Actions to lift capability and improve quality of behaviour support
Dear NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission,
A report by the NDIS Q&SC (16/9/2022, see https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/sites/...) says
"the NDIS Commission is undertaking a series of actions to lift the capability of Behaviour Support Providers and improve the quality of plans".
Please provide, in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information ACT, information showing
1. the planning and implementation of this "series of actions", and
2. the measurement of and reported outcomes from those actions.
Yours faithfully,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for emailing the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
This inbox is monitored between 9 am and 5 pm (AEST), Monday to Friday and
we will respond to your enquiry within 5 business days.
Alternatively you can contact us on 1800 035 544, or visit the website at
[1]www.ndiscommission.gov.au for information and resources.
This is an automated email. Please do not respond.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/
Dear Mr Buckley,
Thank you for your email received by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards
Commission (NDIS Commission) on 31 January 2025, in which you requested
access to documents under the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act).
Your request for documents
You have requested access to the following documents:
“Regarding the series of actions to lift the capability of Behaviour
Support Providers and improve the quality of plans:
1. the planning and implementation of this "series of actions",
2. the measurement of and reported outcomes from those actions.”
Timeline
The statutory period for processing your request is 30 days commencing
from the day after your request was received. The due date for a decision
on access is 3 March 2025.
The 30-day period may be extended under certain conditions, for instance
where documents contain information regarding third parties and
consultation is required. We will advise you if this happens and of any
adjustment to the request due date.
Possible third-party consultation
If consultation with third-parties is required for any documents in scope
of your request, can you please advise whether you consent to be
identified as the FOI applicant for the purposes of that consultation.
Your consent is voluntary, however it can assist third parties to form
their views on release if they can know who is requesting access to their
information.
Removal of irrelevant information
Section 22 of the FOI Act provides for the removal of material that is not
relevant to the scope of a request. Where you are not specifically seeking
personal information in the scope of your request, the personal
information of Commission staff below Senior Executive Service (SES)
level, and the personal information of other individuals will be treated
as irrelevant material and removed from the documents. We also propose to
remove duplicate documents and provide the final email in any email
chains.
Next steps
Can you now please respond to this email and
o confirm whether you consent to be identified as the FOI applicant for
the purposes of any third-party consultation that may be required, and
o confirm that you do not seek the personal information of staff below
SES level and consent to the removal of duplicate documents and the
provision of the final email in any email chains.
Please provide you response by COB 4 February 2025.
Please let us know if you have any questions about the FOI process or
would like to discuss this email.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information Unit
Internal Integrity Unit | Legal Services and Internal Integrity Division
E: [1][NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email] | W: [2]www.ndiscommission.gov.au
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: This email and any attachments may contain confidential or legally
privileged information (and neither are waived or lost if this email has
been sent to you by mistake). If you are not the intended recipient, you
must not use, disclose, copy or retain it. If you have received it in
error, please let me know by reply email and then delete this email from
your system and do not retain any copy. Recipients within the NDIS
Commission should seek assistance from General Counsel before
disseminating this email to third parties or using this advice for a
different matter.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission acknowledges the traditional
owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to
land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures,
and to elders both past and present.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email]
2. http://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/
Dear FOI (NDIS Commission),
Your latest email to me asks me to
o confirm whether you consent to be identified as the FOI applicant for the purposes of any third-party consultation that may be required, and
o confirm that you do not seek the personal information of staff below SES level and consent to the removal of duplicate documents and the provision of the final email in any email chains.
Yes, I consent to be identified as the FoI applicant.
No, I do not seek personal information of staff below SES level.
Yes, I agree to the removal of duplicate documents.
No, I do not consent to limiting the response to provision of the final email in any email chains; instead I expect to receive complete email chains (subject to duplicate removal above).
Yours sincerely,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for emailing the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
This inbox is monitored between 9 am and 5 pm (AEST), Monday to Friday and
we will respond to your enquiry within 5 business days.
Alternatively you can contact us on 1800 035 544, or visit the website at
[1]www.ndiscommission.gov.au for information and resources.
This is an automated email. Please do not respond.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/
Dear Mr Buckley,
Thank you for your email.
The business area that is conducting the document retrievals has raised some questions about the scope of your request. They would like to know the date range of documents that you are seeking.
