Stephen Horne

How do we improve independent scrutiny during policy reform? Independent scrutiny is critical to sound public policy governance, but how do we get the most out of it? 1️⃣ Who commissions the review matters! 2️⃣ Choose truly independent consultants. 3️⃣ Ensure a direct line to decision-makers. 4️⃣ Protect confidentiality. ➡️ Learn how to fix your reviews for better policy-making in my latest article: https://lnkd.in/gGzy-4Xm #PublicPolicy #Governance #PolicyReview

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Some information was released overnight about the LNP Housing Plan, ahead of today's State Budget reply speech. While there are still many details to come, it's encouraging to see some of the proposed measures in scope, including shared equity programs and major infrastructure partnerships with local government to increase housing supply. New and innovative concepts for maximising church-owned land and utiliising vacant bedrooms make for interesting reading. And if the reports are accurate, there is a strong commitment to achieving housing targets leading up to 2046. Q Shelter is looking forward to unpacking all the details and providing useful budget analysis for the sector. This will include areas of convergence with the major parties on housing policy and differences in approaches. https://lnkd.in/g6FcR_Qh Stay tuned. #StateBudget #Housing #Homelessness #HomeMatters #BetterTogether #Queensland

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🚨 Disability Reform Ministerial Council Met on November 1, 2024 🚨 ✨ Key Outcomes from the Adelaide Meeting: NDIA Fraud Prevention 🕵️‍♂️: Stronger measures to combat NDIS fraud with an increase in search warrants and criminal convictions. Provider Support & Pricing 💼: Introduction of the Quality Supports Program and Independent Pricing Committee to ensure the sustainability of quality providers. Regulatory Reforms 📜: Updates to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's roadmap, including mandatory registration for certain providers and support coordinators. Community Engagement 🗣️: Plans to develop an engagement strategy to consult with the disability community on new NDIS rules. Disability Royal Commission 📢: Commitment to ongoing community engagement and a progress report due by the end of 2024. Australia’s Disability Strategy 🇦🇺: New Targeted Action Plans and a revised Data Improvement Plan to be published in December, accompanied by a guide for inclusive practices. Supported Employment Plan 📈: Ongoing government efforts to align with future principles for supported employment. Disability Advocacy Funding 💰: $39.7 million allocated over four years for a new Individual Disability Advocacy program. The next DRMC meeting will focus on the joint response to the NDIS Independent Review. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gVRf5TCD

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"Planning and preparedness for a future public health emergency must be part of our broader systems of national resilience." - Commonwealth Government COVID-19 Response Inquiry Panel. On 25 October Commonwealth Government COVID-19 Response Inquiry Panel delivered their final report to government examining the national response to COVID-19. The extensive report, which followed 12 months of review and engagement can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3C6ZGeM CAPHIA are pleased so see some important guiding principles including: ⚖ Equity 💪 Strengthened relationships 🤝 Building and maintaining trust 🌟 Leadership and coordination 💡 Agility and innovation We look forward to digging into this report further and will continue to advocate for sustained investment in public health education, research and workforce development.  Investing in our workforce, and in key enablers and their systems and infrastructure is the best way to protect current and future generations. Read along with us! #publichealth #covid #education

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Quality #PlanManagers are the glue holding the NDIS together, support participants to exercise their choice and control and self-determination whist supporting integrity in an extremely complex and bureaucratic scheme with immature and ineffective systems . Disability Intermediaries Australia (DIA) is aware of the media reports that have inaccurately stated that 90% of Plan Managers, show signs of, are committing, or are fraudulent. Such statements are incorrect and misleading. The Plan Management market has a very long tail, the largest 500 Plan Management Providers service almost all with the bottom 1000 servicing very few participants. This long tail of around a 1000 Registered Providers is whom National Disability Insurance Agency Executives were referring to in recent Senate Estimates and not 90% of all Plan Managers. DIA has no tolerance for fraudsters, scammers, criminals or rogue operators. DIA has been raising concerns to the NDIA and NDIS Commission about this long tail for the last 5 years. These alleged criminals must be investigated, prosecuted and, if found guilty, barred from the NDIS and working with vulnerable people in any capacity. Minister for the #NDIS the Hon. Bill Shorten has made statements following Senate Estimates that further clarify the issue. Including stating "I must say there is some good plan managers out there. There’s some very good providers". DIA thanks Minister Shorten for his support of quality Plan Managers and for clarifying the statements made by NDIA Executives in Senate Estimates. These alleged fraudsters have all been registered, all passed audits and are all under the direct regulation of the NDIS Commission. All have claimed for participant’s plan funds which are held by the NDIA. DIA CEO Mr Jess Harper on these reports said: "Since its establishment, DIA has repeatedly called on the NDIA and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to adequately regulate the sector and close the conflict-of-interest loopholes by implementing accreditation and independence of intermediaries from service provisions. The NDIA and NDIS Commission have ignored this advice repeatedly. Instead, they create an opaque guidance and vague communications." The continued favouring of headline grabbing broadcast messaging over setting accurate market policy is counterproductive and distracting from the focus on the current legislation tabled in Parliament and the forward reform agenda. DIA calls on the Minister for the NDIS, the NDIA, NDIS Commission and government stakeholders to work in partnership with DIA to improve participant experience, choice and control and self-determination by strengthening the quality of Plan Mnagement services. Click below to read our full response with Hansard and Transcript links and quotes from Minister Shorten. https://lnkd.in/gWskstV7

