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NDIS - The Drama - The Outcry - The Controversy - The Reality - National Advocates Call for Australians to Keep it Real

Mr River Night - National Sector Advocate and Professional

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MR RIVER NIGHT

Leading National Disability, Child Safety and Community Sector Advocate, Professional and Speaker

Co-founder at Developing Australian Communities

Public Officer at the National Disability Leadership Organisation

Mr Night is physically located in Brisbane this week and can travel interstate if needed.

Mr Night is an adult Living with Disability, a National Disability Sector Advocate, carer, father and outspoken supporter for reform and improvements in the Disability and NDIS sector with a 30+ year career working across Disability, Youth Justice, Guardianship, Child Safety, Education, TAFE, Aged Care, Forensics Disability and Mental Health sectors.

 

National Advocates are calling on all Australian’s and our leaders to keep it real in terms of planning, codesign, legislative changes and policy directions as we place state governments and agencies into the fire. 

 

“The absurdity of how chronic the inaction has been and a lack of good old fashioned ‘let’s get stuck in and fix this’, is real every day for those of us living with Disability”, said Mr Night today.

 

“We all support our leaders in codesign and change to fix NDIS, foundational systems and work smart instead of hard. But to make announcements that decisions are made, with no detail, no plan, no criteria, no agreement with states, no concrete transition plan and no sector plan, means no action and no options. Get real Australia.

 

“When our Ministers keep announcing decisions and policy change without details for real work action and behaviour what are they actually announcing then? Is it an announcement of a vibe, trend, an idea? Could any other industry get away with announcing major, sweeping changes impacting thousands of people without a plan?

 

“We have lost faith and trust. Perhaps someone will step up, say ‘hold my beer’, roll up their sleeves and sort out our systems with no more vague, noncommittal vibes and a simple concrete willingness to provide a true blue, real answer, that isn’t spun like a sheep struck by lightning. I truly want Mr Butler to be that legend because now is his chance to get real.

 

“We went through years of a Disability Royal Commission hearing horrific stories of abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation to produce 222 recommendations for immediate action and we have to ask, what has been done and why haven’t the front-line fixes that are urgent even started. Get real Australia.

 

“When the government responded to the 222 recommendations by saying ‘we will commit and endorse about a dozen, although the other 200+ that could save us a tone of money and really fix things we think are great ideas, but we haven’t committed to it yet, is a slap in the face and disrespectful to those that have and continue to die and suffer. Get real Australia.

 

Today People with Disability Australia, our leading national peak body, highlighted that children will fall through the cracks, as “Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Mark Butler announced that the NDIS eligibility age has been increased from under 7 to under 9. Children with "more mild to moderate developmental delays" will rely on state-run 'Foundational Supports' until they turn 9”.

 

“We announce that the health system at a state level will now support children instead of NDIS for psychosocial supports. We provide no real details but let everyone know we have made the decision already. We have no plan of how that is going to work but it will be part of the hospital deals, so we assume no more face to face community based services and staff but a return to a clinical appointment. Again, who knows how, but we have made the decision already”, said Mr Night today.

 

“She’ll be right mate!, isn’t a strategic policy approach that tends to work in my experience.

 

“We say state foundational services will now replace NDIS and will start 1 July but with 2 weeks to go that’s going to be the most rapid funding agreement, sector wide restructure, refund modelling, project plan, implementation and roll out by government the universe has ever seen. Grab the popcorn and watch! If it isn’t ready and able to support the pressure put back on our emergency and health services, guess what? I don’t know there is no plan for that either….. Get real Australia.

 

“We hear that changes are budget focused, but the major steps to fix our agency and sector’s operations to save billions and safeguards against the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation that impacts the economy negatively by tens of billions of dollars a year, are simply left not actioned. It is simply ‘not on’. Get real Australia.

 

“Our state health system is going to rapidly absorb psychosocial supports with allied health, professionals and direct support staff without a plan, funding agreement or rollout, but fingers crossed early intervention can just wait. The ‘early’ in the term ‘early intervention’ does mean something clinically proven and evidence based. Has anyone ever found hospitals to have lots of capacity for immediate appointments and service delivery?  Get real Australia.

 

“We agree that forced group homes are not our policy but the agency funds groups settings as the default. That’s not fooling anyone so just be honest please. Get real Australia.

 

“We see a sector that increases its focus on building specialist disability accommodation (SDA) settings for 2 participants to live together but the agency prefers funding people to live in groups of 3. Does the third live in the garage? Get real Australia.

 

“Telling someone you can choose to live in a 2:1 service setting, then NDIS in essence saying we are funding you 1:3 though, but hey choice and control, it’s all up to you, go get em tiger! Get real Australia.

 

“In bygone years the Industry Award was aligned with NDIS funding rates and models. Now the two have parted ways and the short fall we say to providers, it’s up to you to absorb that. To bad so sad for you. We then have the audacity to suggest the scheme is being designed to be sustainable. Get real Australia.

 

“We have next to zero stock for public housing, private rental prices exclude anything other than group home arrangements and SDA is funded for less than 5% of people accessing NDIS. We leave 95% with zero housing options and still no robust strategy after more than 10 years of NDIS. Get real Australia.

 

“Our leaders publicly scare monger Aussies to rally support by saying we have to change the legislation so people can’t spend NDIS funds on escorts and sex, while no one is being funded for that. Get real Australia.

 

“We require major systemic change to save billions of dollars a year directly in our agency. We must develop safeguards at least back to pre-NDIS levels to save some of the 40+ billion dollars a year our economy wastes due to the impact of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitations. Instead, we; just; don’t….. Get real Australia.

 

“When we deliberately choose only the most expensive way to deliver services exclusively but complain about cost, we make our system look silly. There are so many ways we can do things smart instead of always working so hard. Get real Australia.

 

“When we don’t take quick, informed and logical action that makes sense, to save billions of dollars of waste through inefficiency and preventable, economic detriment, but at the same time cry out about the costs, the pub test labels the sector as losing their marbles. Get real Australia.

 

"The sector is throwing children and adults into a period of stress, worry and uncertainty with no clear plan. At the same time they do this they attack Support Coordinators and Plan Managers who are the only role currently available to some to support, help navigate and provide clarity when we cant even meet our NDIS delegates face to face any more. 

 

“When you employ decision makers that have never worked in a role in the sector, they are making decisions about, a day in their lives, it is a recipe for disaster. Get real Australia.

Contact details:

M 0401429403

[email protected]