ndis Directing My Future

My ndis journey has been very exciting this week, as I move closer towards self-directing my own supports.  The Ipswich Festival is also closing in on me and a number of competitions entries a due including work for Aspire Gallery.  Ooops forgot that one. 

My support workers have supported me to attend capacity building advisory meeting for ndis, purchase art supplies, photograph my artwork and living independently.

The ndis supports participants to reach for there dreams, through setting goals that are achievable. During my first plan my major goal was to extend my visual art practice. Having establish myself as a Ipswich based artist, I am now wanting to explore the Brisbane market and regional galleries as well.

In February I hosted my thrid solo art exhibition at the Drawing Point Gallery and have been regularly been taking part in group exhibition at Aspire Gallery in Paddington.  

After tiring to stick with traditional support providers for my individual support needs, I have decided its time for me to move forward and become more self-determining in the provision of my own support needs. Advertising for my own workers has meant I could target workers who have similar interests to me and/or skills that wills assist me to expand my art practise.  Such a photography. 

I often need to photograph my artwork to send to galleries and have an online portfolio. During the recruitment process I found a visual art student who had learn web design skills as part of her studies. This will make my gallery application so much more stream lined.

I completed interviewing all the applicants last week and over the weekend I decide who I wanted to invite to be on my first self-directed support team.  This week is all about reference checks and work agreements. There are many ways you are able to engage your own support team. 

• Through a agency such as high-up
• Through self-employed care or support workers (their ABN)
• Through an organization (Which I have elected to do)
• Through applying for your own Australian Business Number and directly employing your own team.

With self-direction comes additional responsibilities you can't just pay the girl over the road to clean you house.  Well . . . you can if she has her own ABN and insurances in the event she is injured while cleaning your house.  There a two types of services you can access under the ndis.

• One is to use an approved ndis providers. (Most business will have the ndis logo on if they are a provider.)
• Or an genetic provider like the girl over the road who has a cleaning business and her own ABN and business insurance. 

You can only use a genetic provider if you are self-managing your own funding.  I engage a home mainance team in this way. This has allowed me to redesign my garden to be more accessible. As a employer you have the same employer responsibilities as any other employer, you are answerable to the fair work commission and should be providing a safe working environment. This includes insurances to cover them is they are injured at work.

People ask while it took so long to employ my team.  I simply wanted to ensure I could offer a safe working environment for me an my team. I will be trusting this team of strangers to drive me round, help care for my artwork, take control during a seizure and organize medical assistance, thus they will need to be trusted with medical information.  These aren't people who were standing in a centre link cue. I wanted to be sure and that is my right.

I am now very excited to be looking at preparing to train my team and working with a very talented bunch of ladies whose skills I would never have access to previously to the ndis. Plan  A failed so lets hope Plan B works.