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This is new & exciting - Check out the link in Emily Gillmartin bio - #ReflectivePractice #generalpractitioners #burnoutprevention #professionalgrowth #medicalpractitioner

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🌟 Have Your Say: Mandatory Registration for Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Support Coordination 🌟 The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is seeking your input on proposed changes to improve the quality and safety of Supported Independent Living (SIL) and support coordination services. 🔑 Key Highlights: Mandatory Registration: All SIL and support coordination providers will be required to register with the NDIS Commission, ensuring stronger safeguards and consistent support standards. Transition Period: Providers will have time to align with these new requirements, while participants continue to receive uninterrupted supports. 📢 Why Participate? Your feedback will shape how these changes are implemented, ensuring they address the needs of NDIS participants, providers, and the broader community. 📅 How to Get Involved: Complete the survey: https://lnkd.in/gVaE_sp8 Submit written feedback: [email protected] 💬 Share your thoughts by March 2025

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What might the new Public Services Commissioner be looking for? As you will know, there is a new Public Service Commissioner. In an interview for the attached article, Sir Brian Roche emphasises that he will listen to public servants to learn how he can support improved performance. In addition, he outlines three early thoughts. The public service is unnecessarily complex and must reduce transaction costs, must become less internally focused, and requires artificial intelligence and data analytics to improve responsiveness, effectiveness, and prioritisation. https://lnkd.in/gczHMNUe (Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas) #publicservicecommission #publicservants #welcomeSirBrianRoche

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Government Grant funding between $80,000 and $400,000 to support projects which prevent technology facilitated abuse of women. Projects should be focussed on the prevention of online harm and enhanced safety for women and children. For example projects may: - Aim to change community attitudes and behaviours, - Focus on the perpetrators of technology-facilitated abuse, or - Seek to protect and support women and children. Up to $600,000 of the total funding is allocated to organisations delivering projects that focus on prevention of tech-based abused of First Nations women. Eligible applicants must: - Hold an ABN. - Be registered for GST. - Have an Australian bank account. - Be a legal entity. - Be a non-government organisation, NFP or charitable organisation registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit commission. - Be financially viable. Eligible applicants for priority funding as a First Nations focussed project must: - Be an Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisation (ACCO), or - Be an organisation that is primarily focussed on achieving outcomes for First Nations communities, or - Be an organisation that is partnering with one of these eligible entities. Applications must be submitted by rpm (ACT local time) on 16th December 2024. For more information and to access the online application form follow the link below. If you need assistance with your application or an independent review to increase your potential for success please contact GrantSmart vie direct message.

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Official acknowledgement of the shared interest of the Australian The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) and the employee ownership sector in promoting decent work and fair workplaces. Employee ownership advocates invariably highlight the financial rewards & enhanced engagement. Other components of good work can get taken for granted as benefits of #employeeownership. This official acknowledgment of what #EO does to deliver good, fair and decent work is an important reminder of the fuller range of benefits of this ownership model for employees, as evidenced recently in the UK eoa's EO Knowledge Programme. In a letter to Employee Ownership Australia and the Oxford Symposium on Employee Ownership Anna Booth, FWO writes “The FWO supports the efforts of employee-owned organisations, and indeed all organisations, to look beyond the meeting of minimum standards by adopting a range of workplace practices designed to provide good, fair and decent work for all” https://lnkd.in/edmj88P9

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Too many public services have become disconnected from the people and places they serve, which is having profound implications on outcomes and costs. In the fifth installment of our Prioritising Public Services series, John Copps delves into the power of cooperative principles in reshaping public service delivery models to be more community-centric. By involving local people and communities in decision-making processes, we can bridge the gap that often exists between services and their users. Over the course of the next month, we'll explore what applying insights from cooperative principles means in the these three areas where the issues facing public services are most acute: ➡ Children's residential care ➡ Primary care ➡ Adult residential care Cooperative principles are a powerful tool to guide change. Read the full blog to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eGxkzNVJ Interested in hearing more about cooperative principles in action? Register for our upcoming webinar on June 27th, 'Connecting Public Services with People and Places using Cooperative Principles'. 📅 Save the date! #CooperativePrinciples #PublicServices #PublicServiceReform #Communities #CommunityMatters #CommunityEngagement

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https://lnkd.in/gMKm6MF5 The Oranga Tamariki Practice Framework - Setting out, explaining, and reinforcing our practice approach.