Can you please provide us a response by COB tomorrow.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information Unit
Internal Integrity Unit | Legal Services and Internal Integrity Division
E: [NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email] | W: www.ndiscommission.gov.au
Note: This email and any attachments may contain confidential or legally privileged information (and neither are waived or lost if this email has been sent to you by mistake). If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use, disclose, copy or retain it. If you have received it in error, please let me know by reply email and then delete this email from your system and do not retain any copy. Recipients within the NDIS Commission should seek assistance from General Counsel before disseminating this email to third parties or using this advice for a different matter.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Buckley <[FOI #12786 email]>
Sent: Friday, 31 January 2025 5:43 PM
To: FOI (NDIS Commission) <[NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email]>
Subject: Re: Acknowledging your Freedom of Information (FOI) request: Actions to lift capability and improve quality of behaviour support [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear FOI (NDIS Commission),
Your latest email to me asks me to
o confirm whether you consent to be identified as the FOI applicant for the purposes of any third-party consultation that may be required, and
o confirm that you do not seek the personal information of staff below SES level and consent to the removal of duplicate documents and the provision of the final email in any email chains.
Yes, I consent to be identified as the FoI applicant.
No, I do not seek personal information of staff below SES level.
Yes, I agree to the removal of duplicate documents.
No, I do not consent to limiting the response to provision of the final email in any email chains; instead I expect to receive complete email chains (subject to duplicate removal above).
Yours sincerely,
Bob Buckley
-----Original Message-----
Dear Mr Buckley,
Thank you for your email received by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards
Commission (NDIS Commission) on 31 January 2025, in which you requested
access to documents under the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act).
Your request for documents
You have requested access to the following documents:
“Regarding the series of actions to lift the capability of Behaviour
Support Providers and improve the quality of plans:
1. the planning and implementation of this "series of actions",
2. the measurement of and reported outcomes from those actions.”
Timeline
The statutory period for processing your request is 30 days commencing
from the day after your request was received. The due date for a decision
on access is 3 March 2025.
The 30-day period may be extended under certain conditions, for instance
where documents contain information regarding third parties and
consultation is required. We will advise you if this happens and of any
adjustment to the request due date.
Possible third-party consultation
If consultation with third-parties is required for any documents in scope
of your request, can you please advise whether you consent to be
identified as the FOI applicant for the purposes of that consultation.
Your consent is voluntary, however it can assist third parties to form
their views on release if they can know who is requesting access to their
information.
Removal of irrelevant information
Section 22 of the FOI Act provides for the removal of material that is not
relevant to the scope of a request. Where you are not specifically seeking
personal information in the scope of your request, the personal
information of Commission staff below Senior Executive Service (SES)
level, and the personal information of other individuals will be treated
as irrelevant material and removed from the documents. We also propose to
remove duplicate documents and provide the final email in any email
chains.
Next steps
Can you now please respond to this email and
o confirm whether you consent to be identified as the FOI applicant for
the purposes of any third-party consultation that may be required, and
o confirm that you do not seek the personal information of staff below
SES level and consent to the removal of duplicate documents and the
provision of the final email in any email chains.
Please provide you response by COB 4 February 2025.
Please let us know if you have any questions about the FOI process or
would like to discuss this email.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information Unit
Internal Integrity Unit | Legal Services and Internal Integrity Division
E: [1][NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email] | W: [2]www.ndiscommission.gov.au
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #12786 email]
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear FOI (NDIS Q&S Commission),
In accordance with my request, I am interested in information created since 16/9/2022. I don't know whether the relavent actions have been completed, so I expect the normal expectation would be up until the date of my FoI request, i.e. 31/1/2025.
Yours sincerely,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for emailing the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
This inbox is monitored between 9 am and 5 pm (AEST), Monday to Friday and
we will respond to your enquiry within 5 business days.
Alternatively you can contact us on 1800 035 544, or visit the website at
[1]www.ndiscommission.gov.au for information and resources.
This is an automated email. Please do not respond.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/
Dear Mr Buckley,
Thank you for your email.
We have consulted with the Practice Quality Division about the scope of your request, they determine that your original scope is too broad. The Division would like you to consider the below revised scope as the following:
" Copies of all policies, policy guidance, practice guides, tools, templates and grant funded materials produced since September 2022 for the purpose of lifting the capability of Behaviour Support Providers and improving the quality of behaviour support plans, along with copies of relevant project and communication plans for each product (where they exist), plus copies of reports showing relevant outcome measures achieved as a result."
Can you please respond by COB tomorrow 6 February 2025 if you agree to the above revised scope. Please also advise us if you would like to make amendments of this revised scope.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information Unit
Internal Integrity Unit | Legal Services and Internal Integrity Division
E: [NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email] | W: www.ndiscommission.gov.au
Note: This email and any attachments may contain confidential or legally privileged information (and neither are waived or lost if this email has been sent to you by mistake). If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use, disclose, copy or retain it. If you have received it in error, please let me know by reply email and then delete this email from your system and do not retain any copy. Recipients within the NDIS Commission should seek assistance from General Counsel before disseminating this email to third parties or using this advice for a different matter.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Buckley <[FOI #12786 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 4 February 2025 12:00 PM
To: FOI (NDIS Commission) <[NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email]>
Subject: RE: Acknowledging your Freedom of Information (FOI) request: Actions to lift capability and improve quality of behaviour support [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear FOI (NDIS Q&S Commission),
In accordance with my request, I am interested in information created since 16/9/2022. I don't know whether the relavent actions have been completed, so I expect the normal expectation would be up until the date of my FoI request, i.e. 31/1/2025.
