experiences from professionals and providers.To hear more experiences from disability service providers during COVID see our YouTube videos https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3xNFJ8mDtU12TFqZKBsXEq18HJgiZSwlFor more information and resources regarding COVID-19 and disability services in Victoria, see the NDS COVID-19 hub https://www.nds.org.au/index.php/covid-19-hub/victorian-covid-19-response

Nikki Fraser, Chief Financial Officer at SASI Victoria join's NDS sector consultant Graeme West to discuss a range of software solutions for different business areas like client management, HR processes, finance, and more.This episode is part of the NDS Safer and Stronger Podcast series. This series aims to help disability service providers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing information and experiences from professionals and providers.To hear more experiences from disability service providers during COVID see our YouTube videos https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3xNFJ8mDtU12TFqZKBsXEq18HJgiZSwlFor more information and resources regarding COVID-19 and disability services in Victoria, see the NDS COVID-19 hub https://www.nds.org.au/index.php/covid-19-hub/victorian-covid-19-response

When two staff members and then a client in a residential setting tested positive for COVID-19 the team at Ability Assist had to act quickly to appraise the situation, contact trace, and enact measures to limit the spread of infection.Cindy Thomassen, CEO of Ability Asist joins Dylan Snowden from the NDS Safer and Stronger team and shares how her team handled the situation and provides relevant insights from the experience for disability service providers.This episode is part of the NDS Safer and Stronger Podcast series. This series aims to help disability service providers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing information and experiences from professionals and providers.To hear more experiences from disability service providers during COVID see our YouTube videos https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3xNFJ8mDtU12TFqZKBsXEq18HJgiZSwlFor more information and resources regarding COVID-19 and disability services in Victoria, see the NDS COVID-19 hub https://www.nds.org.au/index.php/covid-19-hub/victorian-covid-19-response

ANSVAR's Anthony Black joins NDS sector consultant Graeme west to discuss the need for disability providers to adopt contemporary board models, board roles in internal auditing processes, and demonstrating sound risk managementThis episode is part of the NDS Safer and Stronger Podcast series. This series aims to help disability service providers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing information and experiences from professionals and providers.To hear more experiences from disability service providers during COVID see our YouTube videos https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3xNFJ8mDtU12TFqZKBsXEq18HJgiZSwlFor more information and resources regarding COVID-19 and disability services in Victoria, see the NDS COVID-19 hub https://www.nds.org.au/index.php/covid-19-hub/victorian-covid-19-response

Natarsha Warren from Bayley House in Melbourne describes her team's experience from a positive COVID-19 case in their day service, and some learnings they took from the experience including the importance of having an effective COVIDSafe planThis episode is part of the NDS Safer and Stronger Podcast series. This series aims to help disability service providers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing information and experiences from professionals and providers.

Welcome to the first episode in the NDS Safer and Stronger Podcast series. This series aims to help disability service providers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing information and experiences from professionals and providers.In this episode Professor John Catford from the DHHS joins the NDS team to discuss proper COVID response for your workplace, PPE and particular areas to look for when identifying a positive COVID case.

An NDS interview with Amaya a House Coordinator from Alkira about her brilliant career in the disability sector.

Tom talks about the job satisfaction of working with a person to enable them to achieve their goals and tailoring support to promote their skill development and independence.

Tom discusses with a house supervisor how she came to work in a disability residential service and what she loves about the work.

The NDIS has seen an increase in funding for disability service and the development of new roles. This podcast explores the role of a support coordinator

Another episode highlighting how students engaged in post-secondary and tertiary studies can combine study with rewarding work in disability

This podcast explores the variety of career opportunities in disability, Tom uses his own career to highlight the diversity of roles available.

People living with psychosocial disability have faced a number of barriers in navigating the NDIS and in implementing their plans. This podcast consider what psychosocial disability supports can look like, a pathway for entry into the Scheme for people living with psychosocial disability and the interface with mainstream mental health supports.

This episode is hosted by Dave Relf, NDS National Practice Lead, Zero Tolerance Initiative, featuring studio guests Christian Astourian from Diversity and Disability at the Migrant Resource Centre and Mini Dahiya from Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities, as they discuss support for people from diverse cultural backgrounds as part of the Zero Tolerance initiative. The Zero Tolerance Framework aims to assist disability service providers to understand, implement and improve practices which safeguard the rights of people they support, recognising that there are additional risks faced by people from diverse cultural backgrounds. In this episode you will gain advice into how organisations can understand and address these risks.

Find out about some of the major changes introduced with the 2019/2020 NDIS Price Guide and Support Catalogue, released in July 2019. This episode is hosted by Savanna Jewell, NDS Senior Sector Support Coordinator and features Fiona Still, NDS State Manager Victoria and Philipa Angley, NDS Head of Policy. The speakers discuss the Temporary Transformation Payment (TTP), pricing changes, the inclusion non-face-to-face time as a billable line item and changes to the cancellation and provider travel policy.

