This information is about general foundational supports for people with disability.
You might have heard about a new thing called foundational supports for people with disability.
The government has provided some information about general foundational supports, but it is very hard to understand.
Inclusion Australia has written some information to explain general foundational supports in plain language. We think it is important for everyone to understand the changes.
Inclusion Australia is working hard to make sure that these changes will work for people with an intellectual disability – including people with very high support needs.
A new system of supports
The NDIS Review has recommended the Australian Government create a new system of foundational supports for people with disability.
The Government says these changes will help support all Australians with disability.
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Understanding foundational supports
What are foundational supports?
Do these changes mean I am going to get kicked off the NDIS?
What Inclusion Australia thinks
How can I have a say about foundational supports?
Where can I get more information about foundational supports?
What are foundational supports?
Foundational supports would be available to all people with disability, even if they are not on the NDIS.
There are 2 types of foundational supports:
General foundational supports should include programs and activities like:
- Providing information and advice to people with disability and their support people that is based on facts and real life experience,
- individual and family capacity building – this means supporting people with disability and their families to learn new skills. This will include support for new parents, and people with complex communication needs and their families,
- peer support – this is when people with disability get together to give each other support and advice
- self-advocacy support, so people with disability are supported to speak up for their rights,
- support for people with disability to build their decision making skills, including support for their families to grow their skills as decision supporters, and
- disability employment supports.
General foundational supports would replace the current ILC Grants Program.
Targeted foundational supports would be available for people with disability under 65 who are not on the NDIS, and would include services like home and community supports, early intervention supports for young children with developmental concerns, and transition supports to help young people prepare for employment and independent living.
What will stay the same?
- The rules about who can access the NDIS stay the same.
- People still have choice and control about where they get their supports and services from.
What will be different?
- It will be easier for people with disability who are not on the NDIS to access the supports they need.
- people with disability will get help from a Navigator to find supports and services. Navigators will replace Support Coordinators and Local Area Coordinators (LACs).
- Navigators will be able to help all people with disability find supports and services, even if they are not on the NDIS.
Do these changes mean I am going to get kicked off the NDIS?
No. If you are already on the NDIS, you can also use general foundational supports. This will not change the NDIS plan you have now.
What Inclusion Australia thinks
We want to make sure foundational supports work for everyone no matter who they are and where they live in Australia.
We think foundational supports should be led by trusted advocacy, disability rights and peer support organisations. This will make sure people with an intellectual disability and their families get the support they need.
Foundational supports must be easy for all Australians with disability to access and understand. This means accessible information in Easy Read and plain English, good support from government agencies and service providers to access and understand foundational supports, and extra support for people in regional and remote areas, First Nations people, and culturally and linguistically diverse people.
The Government must listen to people with an intellectual disability and their families to make sure foundational supports work well for everyone.
What happens next?
The Government will work together with people with disability, their families and representative organisations to design a Foundational Supports Strategy. The Strategy will help guide the introduction of foundational supports and make sure they work well for everyone.
The Government says foundational supports will start around 1 July 2025.
Inclusion Australia is also writing a submission to tell the Department of Social Services what we think about foundational supports.