2022 Support Coordination and Plan Management Sector Report.
The Australian Disability Intermediaries Sector Report presents detailed analysis and key insights into the operational environment of Intermediaries within the NDIS. The 2022 Support Coordination and Plan Management Sector Report contains new and more detailed analysis that has not been presented in the previous Sector Reports. This report finds ongoing workforce issues, COVID-19, and a very uncertain policy environment for Support Coordinators and Plan Managers.
The eight major themes of this report are:
- Effects and impacts of COVID19;
- Pricing and funding for Intermediaries (see NDIA’s Annual Price Review and DIA’s Submission);
- Increases in workload;
- Policy clarity;
- Reduced trust;
- Future direction of Intermediaries;
- Workforce challenges; and
- Future sector investment.
DIA respects and values the relationship that has been built with the NDIA over the past 3 years. DIA and NDIA have built a trusting and constructive partnership, acknowledging our shared responsibilities to steward the intermediary sector into the future.
DIA thanks the NDIA for granting us access to data associated with Support Coordination and Plan Management. This data is complementary to the data that DIA gathered through significant market research, engagement with our membership and the sector more broadly. Further DIA values and has actioned all feedback given to us by the NDIA on this report prior to its release, to ensure that it clearly and fairly represents underlying trends in the Intermediary sector.
DIA has created this report utilising data from a number of sources totaling 1,115,534 individual data points.
Plan Management is a financial intermediary support delivered by Registered Plan Management Providers (RPMPs) to provide significant benefit to Participants and the NDIS. Plan Management supports are enablers of choice and control, capacity building, self-direction, and improved outcomes for people with a disability. DIA does raise our concerns about about rouge operators within the Intermediaries market that are not being caught by the NDIA or NDIS Commission. Plan Management facilitates and supports NDIS participants to choose supports and providers from the broader community, as well as registered disability support providers. 285,000 Australians use a RPMP every month – approximately 55% of all NDIS participants.
Support Coordination is a service intermediary provided mostly 1:1, assisting participants to understand their plans, find and negotiate with providers and is delivered through three levels of focus and specialisation. Support Coordinators are are enablers of choice and control, they build capacity and support self-direction to deliver improved outcomes for people with a disability. Around 228,000 Australians are funded for Support Coordination, approximately 44% of all NDIS Participants.
On the release of this report:
Mr Jess Harper, DIA CEO said
“DIA is at the forefront of Intermediary service thinking and is driving quality and service approaches within the sector to achieve outcomes for people with disability and the NDIS.
Our innovative approach to data and market intelligence ensures that we can enrich and increase the understanding of our sector and how it operates.
I am exceptionally proud to have led the production of such a data driven and evidence-based report on the current state of the Intermediaries sector, something not accomplished by any other disability peak body since the creation of the NDIS.”
Mrs Julie Keene, Chair of the DIA Board said
“DIA continues to highlight the benefits and the practical outcomes that Plan Management and Support Coordination deliver to people with a disability.
Recent changes to NDIS legislation are intended to ensure that Australians with disability are well equipped and best placed to purchase the supports and services that they need, in a more simplified way with reduced red tape.
DIA continues to work in a cooperative and collaborative way with the NDIA, NDIS Commission and looks forward to working with the new NDIS Minister, the Hon. Bill Shorten, to address the challenges within our market in a collaborative and cooperative manner.”
We look forward to working with our members, governments, providers, practitioners, the community and people with disability to ensure Participants can access services and supports that promote choice and control, capacity building, self-direction and informed decision making.
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Contact information:
Mr Jess Harper
CEO | Disability Intermediaries Australia
M. 0421 244 824
E. jess.harper@intermediaries.org.au
Further / Background Information
Formed in late 2018, Disability Intermediaries Australia (DIA) is Australia’s peak body for non-government disability intermediary service organisations and practitioners. Collectively, DIA members deliver Support Coordination and Plan Management services to well over 1 in 3 NDIS Participants across Australia with all types of disability. DIA as the peak intermediary thought leader believes that now more than ever, it is incredibly important to publish this report which clearly articulates the current state of the Intermediaries market in Australia.