Sense of Care

20/08/2026

New Capacity Available

We’re excited to share that our wonderful Specialist Support Coordinator, Mel, has some new capacity to support participants.

Mel offers:

- Specialist Support Coordination
- Level 2 Support Coordination
- Recovery Coaching

With her background in psychology and extensive experience supporting people with psychosocial, neurological and physical disabilities, Mel takes a person-centred approach focused on building confidence, independence, meaningful connections and practical pathways towards individual goals.

Mel currently has some new capacity available for participants across Inner East Melbourne, South Melbourne, Inner West, Bayside and remote.

If you or someone you know is looking for a Support Coordinator or Recovery Coach who is compassionate, experienced and genuinely focused on the person, please get in touch with Sense of Care.

[email protected]
www.senseofcare.com.au

19/08/2026

NDIS REFORM: THE FINAL CHANGES ARE HERE — WHAT DO THEY MEAN FOR PARTICIPANTS?

The Australian Government has released the final amendments to the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026, following further feedback from people with disability, families, advocates and organisations.

Some of the key changes include:

Stronger action against fraud and provider misconduct
• New offences and stronger penalties for fraud and providing false or misleading information
• New protections against provider kickbacks and inducements
• Providers will generally no longer be able to refuse to produce documents to courts, tribunals or relevant authorities
• New offences relating to deliberately destroying records or misusing a nominee position

Changes to NDIS access
The legislation clarifies the concept of “all appropriate treatment” when determining whether an impairment is permanent.

Importantly, the Government states that participants will not be forced to undergo treatment. Treatment would need to be appropriate, generally accepted, likely to make a meaningful difference, and suitable for the individual. People would not be expected to undertake treatments carrying significant risks or serious long-term consequences.

Changes affecting planning and supports
The amendments also include changes around how some supports are considered in plan funding decisions, including high-intensity supports, complex behaviour supports and certain customised, wearable technology and hearing supports.

Participants will still be able to request changes to their plan, including an unscheduled reassessment where there has been a significant and ongoing change in functional capacity or circumstances.

This is another significant step in the NDIS reform process — and there is a lot for participants, families and providers to understand.

The important question now is how these legislative changes will translate into real-world decisions about access, planning, funding and supports.

What do you think about the final amendments?

Do you believe the changes will create a more sustainable NDIS while protecting people with disability — or do you have concerns about how they may affect participants in practice?

Read the full Government fact sheet here: "Final changes to the NDIS Amendment Bill 2026" https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/final-changes-to-the-ndis-amendment-securing-the-ndis-for-future-generations-bill-2026?language=en

The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 (the Bill) will make changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. These changes will protect the NDIS for people with permanent and significant disability.

18/08/2026

NDIS REFORM DEAL: WHAT JUST CHANGED — AND WHY IT MATTERS

The controversial NDIS reform bill is moving forward after Labor and the Coalition reached a deal involving 63 amendments.

But while the Government says the changes add important safeguards, disability advocates and crossbenchers remain deeply concerned about what the reforms could mean for participants.

Here are some of the key changes:

• New ministerial powers could allow funding in particular support categories to be reduced by up to 99% across participants.

• Participants with high support needs who experience a significant funding impact will have a new pathway to request a plan variation within 90 days.

• Importantly, this does not exempt participants from broad funding reductions. It provides a mechanism to seek additional funding if the changes create a serious shortfall.

• New criminal and civil penalties will target kickbacks, fraud, misleading information and other integrity breaches involving NDIS funding.

• The Government says the reforms are necessary to make the $52 billion-a-year scheme financially sustainable, with projected savings of $37.8 billion over four years.

The biggest concern for many in the disability community remains the potential for broad, across-the-board funding reductions.

As David Pocock has warned, the impact may not be fully understood until people experience the consequences — including reduced community participation, increased isolation and potential safety risks.

The bill is expected to pass the Senate with Coalition support.

The question now is: what will these reforms actually look like for individual NDIS participants when they start being implemented?

Will the new safeguards provide meaningful protection — or will participants still be left fighting to demonstrate why their supports are essential?

What do you think?

"Read the full Guardian article here : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/18/controversial-ndis-bill-undergoes-substantial-amendments-as-labor-and-coalition-strike-deal

David Pocock says legislation still includes ‘indiscriminate cut’ impacting hundreds of thousands of participants

15/08/2026

NDIS cuts: Senate inquiry report released

The Australian Greens have released their final report on the proposed NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026, calling for the legislation not to pass Parliament.

Following an extended Senate inquiry, the Greens argue that reducing NDIS funding will not make support needs disappear — instead, the responsibility is likely to shift to disabled people, families, unpaid carers, hospitals, schools and the broader community.

