FECCA is the national peak body representing multicultural communities and their organisations across Australia and the Collaborative is a national peak health body for multicultural health. We encourage the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the Department) to ensure that input is sought and considered from organisations such as the National Ethnic Disability Alliance, and other multicultural organisations, as part of these reforms.
This submission focuses on equitable support coordination for multicultural participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), their families and carers. FECCA and the Collaborative supports the objectives of improving service quality, consistency and safeguarding. The proposed Support Coordination and Connection (SCC) service would replace support coordination purchased through individual NDIS plans with services commissioned by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) from 1 July 2028. Cultural responsiveness and language access should be explicit requirements in eligibility assessment, procurement, funding and service delivery.
The NDIA’s Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Strategy 2024-2028 identifies inaccessible communication, limited availability of culturally appropriate disability services and inadequate data on participants’ experiences. The SCC reform should help address these barriers and carry the Strategy’s commitments into the new service.
Below are FECCA and the Collaborative’s (collectively as ‘FECCA’) comments and recommendations organised under themes, in response to the NDIS Support Coordination and Connection Reform Consultation Paper (the Paper).
