Impairment list and category/code
Dear National Disability Insurance Agency,
As per the Freedom of Information Act I am requesting access to documents within the following scope:
- A list of all possible selections or entries in the "assessed impairment” field of a participant or prospective participant’s file on PACE. And the corresponding disability/impairment category, type or other code/s those possible entries is assigned by the NDIA.
- All current articles or guidance for staff on how to add, change, or request to add/change a NDIS participant’s disability/impairment in their file.
Yours faithfully,
Paul Carter
Thank you for your email to the National Disability Insurance Agency
(NDIA) Freedom of Information (FOI) team.
Please note: due to a high volume of requests, our ability to respond to
you in a timely manner may be affected. We will action your request as
soon as possible and will endeavour to process your matter within the
legislative deadlines. We may need to seek your agreement to an extension
of time. We appreciate your understanding if this is required.
Participant Information
Did you know the NDIA has other ways to access the documents and
information that we hold?
Participants, Guardians and Nominees can obtain copies of some participant
information through our National Contact Centre (NCC). For more
information about what’s available through the NCC, please contact 1800
800 110.
Please visit our [1]Access to Information webpage to find out more about
accessing information through:
* The [2]Participant Information Access (PIA) scheme
* The [3]Information Publication Scheme (IPS)
* The [4]myplace portal for participants
* The [5]myplace portal for providers
Access to Data
You can also request data and statistics. Please visit our [6]Data and
insights webpage page for further information.
If you are able to obtain your information from a source listed above, you
can withdraw your FOI request by emailing [7][NDIA request email]
Further Information
Information about how to make an FOI request can be found on our website:
[8]Freedom of Information
Should you have a query unrelated to FOI, please contact the Agency by
email at [9][email address] or via webchat at [10]ndis.gov.au.
Alternatively, you can also contact us by phoning 1800 800 110.
Kind regards
Freedom of Information Team
Complaints Management & FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E [11][NDIA request email]
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians 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 past, present
and emerging.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
2. https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
3. https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
4. https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/usi...
https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/usi...
5. https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/workin...
https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/workin...
6. https://data.ndis.gov.au/
https://data.ndis.gov.au/
7. mailto:[NDIA request email]
mailto:[NDIA request email]
8. https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
9. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]
10. https://www.ndis.gov.au/
https://www.ndis.gov.au/
11. mailto:[NDIA request email]
Dear Paul Carter
Freedom of Information Request: Acknowledgement
Thank you for your request of 16 November 2024, made under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), for information held by the National
Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
Scope of your Request
You have requested access to:
“ …- A list of all possible selections or entries in the "assessed
impairment” field of a participant or prospective participant’s file on
PACE. And the corresponding disability/impairment category, type or other
code/s those possible entries is assigned by the NDIA.
- All current articles or guidance for staff on how to add, change, or
request to add/change a NDIS participant’s disability/impairment in their
file.”
Irrelevant Information
Section 22 of the FOI Act allows an Agency to redact information from
documents if that information would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant
to a request for access.
Given the nature of your request, it does not seem that NDIA staff
members’ surnames and contact details would be relevant to you. Can you
please send me a reply email confirming that such details are irrelevant
to your request for access?
Processing Timeframes
In accordance with section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act, a 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from 18 November 2024. This
30-day period expires on 18 December 2024.
The 30-day period can be extended in a number of ways, including with your
agreement.
Unfortunately, it is currently taking us a little longer than 30 days to
process FOI requests due to a very high volume. I am therefore seeking
your agreement to a 30-day extension of time under section 15AA of the FOI
Act. If you agree to this extension, the new due date for us to decide on
your request will be 17 January 2025.
If you do not agree and we are unable to process your request within the
30-day period expiring on 18 December 2024, we will be deemed to have
refused your request and you will not have a right to seek internal review
of that decision. You will, however, retain your right to external review
by the Australian Information Commissioner.
Please let us know if you agree by Friday 29 November 2024.
