The increasing maturity of the NDIS means challenges for the future for providers

Disability providers in Australia are experiencing unprecedented growth with the increasing maturity of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Beginning with four years of pilot studies and a staged regional implementation, to full implementation Australia wide in July 2020, the Scheme has developed progressively over the eight years to encompass over 472,000 participants. With its fundamental shift from block funding and limited choices to self-direction by participants, with tailored support and funding, the NDIS is continuing to have an enormous impact, changing the lives of people living with a disability for the better.

In a recent speech, Martin Hoffman, CEO National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), highlighted the continued need for growth and financial commitment of the Scheme and the sustainability challenges this creates for the future. He also mentioned some of the critical changes that have currently improved the Scheme and flagged that more reforms were to come to ensure the longevity and to “deliver consistency and equity in access and planning.”

“We have a strong focus on digital transformation to improve the participant experience, with projects underway to improve our CRM, the app and portal, and points of payment,” said Martin Hoffman, (CEO, NDIA Speech 23 July 2021).

Driving quality of care with digital transformation

This is an important period of disruptive change for disability and community providers, with more changes flagged to come.

Meeting these new challenges for the sector means equipping staff with the right tools, developing new strategies and innovations such as embracing digital transformation. Looking at new ways to evolve, new processes to develop and new technology to enhance your services to clients. Ensuring they receive high quality care and services aligned with their needs, goals and aspirations to achieve better outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided additional challenges over the past eighteen months with rollercoaster lockdowns leading to a hybrid home/office workforce. Having a robust technology system that is consistent across multiple locations, is critical to connecting your team, and provides a way forward for growth. Next generation technology can empower staff, improve their levels of satisfaction and retention, while streamlining processes for greater efficiency.

Selecting the right partner for your digital transformation is key to your success

When selecting a new technology system, it’s important to consider:

Is it a commercial fit for your business? Does the system provide most of your technical system requirements and meet your operational challenges? Does it have the functionality to deliver clinical documentation, provide the back-office functionality you need and a mobile app that can adjust to growing needs?

Is your provider of choice one that will stay the course? Do they have the financial backing and ability to continually improve the system to meet evolving needs, policy and legislative changes?

Do they have a professional team that can support your organisation both during the implementation phase and after? It’s equally important that they provide ongoing support to ensure your investment is maximised, with regular customer service, relationship management and training.

Can the system provide timely insights with robust reporting and dashboards? Is it able to demonstrate the work you are doing and provide valuable insights into critical areas of the business

AlayaCare is one of the leading cloud-based solutions available in Australia. We are an established provider of choice for many organisations, delivering an end-to-end solution with next generation technology and robust functionality across multiple funding streams.

Our highly experienced implementation team is ready to ensure that our solution is configured to meet your needs. Extensive financial backing ensures we have the resources to continue to support our customers well into the future, and invest with our research and development team who continually deliver on their clear vision and roadmap for the future.

AlayaCare’s Data Exploration tool provides key insights and performance metrics into business operational efficiencies with critical data that can enable you to make timely and strategic responses. From developing new workflows for increased efficiencies to new investment in innovation capabilities to strengthen delivery, AlayaCare is committed to further improvements for disability and home care providers and a system that is effective, sustainable and will grow with your business

References:
CEO, NDIA Speech 23 July 2021: https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/6637-stay-informed-ceo-future-ndis
Annual Financial Sustainability Report (AFSR) Summary.