Wollongong will host a Ready-Set-Connect event to bridge gaps between NDIS providers and participants. Photo: Kismet Healthcare.
NDIS participants in the Illawarra could be missing out on vital services and underutilising allocated supports according to new data, but there’s hope better connection with providers could help create more opportunities and stop people slipping through the system’s cracks.
Providers fear significant demand and confusion around the NDIS could be contributing to barriers preventing people from accessing care in the region, after a new report by Kismet revealed participants in the Cunningham electorate were using just 63 per cent of their allocated supports.
Sydney Health and Care Services operates a range of support in and around the Illawarra and has seen high demand particularly for in-home care, supported independent living and allied health services, but CEO Anna-Lee Hamilton said it can be difficult to meet specific needs of all participants.
“Even though choice and control is an amazing option, having that there is also where some delays may be because some participants might require certain trained staff; they might require a certain cultural background; there’s language barriers,” she said.
“I’ve had participants where they requested they need a female only support worker who could speak Arabic and they had to be around their mid-40s.
“So giving that as a description makes it a little difficult for us to actually hire specifically for that without being discriminatory.”
She said navigating the system and uncertainty around what they were entitled to could also be a barrier for participants.
“A lot of our participants don’t fully understand the NDIS services or understand what funding they’ve been approved for and how they can utilise that to help them improve their daily living,” Anna-Lee said.
While transportation difficulties or not clicking with support workers may also prompt participants to end services early, Anna-Lee said financial implications of everyday activities can also be a challenge.
“Really we need as a community to have more experiences and services and events that don’t cost an arm and a leg, because in reality a lot of our participants are from working backgrounds; they’ve worked all their lives and had an unfortunate event and now they can no longer work and provide for themselves,” Anna-Lee said.
“They’re paying their bills, they’re paying their food, they’re paying [for] their home but they don’t get a lot to go to the movies, or go to a coffee shop or go to an art class.”
Providers are hoping to bridge the gap and better connect with the region’s participants during One Community’s Ready-Set-Connect event this month at Kembla Grange.
“This event is about breaking down silos and empowering people with information and access,” former Paralympian and head of events at One Community, Don Elgin said.
“We want every attendee to leave the event with more options, more clarity, and more confidence about their future.”
Anna-Lee said networking events were vital to help participants connect with providers and fully utilise the support available.
“Having them available and free and accessible so that participants and their families can go out to these events and suss out what providers are local and what ones seem to fit them well and know that they have options and choices,” she said.
Opening up these conversations is an important step, but Anna-Lee encouraged anyone having difficulty to speak up.
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” she said. “I think everyone in this field and in this industry know how hard it is to navigate the system so if you get stuck always ask; there’s always someone around the corner who can lend help to understand the NDIS or apply for NDIS and services are everywhere.”
Wollongong Ready-Set-Connect is on Tuesday 12 August from 10 am to noon at Kembla Grange Racecourse.
For more information visit the One Community website.