Disclosure Log
Subject to certain exceptions, documents released under the FOI Act will
be published on the NDIA’s disclosure log located on our website.
If you have any concerns about the publication of the documents you have
requested, please contact me.
Next steps
Your request will be allocated to an authorised FOI decision-maker. The
decision-maker may need to contact you to discuss a range of matters,
including refining the scope of your request.
We will contact you using the email address you have provided. Please
advise if you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or need help, please contact us
at [1][NDIA request email].
Regards
Cindy – CGN062
Senior Freedom of Information Officer
Complaints Management & FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E [2][NDIA request email]
[3]NDIA logo
[4]LGBTIQA+ rainbow graphic
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians 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 past, present
and emerging.
[5]Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags graphic
Good afternoon Paul Carter
Thank you for your request of 16 November 2024, made under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), for information held by the National
Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
After careful assessment of your request. I concluded that Point 2 of your
matter can be released under Disclosure log.
Scope:
“All current articles or guidance for staff on how to add,
change, or request to add/change a NDIS participant’s
disability/impairment in their file”.
Next steps
We will contact you using the email address you have provided and send the
Disclosure log information shortly. Please advise if you would prefer us
to use an alternative means of contact.
Further help, if you have any questions or need help, please contact us at
[1][NDIA request email].
Kind regards,
Johnny
Freedom of InformationTeam
Governance, Risk & Legal - Complaints Management and FOI.
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E [2][NDIA request email]
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians 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 past, present
and emerging.
Dear Paul Carter
Thank you for your below request seeking access to documents from the
Agency’s Disclosure Log.
Please find attached the following documents:
· 23/24-1405 – Document – Disclosure Log.
Kind regards,
Johnny
Freedom of Information Team
Complaints Management and FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E [1][NDIA request email]
[2]NDIA logo
[3]LGBTIQA+ rainbow graphic
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians 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 past, present
and emerging.
Dear Johnny,
Point 2 of this request is not sufficiently resolved with the 3 documents you have provided from the disclosure log request FOI 23/24-1405.
FOI 23/24-1405 was finalised in August, 4 months prior to when I made my request and all of those documents will have been updated due to the legislation changes that came into effect on October 3rd 2024. I know this to be true for certain, as a recently updated version of FOI 23/24-1405 document 1 (Understand Disability Requirements) was provided only a week ago in FOI 24/25-0368.
You must continue with point 2 included as part of your ongoing search for documents and complete the full scope of my original request:
- A list of all possible selections or entries in the "assessed impairment” field of a participant or prospective participant’s file on PACE. And the corresponding disability/impairment category, type or other code/s those possible entries is assigned by the NDIA.
- All current articles or guidance for staff on how to add, change, or request to add/change a NDIS participant’s disability/impairment in their file.
Paul Carter
Dear foi,
I haven't received an acknowledgment to my email sent 19/12/24 stating that the full scope of the request must be continued as the disclosure log documents you've tried to provide don't sufficiently address the content of my original request.
Please reply and confirm that this has been understood.
Thank you.
Paul Carter
Thank you for your email to the National Disability Insurance Agency
(NDIA) Freedom of Information (FOI) team.
Please note: due to a high volume of requests, our ability to respond to
you in a timely manner may be affected. We will action your request as
soon as possible and will endeavour to process your matter within the
legislative deadlines. We may need to seek your agreement to an extension
of time. We appreciate your understanding if this is required.
Participant Information
Did you know the NDIA has other ways to access the documents and
information that we hold?
Participants, Guardians and Nominees can obtain copies of some participant
information through our National Contact Centre (NCC). For more
information about what’s available through the NCC, please contact 1800
800 110.
Please visit our [1]Access to Information webpage to find out more about
accessing information through:
* The [2]Participant Information Access (PIA) scheme
* The [3]Information Publication Scheme (IPS)
* The [4]myplace portal for participants
* The [5]myplace portal for providers
Access to Data
You can also request data and statistics. Please visit our [6]Data and
insights webpage page for further information.