Yours sincerely,
Bob Buckley
-----Original Message-----
Dear Mr Buckley,
Thank you for your email.
The business area that is conducting the document retrievals has raised some questions about the scope of your request. They would like to know the date range of documents that you are seeking.
Can you please provide us a response by COB tomorrow.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information Unit
Internal Integrity Unit | Legal Services and Internal Integrity Division
E: [NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email] | W: www.ndiscommission.gov.au
Note: This email and any attachments may contain confidential or legally privileged information (and neither are waived or lost if this email has been sent to you by mistake). If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use, disclose, copy or retain it. If you have received it in error, please let me know by reply email and then delete this email from your system and do not retain any copy. Recipients within the NDIS Commission should seek assistance from General Counsel before disseminating this email to third parties or using this advice for a different matter.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #12786 email]
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear FOI (NDIS Commission),
My intention is to get information about actions to improve NDIS plans for participants needing behaviour support. If your interpretation of my request was broader than that I revise my request to:
Copies of all policies, policy guidance, practice guides, tools, templates and grant funded materials (i.e. information) produced since September 2022 for the purpose of lifting the capability of Behaviour Support Providers and improving the quality of NDIS plans that include a behaviour support component, along with copies of relevant project and communication plans for each product (where they exist), plus copies of reports showing relevant outcome measures achieved as a result."
Yours sincerely,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for emailing the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
This inbox is monitored between 9 am and 5 pm (AEST), Monday to Friday and
we will respond to your enquiry within 5 business days.
Alternatively you can contact us on 1800 035 544, or visit the website at
[1]www.ndiscommission.gov.au for information and resources.
This is an automated email. Please do not respond.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/
Dear Mr Buckley,
Please find attached FOI decision made by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards
Commission (the NDIS Commission) in relation to the Freedom of Information
(FOI) Request No. (98) - 24/25 - (3), received by the NDIS Commission on
31 January 2025.
Should you have any queries, please contact the NDIS Commission by return
email.
Kind Regards,
Freedom of Information
Legal Services and Internal Integrity Division
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission acknowledges the traditional
owners of country throughout
Dear NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's handling of my FOI request 'Actions to lift capability and improve quality of behaviour support'.
The response includes the unsubstantiated assertion that the release of Document 42 – BSP – QE11 Recommendations Communications Plan would "prejudice the internal processing functions of the agency and their associated safeguarding practices and, as a result, the operations of the NDIS Commission." The response omits any evidence or reasoning to support this assertion.
Please review this aspect of the decision.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/a...
Yours faithfully,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for your email to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
(NDIS Commission) Freedom of Information (FOI) team.
This inbox is monitored between 9 am and 5 pm (AEST), Monday to Friday and
we will respond to your enquiry within 5 business days.
Please note: the FOI team are currently experiencing a high volume of FOI
requests, and this may affect our ability to respond to you in a timely
manner. We will action your request as soon as possible and endeavour to
process our FOI decisions within the legislative deadlines. However, we
may need to seek your agreement for an extension of time and appreciate
your understanding if this is required.
You may also be able to access the documents you are seeking by visiting
the [1]NDIS Commission website
o For Complaint related information see the NDIS Commission
[2]Complaints page
o Information about Reportable incidents can be found on the NDIS
Commission [3]Reportable Incidents page
o NDIS Commission reports are located on the [4]Corporate Reports page
o Data analysis of the NDIS Commission functions is accessible via the
[5]NDIS Market Oversight page
If you are able to obtain the information or documents from our website,
you may withdraw your FOI request by emailing [6][NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email]
Further FOI information
Information about how to make an FOI request can be found on the NDIS
Commission [7]Freedom of Information page.
General enquiries
Should you have a query unrelated to FOI, please contact the NDIS
Commission by:
Email: [8][email address]
Phone: 1800 035 544 (Monday to Friday 9am – 6.30pm AEDT), or
Complete our [9]contact form
This is an automated email. Please do not respond.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/
2. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/compla...
3. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-...
4. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/about-...
5. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/about-...
6. mailto:[NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission request email]
7. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/lodge-...
8. mailto:[email address]
9. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/contac...