Members are invited to provide information on how the NDIS can better support participants to be actively involved in making decisions about their lives and to exercise choice and control. A Support for Decision Making consultation is underway until 27 August.

Definitions in this area are important. The consultation paper refers to 'supported decision making' and 'support for decision making'.

Supported decision making is used to describe the process of supporting people to make decisions. Support for decision making is used to describe the range of informal, formal, paid or unpaid, supports and resources that are made available to help a person, and those around the central person, to reach a decision.

Substitute decision making is used to describe where someone has authority to make decisions on behalf of a person.

Some of the concerns noted in the paper are:

• People with disability experience chronic disempowerment
• Formal decision making supports are not consistent
• There is a lack of emphasis on building decision making capacity
• Life transitions are not well supported
• Some participants have no informal supports to help them make decisions
• Advice from NDIA staff and partners is not consistent
• Potential for real or perceived provider conflict of interest
• Potential for undue influence

The paper outlines draft principles and goals as well as a decision making capability framework. We would like your thoughts on the framework and whether it is an appropriate way for the NDIA to better support all participants to make decisions.

Please email submit enquiry/feedback or call 0411 773 707 with your comments.