Draft Thriving Kids Program Specifications

Thriving Kids is a new program for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism, run outside the NDIS. In NSW, the Department of Communities and Justice is setting it up, and asked for feedback on its draft program specifications.

The biggest change is how families get in. Today, most families start with a clinical assessment by a paediatrician, a psychologist or a team. Under the draft, a central intake service would screen children by phone and online form instead, without needing a diagnosis, and then allocate them to a provider.

We support the program’s aims. Early help for young children, without a diagnosis as the gate, is the right goal. We raised these points to settle before contracts start.

• Show how the screening works. Screening by phone and online form isn’t a proven equivalent of a clinical assessment for young children. The tools and the evidence behind them should be published.
• Use assessments families already have. Families who already have a clinical assessment need to know how it will be used, so they don’t have to go through it twice.
• Measure the whole wait. The time from first contact to allocation should be measured and published, not only the time after allocation.
• Define who the program is for. The level of need it covers, and the point where a child should be considered for the NDIS, should be set and published before contracts start.
• Set clear bounds on support. Providers and families need to know the expected hours of support, how long a support period lasts and when it is reviewed.
• Choose providers on quality. Any provider that meets the program’s governance standard should be eligible to deliver it. We also supported the limit on passing work to subcontractors.
• Plan for the workforce. Workforce supply limits every part of the program. We asked the Department to plan without assuming the Psychology Board’s proposed training changes will add supply.