DON’T BE LEFT OUT OF NDIS – NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 2
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING AT FACILITRADE NDIS
- As Deepak Chopra (prominent author and alternative-medicine advocate) says, “Add life to your years and years to your life”.We can do this by managing stress, reducing toxins, consuming good food and having a balanced lifestyle. So, I took off to sunny Gold Coast on a two-week break. Back in the office with renewed vigour to position Facilitrade NDIS as the most sought-after brand for compliance and risk management in the disability sector in Australia. Our mission is to relieve people with disability and their service providers of the challenges they face in understanding and dealing with the complexities of government schemes, regulations, and funding in the disability sector in Australia.
- Be sure to follow us on our LinkedIn page for more updates https://www.linkedin.com/company/74277893/admin/. For details of our services go to www.facilitradendis.com.au
- Attended Parramatta Localised monthly zoom meet up. This is an ideal interactive forum for startups to promote their businesses free of charge.
Check them out at https://localised.com.au
NDIS UPDATE
- Keeping People with Disability Inclusive and Safe
A series of workshops run by the Royal Commission and Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) which culminated recently, found examples of good practice and a wide range of possible solutions to keep people with disability safe. These included:
- “Getting rid of segregation and seclusion across education and housing
- Improving understanding of disability for health professionals
- Introducing Memorandums of Understanding between accommodation service providers, residents and their families that include principles of partnership, inclusion and transparency
- Change in the laws to strengthen disability rights
- Flexible accommodation models that allowed for more choice and control for residents
- Better access and right of entry into segregated settings to check that residents are safe.”
Around 144 advocates participated in 12 workshops held over 18 months. The Disability Royal Commission in its June Newsletter said that these insights will be used to inform their work.
2. Public hearing 15 of the Royal Commission into Disability postponed
Public hearing 15, scheduled to take place in Brisbane on 23 and 24 June, has been postponed until August 2021.
This follows advice from NSW Health that at least one person in the building where the Royal Commission’s Sydney office is located has tested positive for COVID-19.
Sydney-based Commissioners and staff who were in the building 15 to 16 June have been required to be tested for COVID-19 and to isolate until their results are known.
The fifteenth public hearing will provide another opportunity to examine the experiences of people with cognitive disability within the criminal justice system, particularly when interacting with the NDIS.
Q&A
How long does it take to prepare and submit an application for NDIS provider registration?
The NDIS Commission estimates the average time taken to complete an application as 3 months. This indicates the level of detail and work required from you. The general tendency is to launch straight into completing the online application, but some upfront preparation will make this process quicker and helps clear the mandatory audit more successfully. Here are some hints:
- Check out the Q&A in our website to know the formal requirements of becoming a registered provider.
- Prepare a Business Plan upfront. Ensure it includes the details required in your application.
- Gather all the supporting documents you need to attach.
- If you are a new business, decide on the type of corporate structure you wish to use to set up your business and who the partners or directors are. Obtain the certificate of incorporation or registration of business.
- Obtain an ABN from the Australian Taxation Office.
- Ensure you can meet the NDIS Practice Standards.
- Develop the 5-20 policies and governance practices (vary depending on the type of support services you choose to provide) required for the audit. Engage an external consultant if you decide you are not able to prepare these policies yourself as they can be quite challenging and time consuming.
- Commence your application for NDIS Registration via the online Application Form in the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission website.
- Complete the Self-Assessment section of the application.
- Attach the crucial documents which by now you should have ready.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to Facilitrade NDIS for an obligation free chat. With our extensive governance, policy development and compliance experience and 100% audit success we are well positioned to provide end to end services from setting up your business to getting you ready for service.
Until next time
Kind Regards,
Janaki
