Making complex interfaces work for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

About the Project

This project will provide evidence about the organisational networks and front-line practices and choices that contribute to an efficient and fair system for NDIS participants. By understanding how reasonable and necessary supports are being worked out, it will uncover successful collaborative practices as well as interface tensions and gaps. It will also pinpoint where coordination incentives and supports are needed to safeguard efficiencies and choice. The study involves two phases conducted over three years (2019-2021) and employs a multidisciplinary, translational design incorporating case study methods and innovative digital research tools to gain a range of perspectives from organisations, service delivery personnel and NDIS participants. The findings are expected to contribute to an efficient and sustainable NDIS for the wellbeing of Australians with disability and their families.

This project is funded by a three year Australian Research Council Discovery Program grant.

Click here to download the Project Flyer

Research team

Prof Michele Foster (CI), The Hopkins Centre

Prof Karen Fisher (CI) , UNSW Sydney

Prof Catherine Needham (PI), University of Birmingham

Dr Eloise Hummell (RF), The Hopkins Centre

Ms Alyssa Venning (RA), The Hopkins Centre

Ms Samantha Borg (RA), The Hopkins Centre

Reference Group

A Reference Group has been established to support the direction, information sharing, analytical insights and dissemination opportunities of the project. Group members are included from consumer advocacy organisations, non-government and government organisations. The Reference Group will meet three times per year over the course of mid-2019 to end 2021.

Reference Group Members are from the following organisations:

People with Disability Australia
Queenslanders with Disability Network
National Disability Services
Metro South Health
Endeavour Foundation
Open Minds
Spinal Life Australia
Multicap
Department of Social Services
National Disability Insurance Agency
Disability Connect Queensland
Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia

Discussions are being held with other organisations on potential representation.

Project Outputs

Video one: Improving the coordination of NDIS funded supports. Video two:Improving the coordination of NDIS funded
supports: perspectives from NDIS participants.

The views expressed herein are those of the researchers and are not necessarily those of the Australian Government or Australian Research Council.

Publications

 Breaking up is risky business: Personalisation and collaboration in the NDIS (2022)

 Tailored and seamless: Individualised budgets and the dual forces of personalisation and collaboration (2022) 

 Personalisation and collaboration: Dual tensions in individualised funding policy for older and disabled persons (2022) 

 Digitally networked social services: Mapping the NDIS online network in Queensland, Australia (2022) 

 Challenges and adaptations of an intermediary: An exploration of support coordination in the Australian NDIS (2022) 

 A rapid review of barriers and enablers of organisational collaboration: Identifying challenges in disability reform in Australia (2021)

 Organisations adapting to dual aspirations of individualisation and collaboration in the NDIS market (2021)

Reports

 Key Messages - Making complex interfaces work for the NDIS, November 2021

Research Report - Making Complex Interfaces Work for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), November 2021

 Summary report of the NDIS participant survey, July 2021

 Policy Options document, Finding a niche in the NDIS, An organisation perspective, October 2020

 Policy Options document, Support coordination in the NDIS. October 2020

The Hopkins Centre submission to the Queensland Productivity Commission Inquiry into the NDIS market in Queensland, October 20

 Key Message document, Analysis of online organisational networks and relationships in the NDIS, September 2020

Conferences & Presentations

Two papers were presented at the Australian Social Policy Conference (ASPC), hosted by the University of New South Wales, 9-11 September 2019.
One paper was presented at the Bold Ideas, Better solutions symposium hosted by The Hopkins Centre on 18 October 2019

Click HERE to download the key messages for online and social media use by organisations relevant to the NDIS ,
or view the documents below.