The NDS Ticket to Work team share findings from their recent research about what happens when you give young people with disability opportunities at school to experience work, career development and to see themselves as workers.

This episode is hosted by Dave Relf, NDS Victorian Manager, Quality and Safeguards, featuring studio guests Nathan Despott and Ella Joyce about what they are doing in their organisations to prepare for the changes to quality and safeguarding under the new national system. They provide useful perspectives from organisations of varying sizes, including an organisation that operates across a number of states.

This episode is hosted by Dave Relf, NDS Victorian Manager, Quality and Safeguards, featuring studio guests Eva Sifis and Cameron Bloomfield from Voice at the Table (VATT). A project of the Self-Advocacy Resource Unit (SARU), aiming to increase the number of people with cognitive disabilities sitting on boards, committees and advisory groups within government, service providers, community and mainstream organisations at a local, state and national level.

This episode is hosted by Dave Relf, NDS Victorian Manager, Quality and Safeguards, and features studio guest Peter Johnstone, NDIS participant, about what service providers need to consider in relation to people who use their services, including informing people of the changes and ensuring that people with disability are involved in meetings and decision making processes.

In this episode, Fiona Still, NDS NDIS Transition Manager, speaks to Dave Relf, NDS Victorian Manager, Quality and Safeguards about the changes to behaviour support and restrictive practices under the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Framework.

In this episode Dave Relf, NDS Victorian Manager, Quality and Safeguards, speaks to our studio guest Arthur Rogers, Victorian Disability Services Commissioner about the role of the Disability Services Commissioner and the changes to complaints processes that will come into effect from 1 July 2019.

In this episode Dave Relf, NDS Victorian Manager, Quality and Safeguards, and Fiona Still, NDS, NDIS Sector Transition Manager discuss the transitional arrangements for Victorian service providers. Listen to this short episode to gain knowledge and guidance about worker screening, the NDIS Code of Conduct, incident reporting, registration and quality assurance.

Learn about using the COAG Principles when considering the responsibilities of the NDIS and the other 11 mainstream service systems. These service systems, along with the disability sector have a key role to play in achieving the vision of an inclusive Australian society. This episode is hosted by Savanna Jewell, NDS Senior Sector Support Coordinator and features Fiona Still, NDS NDIS Transition Manager. Listen to gain knowledge about one of the most important areas when considering the NDIS rollout.

Community participation is a significant activity funded by the NDIS, being an element in approximately 50% of all plans. In this episode we explore what is community participation and how providers can design effective supports to facilitate community participation. This episode is hosted by Fiona Still, NDS NDIS Sector Transition Manager and features Professor Christine Bigby, Director of the Living with Disability Research Centre at La Trobe University and Clover Laurier, Head of Disability Services at Outlook.

NDIS participants have the right to seek appeal of a decision made by the NDIA through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). Listen to this episode to hear about lessons learned during NDIS planning meetings and further your understanding about what the AAT means for providers and NDIS participants. This episode was hosted by Fiona Still, NDIS Sector Transition Manager and featured our studio guest Darren O'Donovan, senior lecturer and director of engagement at La Trobe Law School and co-author of the AAT NDIS Decisions Digest.

Learn about navigating the intersection between the health services sector and the NDIS. You will hear about the findings that emerged from a joint roundtable on the case study of one NDIS participant. This episode was hosted by Sarah Fordyce, NDS’ Policy Manager, and featured Bronwyn Morkham, National Director of Young People in Nursing Homes National Alliance (YPINH), Deb Farrell, Senior Advisor at YPINH, and Fiona Still, NDS’ NDIS Sector Transition Manager.

In this episode, we focus on the changing landscape of quality and safeguard arrangements under the new NDIS Commission, commencing its operation in Victoria on 1 July 2019. A consistent national approach to quality and safeguarding ensures high quality supports and safe environments for all NDIS participants. Listen to our NDIS Sector Transition Manager, Fiona Still and NDS Victorian Quality and Safeguards Manager, Dave Relf discussing the national quality and safeguarding framework in the Australian disability sector.

In this episode we explore how Reporting on Outcomes impacts the lives of people with a disability and utilising innovation to measure outcomes. As the NDIS is fundamentally an outcomes based framework, Reporting on Outcomes is imperative in supporting participants to gain the services they need to achieve their goals such as gaining employment and living independently. It is critical that our sector knows how to accurately report on outcomes. Tune in to gain practical reporting advice from our NDIS Transition Adviser, Pascale Dreyer. You will also hear from Dr Stella Koritsas from Scope about MISO, the tool that enables service providers to measure the impact and outcomes of their services for people with a disability.