Responding to Complexity in the Context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme

• Published in: Social policy and society : a journal of the Social Policy Association Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 139 - 154
• Main Authors: McKenzie, Kirsty, Smith-Merry, Jennifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Budgets; Collaboration; Complexity; Customization; Disability; Disability insurance; Funding; Information sharing; Insurance; Neoliberalism; People with disabilities; Services; Supporters; Themed Section on Personalisation and Collaboration: Dual Tensions in Individualised Funding Policy for Older and Disabled Persons; Australia; Disability; complex needs; personalisation; integrated care
• ISSN: 1474-7464; 1475-3073
• DOI: 10.1017/S1474746422000562

Background: Personalisation in disability support funding is premised on the notion that services come together through the individual. Where people have very complex needs, many individuals and their supporters find it difficult to facilitate services themselves. This article examines the Integrated Service Response (ISR), an Australian response to complexity implemented during the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) roll-out. We explore its facilitation of collaboration in the context of the NDIS. Results: Results from interviews and observation of collaboration suggest there are multiple challenges with effective inter-organisational collaboration under the NDIS, including communication between services, and the loss of previous ways of addressing complexity and crisis. Participants valued ISR as a response to complexity, including its ability to facilitate collaboration by ‘getting the right people at the table’. Conclusions: While programmes such as ISR may improve inter-organisational collaboration around specific clients, broader ongoing systemic approaches are required to address system-wide issues.