How has Choice and Control Changed for NDIS Participants? – Evidence from Large Scale Surveys
People with disability 16 years and older in the trial group were asked several questions related to the supports they received including:
how much of a say they had over what supports they received; and
how much choice they had over where they obtained these supports.
The same set of questions were asked about (i) the supports they had received prior to their NDIS participation; (ii) their current supports provided under the NDIS in wave 1; and (iii) their current supports provided under the NDIS in wave 2. Parents, on behalf of children participating in the NDIS and below the age of 16 years, provided the same information in the Family and Carer questionnaire as too did carers of people with disability aged 16 years or older.
4.3.1 Comparing pre-NDIS with early NDIS experiences on choice over supports
A similar proportion of NDIS participants reported that their choice over where they obtain the supports they receive under the NDIS was either better (40 per cent) or had not changed (45 per cent) compared to prior to the NDIS. Fourteen per cent reported that their choice of where supports were obtained worsened once in the NDIS (Appendix Table A4.4).
Thirty-eight per cent of NDIS participants reported that their say over what supports they receive was better in the NDIS compared to before they joined the NDIS, with 48 per cent reporting their choice was about the same and 13 per cent stating it was worse (Appendix Table A4.5).
Both measures of choice and control provide a very similar message about the impact of the NDIS. They suggest an improvement in choice and control for a sizable minority, no change for about half of NDIS participants, and a deterioration for a minority (about 13 to 14 per cent).
4.3.2 Moving from early to later NDIS experiences – description of choice over supports
Once in the NDIS, a majority of participants in wave 1 reported that they had either a lot or some say over what supports they receive (70 per cent, Appendix Table A4.6) and where they obtain these supports (66 per cent, Appendix Table A4.7).
There is little evidence that time in the NDIS influenced the amount of say NDIS participants have over their supports. In wave 2, similar proportions of NDIS participants reported to have either a lot or some say over what supports they received (69 per cent) and where they obtained these support (65 per cent).
In both waves 1 and 2, however, a sizable minority of NDIS participants reported having little choice and control over what supports they receive (16 per cent in wave 1 and 18 per cent in wave 2) or where these are obtained (19 per cent and 21 per cent respectively). The fact that little change has occurred in the proportions of NDIS participants reporting little or no choice and control over their supports is of concern.
4.3.3 Has the NDIS changed the number of supports? – comparing pre-NDIS with early NDIS
In wave 1, people with disability were also asked to recall the number of supports they accessed prior to joining the NDIS and those accessed currently via the NDIS. In wave 2, NDIS participants were asked how the number of supports they accessed has changed in the past year. The number of supports received is a rough indicator of the choices available to people with disability. The expectation is that where choice improves, the number of different accessed supports is also likely to increase.
In wave 1, 64 per cent of all NDIS participants reported that they accessed more disability supports under the NDIS than previously (Appendix Table A4.8). A further 20 per cent of participants had the same number of supports and 15 per cent had fewer supports. We note, however, that more supports cannot and should not be taken to also mean better supports.
4.3.4 Number of supports combined with quality and choice measures - comparing pre-NDIS with early NDIS
The data on change in number of supports (pre-NDIS versus NDIS) was combined with the data on change in the two measures of choice and control (i.e. over what supports were received and where these were obtained) (Appendix Table A4.9 and Appendix Table A4.10). People with disability who reported that they were worse off in both measures of choice and control within the NDIS, were also more likely to have experienced receiving fewer rather than more supports within the NDIS. Of those participants who felt their say over what supports they received under the NDIS was worse, 16 per cent had less supports and 11 per cent had more supports. For NDIS participants with worse choice over where supports were obtained, 19 per cent had fewer supports and 12 per cent had more supports under the NDIS. The reverse relationships hold for those who reported to be better off within the NDIS in regards to both measures of choice and control.
4.3.5 Areas of support where NDIS participants would wish to have more choice – comparing early and later NDIS experiences
A majority of NDIS participants (83 per cent in wave 1 and 81 per cent in wave 2) reported that they would like to have more choice over their supports (see Figure 4.3 and note that multiple answers were allowed in this question).
Figure 4.3 presents the various types of supports over which NDIS participants reported they would like to have more choice. Notably, across both waves 1 and 2, there does not appear to be any specific type of support where additional choice is particularly demanded. Rather we have a picture where greater choice would be welcome for most supports by many people with disability.
In wave 2, with the exception of supports relating to equipment/modifications at home/assistive technology there is a slight decrease in the proportion of NDIS participants reporting they would like to have more choice over each type of support.
Figure 4.3 Person with disability: Areas of disability supports where more choice wanted (Trial, Adults)
