Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Across Australia, supported independent living providers are withdrawing from specialist disability accommodation settings. They're leaving families scrambling to secure care for their loved ones. This issue is particularly acute in Victoria, where an oversupply of SDA dwellings, workforce shortages and regulatory uncertainty are making it really hard for providers to stay in the market.

One of my constituents, Jeremy Lipshut, has profound autism and is non-verbal. He requires full-time support. He's lived in the same group home in Camberwell since 2008. It's been his only adult home. In July, his family was told that Scope, his SIL provider, was withdrawing from the system. They were given three options: to move Jeremy to another group home, to find a new home with a different provider or to stay put and try to source a new SIL provider themselves.

Jeremy's family has received no direct guidance from the NDIA, despite asking for help on multiple occasions. That help has not been forthcoming. They have no clear pathway to ensure his continuity of care. The system is failing them. This is not just around Jeremy. This reflects a system that leaves families to navigate really complex transitions alone, so I'm calling for the NDIA to do its job and provide quality care for all people with a disability.

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