DISABILITY Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) and National Disability Services (NDS) have collaborated on a report to guide the Federal Government on the establishment of Navigator roles in the NDIS.
It follows the NDIS reforms proposing a new system that would improve the way people with disability can find the services that they need in their community.
The new system would feature a “Navigator” role that replaces various existing intermediaries such as support coordinators, and other roles like local area coordinators.
The report, Guiding the Way: Building Common Principles for Navigators by NDS and DANA, emphasises the essential principles needed for the new role to ensure people with disabilities can access services, engage with their communities, and navigate both mainstream and disability supports.
Getting this role right is particularly important for people like Tasmanian woman Liz Virtue.
Liz’s brother Damian was diagnosed with dementia in his late-50s – medically known as Korsakoff Syndrome. He had no one else but Liz able to care for him, but unfortunately the pair are 2000km apart.
“He had no one else – without the support of a social worker in Ballina who navigated the NDIS for him, he would’ve been in trouble,” Liz said.
She believes a clearly established role like a Navigator was critical for people like her brother without on-the-ground support.
“There is nobody in his life to help him – I don’t know what would’ve happened without the social worker’s help. I worry about that every day. If something happened to me – who would be there for Damien?”
Unlike existing roles such as support coordination, Navigators will be funded independently of individual NDIS budgets, ensuring equitable access and avoiding conflicts of interest.
The report includes common principles such as ensuring that the service is human-rights focussed, culturally safe, trauma-informed, and inclusive, and ensures Navigators work independently, focus on the individual, and support broader human rights objectives.
NDS CEO Michael Perusco said the Navigator role had the potential to simplify access to services and reduce administrative barriers for people with disabilities and their families.
“Establishing a robust roadmap is critical for success for this role, including clear guidelines, phased rollouts, and pilot programs,” Mr Perusco said.
He added that the Government needed to provide clarity on this role for those who desperately need the support.
DANA Policy and Advocacy Officer Liam Thatcher said: “The successful rollout of Navigators are a crucial part of making sure NDIS changes leave nobody behind.
“People need Navigators that will help them get the support without having to worry whether they’re on the NDIS.
“This report lays out the priorities we need to make the program one that supports everyone that needs it, including making sure they are independent and put the person they support at the core of what they do.”
The report, Guiding the Way: Building Common Principles for Navigators by NDS and DANA, emphasises the essential principles needed for the new role to ensure people with disabilities can access services.
