NDIA’s Fusion Taskforce Update & Habitability Statement

Recently Habitability was contacted by the NDIA’s new ‘Fusion Taskforce’ and advised of what for us was new information, pertaining to the provision of STA, within the NDIS.

The information read as follows:

In appropriate circumstances, a participant’s plan may specify that NDIS funds may 

be used for: 

• Services provided by support worker/s which align with a participant’s usual 
• level of daily or weekly disability core support. 
• STA supports should be used to help participants 
• take a break from their home and their informal supports. 

NDIS STA/Respite funding will NOT cover the attendance of family members and/or informal supports during STA (respite) (this may be considered to be a family STA Respite). 

NDIS funding does not cover non- disability related daily expenses such as entrance fees and event tickets.

During the past week, Habitability have had several invoices ‘held’ – subject to examination by The Payments Integrity Review Program, – where the below information is requested – and therefore it appears that paid support is a potentially a requisite of the STA provision: 

Requested Information

• Rosters/ support worker names/ABNs and what support they have provided
• Any (support worker) case notes related to this participant and STA
• What type of activities was the participant involved in during their stay (and any evidence of these)

Although the latest NDIS advice does not specifically specify that every eligible STA has to include paid supports, it appears that paid supports may be required in all circumstances *unless evidence of exception is provided – *and this is a suggestion only, based on our understanding, that not all eligible STA participants, may require a paid support –  due to a variety of reasons that may include trauma, whereby attending an STA with an (unknown) paid support, may in some way, be detrimental to their mental health, or misalign with their plan goals.

In summary, as an ethical & client centred service provider, Habitability wishes to continue to provide quality services within the NDIS framework, whilst fully adhering and complying with the latest NDIS advice & guidelines.

Also, we are aware that the current advise may not yet be fully visible within the existing STA guidelines, but as we have been forewarned of these new directives & expectations, we must abide by them in their entirety, to the best of our ability.

We encourage participants, and representatives to contact their local NDIS office, LAC and or NDIS Planner if they have concerns that their choice and control may be adversely affected by these new updates & Habitability encourages dialogue and advocacy to better provide opportunity and capacity building platforms for NDIS participants.