Key points:
  • During our testing in Tasmania, we listened to feedback from participants, providers and the disability community.
  • We learnt a lot from our Tasmania test to help us make sure our new computer system works the way it should and our staff and NDIS partners are ready before we introduce it to the rest of Australia.
  • The NDIS test in Tasmania: insights from our evaluation report summarises everyone’s experience in the Tasmania test.  

We’ve been working on how we can improve the way we deliver the NDIS. We’ve spent time talking to participants, our staff, NDIS partners and the disability community to work out the ways we can improve the experience people have with the Scheme.  

The feedback we received in the Tasmanian test is helping us make sure we are ready to roll out our new computer system and improvements to the participant journey across Australia.

Evaluation of the test in Tasmania

Since we started using our new computer system in Tasmania, we asked for feedback on the test in different ways, to make sure we heard from as many people as we could.

We surveyed more than 1,000 people involved in the Tasmania test and spoke to hundreds of stakeholders through focus groups, virtual and in-person engagement sessions.

We asked participants, providers, NDIA staff and NDIS partners to tell us about their experience in the Tasmania test. We asked for feedback in different ways, to make sure we heard from everyone involved. We wanted to find out:

  • What worked well.
  • What could be improved.
  • What do we need to do to help the rest of Australia prepare for the introduction of our new computer system.

The NDIS test in Tasmania: insights and our evaluation report is now available. In the report you can read about the test, how we listened, what we learnt and what we are going to do next.  

Read the report:  

Watch this video to find out more about what we learnt from our test in Tasmania.

 

How we listened

We had survey responses from more than 400 people with disability, participants and their family and carers. The surveys were sent to participants, their family members, and carers. 

Of the responses we got back, 155 came from participants. We also surveyed Tasmanian providers and received close to 150 responses.

We’ve held focus groups with our Participant Reference Group and held virtual and in-person community engagement sessions in Tasmania. Over 340 people, participants, families, and carers attended these activities.

We also held 24 Tasmanian specific engagement sessions for general providers, support coordinators and plan managers with over 1,859 registered attendees. Throughout the test we also held 25 Tasmanian provider Q and A sessions to capture feedback which has contributed to the emerging findings.  

We asked Tasmanian disability representative and carer organisations to run focus groups with participants and their supporters.

These organisations sent out 26 surveys and held 43 focus groups with more than 140 participants, families, and carers of people with disability.

What we heard

Almost three quarters of participants surveyed had a good or very good experience with our new computer system.

About half said their experience in the test was better, or a lot better than the last time they spoke to the NDIS.

Participants liked meeting the NDIA planner who approves their plan. They also thought having a check-in was useful.

Applicants liked working with NDIS partners to understand the kinds of community and mainstream services available to them, plus the additional support to apply to the NDIS. However, many people did tell us they we needed to provide more resources and training support to participants and partners for these activities to work properly.

Participants thought we could improve

Participants wanted NDIA staff and NDIS partners to talk explicitly about the new computer system and process. This was important to help people know their experience might change and they may need to do things differently. It was also important information to help participants evaluate if their experience was better compared to last time.

However, many participants said they didn’t know a new computer system was being tested before they met with their NDIA planner, NDIS contact or partner, and it wasn’t talked about at their meeting. Many people wanted more specific information on when and how they would move to the new computer system.

Participants want more easy read information and animations to help explain the new NDIS experience, including what to expect, and when to expect it, and to help with new processes like my providers. 

Sometimes participants received different information from different NDIS sources such as NDIA planners, Local Area Coordinators or National Contact Centre.

Participants liked the new my NDIS participant portal and app. Self-managed participants asked for more information about how to use it. Participants also said a portal testing environment as well as training support would be helpful.

NDIS providers said they liked that NDIA representatives met with them regularly during the Tasmania test, sharing information and answering their questions. They thought the working group sessions and step-by-step guided training were helpful.

NDIS providers said the information on our website was useful.

NDIS providers thought we could improve

NDIS providers said they wanted technical and system information as well as more education resources and training. 

NDIS providers would like a training environment and walk-throughs from the NDIA to help them through the change in computer systems. 

NDIS providers would like more information about why we are introducing a new computer system and improving our processes. They would like more resources to help them talk to participants about what’s changing and when, what to expect, and to explain new processes like my providers. 

NDIS providers would like resources to help them change the way they do their work and adjust their systems and processes. There should be separate resources for the kind of work they do, for example, plan managers, support coordinators and general providers.
NDIS providers would like notice of when the participants they work with move to our new computer system, to reduce any support or payment delays. 

NDIS providers also think more support from the NDIA to help prepare their business to move to the new provider portal and processes, like requests for service and notifications would be helpful