Speak Out April 2017 low res

21 / 40

April 2017 Speak Out 21
professional association. Speech pathologists will not need
to meet additional certification requirements unless they are
intending to provide one of the types of support that require highly
specialised skills and experience (as identified above).
Provider requirements: registered providers will be required to
have effective internal complaints arrangements. Requirements
will be proportionate to the size of provider and the risks inherent
within their service model.
Orientation module: a compulsory orientation module will
be introduced for registered providers delivering supports,
including registered sole traders and all employees of registered
providers engaged in the delivery of supports. This extends to
allied health professionals providing NDIS-funded supports (who
could undertake this as part of their continuing professional
development requirements). Registered providers will need to
demonstrate that their workers have undertaken or are scheduled
to complete the module, whether as an e-learning module or as
part of their induction and training procedures.
The NDIS has also provided information about preventative
strategies to help safeguard participants, as part of the planning
implementation and review process, including supported decision
making and other capacity building activities aiming to provide
opportunities for people to build their capacity around making
choices and decisions. Many of these could include a role for
speech pathology, including development and provision of aided
AAC supports, information and training for the disability workforce
regarding communication and support for the development of
peer and mentor relationships.
The report also outlines (pages 64-65) developmental activities to
build provider capacity and best practice, which seem currently to
be largely focused on building the market.
The document explores the legislation and issues around
restrictive practices and outlines the strategies that the
NDIS plans to adopt, including the establishment of a senior
practitioner.
There is mention of a requirement for additional and specific
requirements for professionals involved in provision of positive
behavioural supports, including for “other providers (in addition
to positive behaviour support practitioners) who indicate their
scope of service is likely to include participants with behaviours
of concern. These would include participants who require a
functional behavioural assessment and the development of a
positive behaviour support plan containing a restrictive practice”.
This would indicate a potential for speech pathologists whose
work will include contributing to the development of positive
behavioural support plans where the participant’s behaviour has
a communicative component may be required to provide specific
and additional evidence in regard to the competencies in this area
of practice. But, how this may operate, and what they may be
is not specified. The listing of competencies for both providers
of positive behavioural supports and providers implementing
behaviour support plans in the framework doesn’t currently
include any that are specific to the communicative function of
behaviours.
For members who are interested, a reading of the quality and
safeguarding framework provides interesting insights to the NDIS
and the principles underlying the design of the scheme.
Cathy Olsson
National Advisor, Disability
Resources For Speech Pathologists NDIS
For more information about the NDIS visit the NDIS page on the SPA website.