Plenary session

Emcee Welcome

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NDS Opening Address

Minister Address

Join Louise Glanville, Commissioner of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, for insights into the evolving NDIS landscape. Hear her first impressions on returning to the sector, upcoming priorities, and key trends shaping the market. Gain clarity on practice standards, registration, the cost of quality, and the role of providers in driving improvements. 

The 2024 State of the Sector Report: Guiding the Path Forward

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As the NDIS considers introducing quality metrics, providers face an opportunity to lead the way in creating a transparent, accountable, and participant-focused system. Drawing lessons from the aged care sector, this session explores the challenges, benefits, and key debates around quality measurement.

We’ll examine various domains of quality, their strengths and limitations, and discuss how providers can proactively influence metrics that reflect real care standards. By embracing transparency, providers can foster a strong quality culture, enhance accountability, and deliver better outcomes for participants. 

A fast and furious session looking at the proposed new statutory duties (under NDIS Bill No.2) and considering what the Sector, Providers and Key Personnel should be thinking about and advocating for. 

This session will critically examine what constitutes 'good' in the delivery of disability services, the role of inclusive conversations and how providers can balance various perspectives and focus on measuring the outcomes that matter. 

The Grattan Institute’s report, “Better, Safer, More Sustainable: How to Reform NDIS Housing and Support”, reveals that the NDIS is failing to provide adequate support for 43,500 individuals with intensive needs, many of whom are forced into high-risk group homes. 

This session will present a roadmap for the NDIS and service providers to enhance safety, offer alternative housing options, and ensure better outcomes for people with disabilities. Join us to explore solutions that promote choice, sustainability, and improved quality of life. 

This session will leverage the StewartBrown Disability Financial Performance Benchmark to provide a comprehensive update on financial viability and sustainability based on FY24 results. We will examine organisational performance by service type, including Supported Independent Living, Daily Living, Social & Community Participation, Employment, Allied Health, and Support Coordination. Key areas of concern such as funding challenges, the DSWCM, critical performance indicators, utilisation, cash flow management, and balance sheet impacts will be highlighted. Drawing on Benchmark data, as well as insights from Providers, NDS, and the NDIA, we will offer actionable recommendations for improving financial outcomes. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to enhance financial sustainability and strategically navigate current challenges. 

The Navigator role, a key NDIS Review recommendation, aims to transform how people with disability access and navigate supports. As government prepares to consider the future of a navigator function, the disability sector is driving discussions and shaping a shared vision. This session will explore the principles that should inform the design of navigation supports and canvasses some ideas for implementation. 

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Kenneth Jenkins was World President of Rehabilitation International from 1976 to 1980. Through that involvement, leadership of Bedford Industries in South Australia and the presidency of National Disability Services (then ACROD), he made an outstanding contribution to the field of disability services. The Kenneth Jenkins Oration has been presented annually since the late 1970s.

Wrap up