The report highlights concerns that proposed cuts could:

• Reduce people’s ability to live independently and participate in work and education
• Increase pressure on families and unpaid carers
• Impact the disability workforce and potentially thousands of jobs
• Create additional pressure on hospitals and other mainstream services
• Undermine the independence, dignity and participation of people with disability

The Greens also acknowledge that the NDIS needs reform, including stronger action against fraud and reducing unnecessary administration — but argue that reform should not come at the expense of essential supports.

One of the key messages coming out of the inquiry is worth considering:

What happens when funded supports are removed but the person's support needs remain?

The question then becomes: Who picks up the gap — families, unpaid carers, hospitals, other services, or the individual themselves?

The proposed legislation is expected to continue through the parliamentary process, with the Greens stating they will oppose it when it reaches the Senate.

What do you think?

Read the full statement: "Australian Greens – Final NDIS Committee Report"

Greens reject dangerous NDIS cuts after inquiry exposes threat to disabled people, workers and families

13/08/2026

NDIS and psychosocial disability

A recent article in The Conversation raises an important concern about the impact of proposed changes to NDIS eligibility on people with psychosocial disability arising from mental illness.

The concern is that tighter eligibility requirements could make it harder for some people with significant and ongoing functional impairments to access the NDIS, particularly where their disability is less visible or where the impact of mental illness fluctuates over time.

For many people, psychosocial disability can affect their ability to work, maintain relationships, manage daily activities, access the community and live independently. The question is not simply whether someone has a diagnosis — it is about the functional impact of their disability and the supports they need to participate in everyday life.

There is also a broader question about what happens to people who no longer meet NDIS eligibility requirements. If they are removed from the Scheme, there needs to be genuine, accessible and adequately funded mainstream and community supports available to fill the gap.

The NDIS was never intended to be the answer to every mental health need. However, we also need to make sure that people with genuine and significant psychosocial disability are not left without appropriate support.

What do you think?

If NDIS eligibility is tightened, what should happen to people with psychosocial disability who no longer qualify for the Scheme but still have significant support needs?

Do you think Australia has enough alternative supports in place to prevent people from falling through the gaps?

Read the full article:

Symptoms and impacts may fluctuate and it can be difficult to show you’ve tried other treatments.

12/08/2026

Challenging an NDIS decision? What happens next?

Receiving an NDIS decision that doesn’t reflect your needs can be frustrating and overwhelming. For some participants, the next step may be an internal review and, if the decision remains unchanged, an application to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).

But what does the ART process actually involve? Do you need a lawyer? What happens to your funding? What evidence is important? And what happens after you lodge your application?

We’ve put together a plain-English guide explaining the NDIS ART appeals process and what participants can expect along the way.

Read the full blog here:

Receiving an NDIS decision that you believe is wrong can be incredibly frustrating. You may have provided reports, assessments and evidence, only to receive a plan that does not appear to reflect your actual disability-related needs. For some participants, the next step may be to challenge the decis...

11/08/2026

NDIS New Framework Planning: What Did the Community Say? The consultation Report.

The Australian Government has released its consultation report following feedback on the proposed new NDIS framework planning process.

The consultation provided participants, families, carers and the disability sector with an opportunity to have their say on how future NDIS planning should work.

Some of the key themes raised included:

Transparency and accountability
Participants want greater clarity about how their funding is calculated, how support needs are determined, and why particular supports are included or excluded from their plans.

Better assessment processes
There were concerns about how support needs assessments will be conducted, including the skills and experience of assessors and whether assessments will accurately capture a person's functional capacity and individual circumstances.

Being prepared for planning
Participants highlighted the importance of having enough information and support before assessments and planning conversations so they can properly explain their needs.

Individual circumstances matter
The consultation reinforced the importance of recognising that people with the same diagnosis can have very different functional abilities, support needs and circumstances.

A person-centred approach
Participants and the sector want the new planning framework to remain focused on individual needs rather than relying solely on diagnosis or standardised approaches.

What happens next?

The new framework planning model is intended to introduce a more structured approach to NDIS planning, including support needs assessments, budget setting, plan building and implementation.

The transition to the new framework is expected to occur progressively, with participants transitioning to new framework plans from 1 April 2027 through to the end of 2030.

For participants and families, these reforms could represent a significant change in how NDIS plans are developed and how funding is determined.

The important question now is whether the final framework will adequately address the concerns raised during consultation and deliver a planning system that is transparent, consistent, fair and genuinely person-centred.

