Speak Out February 2018

Policy & advocacy THROUGHOUT 2017 WE HAVE FOCUSED ON ENGAGING WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS REGARDING IMPORTANT POLICY AND FUNDING ISSUES AND REACTING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MAJOR REFORMS, SUCH AS THE NDIS. IN OCTOBER, WE SADLY SAID GOODBYE TO RONELLE HUTCHINSON, MANAGER POLICY AND ADVOCACY, WHO LEFT TO UNDERTAKE A NEW ROLE AT PWC; WE WELCOMED HER SUCCESSOR, MARK SMITH, TO THE ASSOCIATION IN JANUARY. 2017 in review

Advocating to elected officials We have been extremely busy meeting with elected public officials in both federal, state and territory parliaments regarding a number of issues, for example, speech pathology services in South Australia’s CAMHS and education sector, but most of the meetings we attended related to issues regarding the NDIS; two in particular. Mealtime support A significant advocacy campaign resulted from the NDIA’s decision to cease funding mealtime support services from speech pathologists for NDIS Participants. Representatives from the NDIA informed us of this decision at a meeting in May and we subsequently wrote to all state/territory and federal Ministers for Health and Disability requesting to meet to discuss its impact within each jurisdiction. We either met with, spoke to, or received written responses, from all jurisdictions (apart from Victoria) as well as the federal Minister for Health and federal Assistant Minister for Disabilities. The general consensus was that mealtime support should remain under Disability for funding and provision of supports. We have since requested further dialogue with the NDIA as there is still a lack of clarity regarding this issue for providers, planners and participants alike. Augmentative and alternative communication – Assistive technology (ACC AT) In response to members’ reported concerns regarding inconsistencies with the NDIS and access to AAC AT, we wrote to the NDIA requesting a review of the AAC AT system and for the NDIA to use a co-design approach that includes input from expert bodies such as SPA. A meeting took place with the NDIA in December and we’re pleased to report that SPA has been invited to participate in a workshop in February 2018. We expect that much of our advocacy efforts will continue to be dominated by the NDIS in 2018, not only in our pursuit for satisfactory outcomes for the above, but we also anticipate further implementation issues as roll-out continues.

Other policy and advocacy work in a nutshell Submissions − we made 27 written submissions.

Meetings − we met with over 14 elected Members of Parliament and/or their advisors, held a number of other meetings with government department representatives, and the NDIA. Hearings − in response to our consultation submissions, we were invited to appear at four key Committee hearings: • Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Inquiry into provision of services under the NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention Approach, • Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Inquiry into the Transitional Arrangements for the NDIS, • Senate Community Affairs References Committee’s Inquiry into the delivery of outcomes under the National Disability Strategy 2010−2020 to build inclusive and accessible communities, • The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport’s Inquiry into Hearing Health and Wellbeing of Australia. Reports − SPA was referenced in a number of major reports with many incorporating some of our submission recommendations: • Legislated Review of Aged Care, • NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the Education of Students with a Disability or Special Need in NSW Schools, • Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into National Education Evidence Base, • Australian Law Reform Commission’s National Legal Response to Elder Abuse, • The Senate Community Affairs References Committee Future of Australia’s aged care sector workforce.

MARK SMITH joins Speech Pathology Australia as the new Manager, Policy and Advocacy in the National Office in Melbourne. Mark has worked in various areas of the health sector, initially clinically as an ICU nurse, moving to executive management roles in several Adelaide hospitals. Following time in the university sector, Mark moved to primary health care and held several policy and advocacy roles in Melbourne. Most recently he has been working in general practice training with RACGP and General Practice Registrars Australia. Mark is pleased to be back in the policy and advocacy area. He looks foward to working with the rest of the team to ensure speech pathology receives the recognition it deserves across the various sectors and jurisdictions through the identification of key policy, advocacy and representational opportunities for the Association, whilst building and maintaining stakeholder relationships within the political, government and community context that are of strategic importance for the speech pathology profession. Mark joins the SPA team

Contact Mark at policy@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au.

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February 2018 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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