EBL_Newsletter_Spring_2020_DIGITAL | Page 19

Disability Consulting Update

( Continued from page 11 )
6 . YOU HELP ME BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT
“ Capacity-building ” is not just a buzzword . For example , participants want their paid supports to help them navigate the NDIS system and get what they need , by doing things like providing high quality reports for NDIS assessments .
Participants also want providers to work with their whole support systems to help them become more independent . For example , a mum I spoke to asked providers : “ Can you teach me things ? Is it just sessions with [ my son , or ] can I spend some of that money and you and I have half an hour together and you give me some strategies ?”
Some participants also want to know how they can influence an organisation , and give feedback when they need to .
7 . YOU ’ RE ETHICAL
Your brand is more than your logo . Participants want to know you ’ re ethical and you care about the people you work with . Most participants don ’ t care if you ’ re a company or a not-for-profit , but they do care about whether you ’ re “ in it for the money ” or “ to provide good support to me ”. They ’ re also interested in the size of the organisation and how this impacts their experience : “ Am I customer one of 3,000 ? Am I going to really get quality support provided by a coordinator that knows my needs and I don ’ t have to keep repeating it to five different people because the agency ’ s so big and there ’ s 10 coordinators in the office ?”
8 . YOU OFFER ME A GOOD PRICE AND FAIR SERVICE AGREEMENT
It can be hard for participants to compare apples to apples in this industry . Price is an easy way to compare – but because most providers are charging NDIS rates , it ’ s often not helpful . But participants still want to know they ’ re getting value for money . Since I completed this research , I ’ ve spoken to a lot more self-managed participants who are moving away from NDIS providers charging top rates , but most people want quality and are willing to pay for it . Some people are interested in what packages or discounts they might be able to get if they purchase multiple services . Participants also want to know providers have reasonable terms and conditions , including those around cancellation .
9 . YOU HAVE A GOOD LOCATION AND TRANSPORT OPTIONS
Nearly everyone raised the issue of access . What are the transport options ? Will they come to me ? Can I get there ? For example , “ Is it accessible ? Can he get in there … not just transport-wise , but when he gets there , is the building easy to get into ?” Multiple people had examples of suppliers with inaccessible offices , and several said that traveling for an hour would be a dealbreaker for them .
10 . YOU ’ RE AVAILABLE AND HAVE WHAT I NEED
There were a whole lot of issues that came up about time management . Are there waiting lists ? What ’ s your minimum shift time ? What hours are available ? Can there be flexibility around school or work commitments ? How long does the service agreement last ? Will I be working with the same person consistently for the long term ? People also wanted to know if they could manage their own rosters and make changes within 24 hours of their booking , especially when it came to support workers .
About the Author :
Aviva Beecher Kelk is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne , and head Disability Services Advisor at Clickability . She has a Masters degree in social work and undergraduate degrees in Arts and Fine Art . As one of the cofounders of Clickability , she ’ s been helping participants and providers connect and communicate with each other for over 5 years . You can get in touch with her via hello @ clickability . com . au or 1800 414 616 , and you can connect with the Disability Services Advisory team at clickability . com . au / contact
EBL QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 19