Unregistered NDIS Providers: What Participants Really Think - Reasonable & Necessary with Dr George

[@akelanumata4650]

Why are there not more likes on these very informative and educational discussions? Fb is loaded with providers selling themselves. We should all be on this channel being educated by the people we serve, in order to understand what they need and what they want in the services provided to them. Thank you Dr George for your commitment to educating us. I just wish more providers would take note.

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

Thank you for your support

[@janescott7605]

NDIS Review report suggests Bill Shorten missed this episode. Thanks for the considered and real discussion.

[@margaretchandler-cross-7811]

Still so much more relative today. Thank you all. Now again. Where to from here?

[@mum2twourbanfarmer229]

New subscriber here. Really helpful. I think another point might be added - our registered providers in our State now have a 14 day cancellation policy for Psychology, OT and speech - these are the large companies, claiming that the NDIS has approved a 14 day cancellation policy for a single therapy session. Needing to give them 14 days notice of a cancellation effectively removes any chances of being sick a few days before - they get the money regardless. What other business has such a huge cancellation window, except an NDIS business? My providers for these services are all self-employed and are generally around the 3 days mark for sensible cancellations. My ethical conscience struggles with it the incredible waste (greed?) involved in this.

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

We agree, 14 day cancellation policies are wasteful and unfair

[@LeonChick-ow9bo]

I find unregistered provider more adaptable and willing to negotiate, as registered providers just say this is the NDIS rate and nothing will sway them. This negates the option of Choice and Control. Plus a lot of non-registered providers give more to what is needed.

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

Thanks for watching and sharing your perspective with us

[@jennadee6761]

17:37 Nic, Thank you SO much I never knew we could do this for our support workers!! I can’t believe no one has ever told me this in all these years!

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

She has lots of great advice and ideas

[@ausforaus7617]

I am self-managed and I get the providers I need at a good rate. The last thing I want is to be restricted to a registered provider where choice and control is taken away

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

Thank you for watching. We agree!

[@louisadpearce-thevoicesanc6080]

Thank you for this , great discussion! :) I am an unregistered provider (sole trader in private practice) in Allied Health and there are several reasons it works better for me: Firstly, I find that I am able to give my clients a lot more time and attention than if I worked for a big organisation. I can also take care of myself better too (flexible hours, manageable workload) whihc of course is better for clients as well! Lastly, I can negotiate my rates and other aspects directly with each client, and I can lower my fees if needed due to their smaller funding packages.

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

Thank you for listening and sharing your experience

[@margaretchandler-cross-7811]

Thank you everyone. I enjoyed the discussion as well.

[@MichelleGS86]

I find un- registered providers so helpful in a Reginal Environment that registered providers don't supply services I need. It also's helps more local businesses. I haven't had a problem with un-registered providers. I can negotiate better.

[@fairdisability602]

From top down disabled people are mostly seen akin to children requiring adult supervision. The point should be made that for many disabled persons the brain muscle is the strongest and can outperform most other people. We are highly tuned to manage our lives effectively and efficiently. So doubters in the industry just need to get out of the way and see how the NDIS can operate properly.

[@ausforaus7617]

Yes, I am self managed and I totally agree. 'we' want choice and control and we do not want to be treated like children.

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

Thank you for watching! And for making that point

[@livi2792]

I've had really poor experiences of registered providers. I use unregistered providers for everything except plan management now because I am literally afraid of how I've been treated by registered providers happening to me again. Meanwhile when I expressed this to the nida planner at my last review she totally ignored it and suggested that I need to have a team via one registered provider for all my support needs. It was so distressing to be unheard yet again in my own planning meeting. So I currently have very little support from a couple of unregistered providers and am still waiting for that review to be processed by the NDIA from some 6mths ago. I'm very tired of the system at the moment and the only protection is less engagement with it overall. I know I should be trying to chase up the review but after almost three years of constantly pushing to get things properly sorted out... I just can't push any more. I'm morbidly curious as to how long it will take them to do their job and finally process the review without my constant pushing. I wouldn't want to be in the scheme if I could only access support from registered providers. I've not come across any that actually care about the people who are employing them...us participants.

[@ausforaus7617]

Yes

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

Thank you for watching and commenting

[@minglewit-AutismADHDcoach]

Thank you Dr George, Helen, Nick and Jarrod. I really enjoyed this episode!!! All very valid points, you've expressed exactly what I think. I know this is alread a year old, but it seems that this discussion becomes more and more relevant as time goes on... 😍😍😍 Now a year later, with the NDIS Review finalised, it seems that Bill Shorten did not listen...?

[@laurasofiabayona2288]

I loved listening to this, thank you!

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@VickieStarr]

It’s really disconcerting that there is such a divide between providers based on whether they are registered or not. That should be a moot point! Isn’t it all about the supports and the people receiving them? If the issue is a registration issue maybe the conversation needs to be about the ndis system, the market and we should look to the government that created the mess to establish a system that provides the choice, self or co-regulation and levels of control within a system that has a level playing field for all providers, that people want and need. Agree that registration is not the answer for safeguards.

[@VickieStarr]

Capacity building - how to be a true customer that co-regulates supports with their support providers! And capacity building for the system so that providers can act and respond to what people want and need! Change the schads award to be flexible for a start!

[@kd2533]

Sadly, I'm one of those reliable and flexible unregistered providers that is leaving the sector, because the changes won't make it viable for me with the current cost of living/fuel/cars and Brisbane's traffic.

[@L_MD_]

Personally we have had much better service with non-registered providers. Customer service is more personal - this is especially important when we want the same people coming into our homes, not a different person every month. I feel they also have more time for the participants as they are not swamped with paperwork for so called NDIS purposes. NDIS has been a nightmare to deal with. We should continue to have a choice whether we use registered or non-registered providers. Providers should not have a THEM vs US mentality. We the participants and you, the providers, registered or not, need to be aligned together against a system that is already impossible to navigate unless you can access a good support coordinator. Just my thoughts based on my own personal experience dealing with plan managers, providers and the NDIA.

[@SummerFoundationLtd]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us

[@jennadee6761]

Agree 💯! I’d add that finding even a “good enough” support coordinator that will simply do their job, let alone a great one. There’s ZERO accountability for providers unless participants make a complaint and even then, they’re allowed to keep taking advantage of participants.

[@vickitroman6691]

My worker cost about $180 dollars to drive for 2 hours with a small car.

[@vickitroman6691]

It cost about 10 grand for qualified indepedant workers to register this is wrong

[@vickitroman6691]

The fuel payment is too high for remote places cos it costs a fortune just to get to them

[@vickitroman6691]

$1 a kilometre is ripping off the funding

[@chrissygrigg4813]

Also there’s many people adding extra kilometres to make more money 💰 fraud I’ve had caters add on 80 extra kilometres and more every week they had me

[@sportygirlplays]

No one should be forced to be a provider

[@Empoweredwoman1234]

Is there any hope of allowing people to continue using unregistered providers. The government and the public seem to dislike people with disabilities, thinking they are too stupid to make their own decisions. It seems that a very small minority of people with severe intellectual and emotional disabilities are giving everyone else a bad name in the eyes of the public.

[@vickitroman6691]

Then theres insurance fees on top