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While it has unfortunately come at considerable personal and

financial cost to many of our members, we are confident that the

NDIA now has a greater understanding that speech pathologists

in private practice are significant and important new entrants

to the service provision “marketplace” of the NDIS. As such, it

is critical that we be considered carefully in the design of the

NDIS if participants are to have true control and choice for the

services they need. Our role in the NDIS and recent problems

with payments were discussed by all state, territory and federal

ministers for disability at the recent Council of Australian

Governments Disability Reform Council meeting.

The NDIA provides updates on it website as well as via emails to

providers, and suggests that providers experiencing difficulties

with the Portal phone the NDIS provider support on 1800 800

110, in the first instance. The NDIS also has a complaints and

f

eedback process. Information is available at www.ndis.gov.au/ about-us/contact-us/feedback-complaints.html

Please contact either Cathy or Ronelle at National Office if you

experience ongoing difficulties resulting from the functionality of

the MyPlace portal and the NDIS supports. It is important that

our members working in the dynamic and fast-changing sector,

that is the NDIS, keep our Association informed about what is

really happening “on the ground” so that we can meaningfully and

successfully advocate with governments on your behalf.

Cathy Olsson

National Disability Advisor

Ronelle Hutchinson

Manager Policy and Advocacy

28

Speak Out

October 2016

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

NDIS

Speech Pathology Australia is now calling for expressions

of interest from South Australian members to join the

2018 conference planning committee. Expressions of

interest should include a cover letter stating relevant

experience and a curriculum vitae to support the

application.

The application should be submitted to

Pamela

Richards, SPA National Conference Manager

via email

conference@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

.

Applications close

Friday 28 October 2016.

2018 National Conference Adelaide

Call for 2018 conference planning committee

Speech Pathology Australia

provides a representative

voice to governments on issues which impact on the

professional practice and service delivery of the speech

pathology profession. For example, risks to the development

of a viable speech pathology NDIS market, and impacts on

service access for consumers were the key messages that we

took forward to the Australian Government and the NDIA in

relation to the recent problems with the NDIS Portal.

Speech Pathology Australia is not the appropriate organisation

to represent individual members in areas such as business or

industrial issues more generally.

If you think that your issue has implications for professional

practice and service delivery and might impact on other speech

pathologists but you’re not sure, contact the advisors at

National Office to establish where the issue lies.

Guidelines for “managing up” issues with

government departments or services

• Put your feedback in writing to the relevant department/

organisation using their complaints and feedback system.

• Document what you have done, the responses you

have been provided, including dates and the names and

affiliations of anyone you have contact with. Keep a record

of the action you have taken in an attempt to obtain a

resolution. The more detail you record – the better!

• If your issue hasn’t been adequately resolved, you may

be able to seek help through an ombudsman. Before an

ombudsman would take up your issue they would expect

that you have followed up your initial complaint and given

the agency/organisation an opportunity to respond. You

will need to show that you have exhausted all avenues of

complaint with the agency/organisation first.

• Contacts for the state and territory and the

Commonwealth Ombudsmen are available at www. ombudsman.gov.au

• Any citizen is also able to write and seek a meeting with

their state or federal local members of parliament or the

relevant minister and shadow minister. Information about

the state and federal government ministers is available

on the different government webpages. Try to work out

first if your issue is the responsibility of a federal or state

government so that you are talking to someone who can

make a difference for you. Generally, hospitals, education

and justice issues are the responsibility of state/territory

governments and the MBS, NDIS and aged care is the

Australian Government.

What

YOU

can do when things

go awry with government