Read the full consultation report on the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.

https://www.health.gov.au/news/ndis-rules-new-framework-planning-consultation-report-january-march-2026-now-available

Read the report to find out what we heard during our public consultation on new framework planning.

11/08/2026

NDIS REFORM: Is stronger independent oversight needed?

The debate around the future of the NDIS is moving quickly, with the Federal Government reportedly confident it is close to securing enough Senate support for its proposed reforms — including around $38 billion in savings over four years.

But one issue continues to raise important questions: who is independently overseeing the NDIS while these major changes are being made?

Disability advocates and sector leaders have called for an independent NDIS watchdog or Inspector-General, similar to the role that exists in aged care. The argument is that an independent body could identify systemic problems, monitor how reforms are implemented and provide greater accountability for participants, providers and government.

The Government’s position is that the NDIS already has multiple oversight mechanisms and that adding another layer of bureaucracy may not necessarily improve the system.

But perhaps the bigger question is:

Can we reform and reduce NDIS spending while also making sure participants have confidence that decisions are fair, transparent and independently scrutinised?

There is no doubt the NDIS needs to address fraud, waste and poor practice. The scheme must be sustainable for future generations.

But sustainability should not come at the expense of safety, choice, independence and the rights of people with disability.

The Senate inquiry has heard concerns from participants, families, advocates and the sector about the potential impact of the proposed reforms. The inquiry is due to report on 14 August 2026.

What do you think?

Should the NDIS have a stronger independent oversight body — or are the existing safeguards enough?

We’d love to hear from participants, families, support workers and providers.

Read the full article here: https://www.afr.com/companies/healthcare-and-fitness/labor-rejects-call-for-more-ndis-oversight-nears-coalition-deal-20260810-p60mx9

Health Minister Mark Butler is confident Labor has the support in the Senate to secure $38 billion in cuts to the scheme over four years.

09/08/2026

NDIS Senate Inquiry: What are the key takeaways?

The Senate inquiry into the proposed changes to the NDIS has highlighted just how complex—and important—the next stage of NDIS reform will be.

A major message coming through is clear: there is broad support for addressing fraud, overcharging and poor practices within the scheme. No-one wants NDIS funding diverted away from people who genuinely need support.

But the inquiry has also heard significant concerns about how reforms could affect participants, families and carers.

Some of the key issues raised include:

Carer burnout and the pressure on families – many families are already providing substantial unpaid support, and there are concerns that reducing funded supports could increase this burden.

Protecting participants from poor-quality providers – stronger regulation, oversight and action against providers who exploit the scheme are essential.

Changes to eligibility and funding – proposed changes could have significant consequences for people whose supports are reduced or who may no longer meet the criteria for the NDIS.

Automated decision-making – concerns have been raised about ensuring participants have transparency, human oversight and meaningful avenues to challenge decisions.

The importance of mainstream and foundational supports – if people are moved away from the NDIS, there needs to be confidence that alternative supports actually exist and are accessible.

The voice of people with disability must remain central – reform should not simply be about reducing expenditure. It needs to consider whether people can live safely, independently and participate meaningfully in their communities.

The inquiry received more than 4,000 submissions, demonstrating the level of concern and interest in the proposed changes.

Reform is necessary—but how we reform matters.

A sustainable NDIS is important. Tackling fraud and poor practice is important. But sustainability should not come at the expense of participant choice, safety, independence and access to the supports people need.

The Senate inquiry is due to report on 14 August, so there is still more to come.

For participants and families, now is a good time to stay informed, understand what the proposed changes could mean for you, and seek appropriate advice if you are concerned about your current or future supports.

Read the full ABC article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-07/ndis-senate-inquiry-main-takeaways/107002938

What do you think? What should be the priority when reforming the NDIS?

A Senate inquiry into the proposed NDIS shake-up was told the government must stamp out rorting, while avoiding cuts that could put participants in unsafe environments and cause carers to burn out. Here are the key takeaways from the six days of hearings.

07/08/2026

The Australian Government has released the latest update from the Technical Advisory Group for NDIS Functional Capacity, outlining progress towards a more consistent, evidence-based approach to assessing NDIS access.

The group discussed how functional capacity assessments may be developed to ensure they are fair, transparent and centred on people's real-world support needs. Importantly, the advisory group includes clinical experts and people with lived experience of disability, with ongoing consultation expected as the work progresses.

These discussions could shape future NDIS access processes, making this an important development for participants, families and providers to follow.

Read the full communiqué here:
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/technical-advisory-group-for-ndis-functional-capacity-communique-august-2026?language=en

The second meeting of the Technical Advisory Group for NDIS functional capacity was held on 5 August 2026. Read the communique, which summarises the meeting discussions and outcomes.