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National Disability Services' recent survey of over 1200 disability service providers found that 84% were reconsidering their future in the disability sector as a result of the recent inadequate NDIA price increase. Three quarters aimed to cut services to stay afloat. With demand increasing, but quality registered providers exiting the disability sector, catastrophic market failure is occurring right now. The survey found that the impact will be felt disproportionately by people with disabilities in rural and remote areas, and people looking for complex behaviour support. Providers said: “Given the inability to claim high-intensity support for participants with complex behaviours, we will be looking to cease servicing these existing participants and refusing to accept new participants with complex behaviours” [Tas. provider] “I am being forced to de-register my business as I can no longer afford the costs associated with this expense.” [Vic. provider] “Will no longer travel further than what is billable. Used to absorb this expense” [SA provider] The NDIA must reconsider its pricing guide if it is to meet its market stewardship remit and ensure people with disabilities have access to quality services. Join NDS in asking government to act now: https://lnkd.in/g-WDQjqV

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Learn how to implement the National Standards in your organisation! This workshop covers an overview of the National Standards, benefits and challenges to implementing, gap assessments, action planning and change management for your organisation. Join us Thursday 9 May: https://lnkd.in/g_5NPZPJ #NSVI #workshop #volunteers #volunteering #management

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The recommended system  Tier 0 – Purchase visibility: No registration requirements are needed and applies only to goods purchased from retailers, such as ramps from hardware stores, where no support is provided to the participant. Authorities would have visibility over this via real-time purchasing arrangements.  Tier 1 – Basic registration: Worker screening not needed. Subject to complaints process and must report incidents. This tier is for those providing lower-risk supports, such as sole traders and those with limited one-on-one contact with people with disability.  Tier 2 – Self-directed registration: This would apply to participants or their guardians who directly contract all their supports, such as service for one arrangements. Workers don’t have to register, but the participant or self-director will.  Tier 3 – General registration: Worker screening needed. This tier is subject to the complaints process and must report incidents. It could apply to providers offering supports that require skill and training, such as complex bowel care or injections, and those involving significant one-on-one contact with people with disability.  Tier 4 – Advanced registration: Worker screening needed. This tier is also subject to the complaints process and must report incidents. It could include those offering supports and services in high-risk settings or in closed settings like group homes.  Source: NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce Report 

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NDIS Enforcement data and Trends! The NDIS commission has now released a digital online section to track banning orders etc. https://lnkd.in/gNPeT9NG I have reviewed this data and here is my summary of the orders from Jan 2024 to November 2024. 📊 Key Statistics: Banning Orders: So far in 2024, the Commission issued 62 banning orders to providers and workers, marking a 25% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Compliance Notices: There was a 160% surge in compliance notices, reflecting the Commission's proactive stance in addressing non-compliance. Revocations of Registration: An 80% rise in registration revocations underscores the commitment to removing non-compliant providers from the NDIS ecosystem. 📈 Trends Observed: Increased Enforcement: The Commission's actions have led to a six-fold increase in fines and penalties, totaling $4 million in 2023–24. Enhanced Oversight: A significant investment of $142.6 million in 2023–24 has bolstered the Commission's workforce, nearly doubling its size to 1,036 staff members. Ministers 🔍 Types of Orders: Banning Orders: These prohibit individuals or organizations from providing NDIS-funded supports or services, either permanently or for a specified period. Compliance Notices: Written directives requiring providers or workers to rectify specific non-compliant behaviors or practices. Revocations of Registration: The cancellation of a provider's registration due to serious breaches of NDIS standards. 👉 Implications for Providers: 1️⃣ Continuous Compliance: Maintain adherence to NDIS Practice Standards through regular internal audits and staff training on the standards 2️⃣ Proactive Measures: Implement robust internal controls to identify and address potential compliance issues before they escalate. 3️⃣ Participant-Centric Approach: Ensure that all services prioritise the safety, dignity, and well-being of participants. Need help? Reach out! Im here to help.

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Not all labour markets across Australia are the same. Stating the obvious I know - but one of the valuable things about JSA's Regional Labour Market Indicator work is highlighting place-based differences from what we're seeing nationally. While the national labour market has been softening of late, some regions are looking stronger.

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The interim report into the 2022 flood event in Victoria, tabled at the regional sitting of the Victorian Parliament in Echuca last week, highlights the need for a more efficient support system for community members and a faster transition to recovery following a major emergency. Council made a written submission to the inquiry in June last year, along with in-person submissions when the inquiry travelled through flood-affected communities in Northern Victoria. The report highlights the need for an easier support system for community members to navigate and a faster transition to recovery during a major emergency. Stronger resourcing is also needed for emergency agencies, community groups and local government, along with more investment into long term resilience strategies. The settlement of insurance claims was a challenge which also needed to be addressed, with many residents also experiencing issues with affordability and availability of insurance, as well as, from a Council perspective. We will read the final report with great interest as it is expected to address recommendations for improving the official response across preparedness, warnings, response, relief and recovery. To read the interim report, visit https://lnkd.in/gfgKgQ5G To read Council’s submission, visit https://lnkd.in/gQJQ_GYi  

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