If you are able to obtain your information from a source listed above, you
can withdraw your FOI request by emailing [7][NDIA request email]
Further Information
Information about how to make an FOI request can be found on our website:
[8]Freedom of Information
Should you have a query unrelated to FOI, please contact the Agency by
email at [9][email address] or via webchat at [10]ndis.gov.au.
Alternatively, you can also contact us by phoning 1800 800 110.
Kind regards
Freedom of Information Team
Complaints Management & FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E [11][NDIA request email]
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians 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 past, present
and emerging.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
2. https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
3. https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
4. https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/usi...
5. https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/workin...
6. https://data.ndis.gov.au/
7. mailto:[NDIA request email]
8. https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
9. mailto:[email address]
10. https://www.ndis.gov.au/
11. mailto:[NDIA request email]
Dear Paul Carter
Thank you for your request of Saturday, 4 January 2025, made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), for copies of documents held by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
We have registered a new request under: FOI 24/25-1058 for your reference.
Scope
"... - A list of all possible selections or entries in the "assessed impairment” field of a participant or prospective participant’s file on PACE. And the corresponding disability/impairment category, type or other code/s those possible entries is assigned by the NDIA.
- All current articles or guidance for staff on how to add, change, or request to add/change a NDIS participant’s disability/impairment in their file..."
Processing timeframes
A 30-day statutory period for processing your request commenced from Saturday, 4 January 2025, in accordance with section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act. You should, therefore, expect a decision from us by Monday, 3 February 2025.
This period may be extended if we need to consult with third parties or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.
Further help
Please contact us at [NDIA request email] if you have any questions or need help.
We will contact you using the email address you provided. Please advise if you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact.
Kind regards
FOI Registrations
Complaints Management and FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E: [NDIA request email]
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians 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 past, present and emerging.
Dear National Disability Insurance Agency,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews. I am writing to request an internal review of National Disability Insurance Agency's handling of my FOI request 'Impairment list and category/code'.
In response to the email sent 8/1/25, no I didn’t make any original request on 4/1/25. I made my request 3 months ago on 16/11/24.
On 18/12/24 foi team member Johnny responded saying “After careful assessment of your request. I concluded that Point 2 of your matter can be released under Disclosure log.” Point 1 was not mentioned at all in Johnny's email.
I let Johnny know on 19/12/24 that I wasn’t interested in receiving the disclosure log document, that I have never asked for that, that it doesn’t address point 2 of my request as purported by Johnny, and that I would still be awaiting an original decision for my foi request that I made in November.
On 4/1/25 I sent a follow up email asking that this issue is acknowledged and to confirm that my request was being handled appropriately. This email was not an original or new request and shouldn’t be treated as such.
My request shouldn’t have been assigned a new reference number FOI 24/25-1058 and dated 4/1/25. You’ve already acknowledged and assigned my original request made 16/11/24 with a number, as you asked for an extension of time on 26/11/24 that I declined. The request on 16/11/24 should never have been responded to and dismissed as a disclosure log request.
I need this issue remedied and I expect a prompt response to this email addressing the matter.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/i...
Paul Carter
Our Reference: FOI 24/25-0754
Dear Paul Carter,
We sincerely apologise for the delay in processing your request.
I am writing to give you a progress update on your request.
Progress update
Your request has now been allocated to an FOI Decision maker who is
progressing this request as a priority.
Review rights
As your request has not been processed within the statutory timeframe, it
is now considered a ‘[1]deemed access refusal.’ This means we are still
processing your request and are committed to providing you with our
decision. However, it also means that unfortunately you do not have
internal review rights at this stage. If you would like to seek a review
of our deemed access refusal decision, your next step is to seek external
review with the [2]Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
(OAIC). However, I would like to reassure you that I have prioritized your
request and I am striving to give you a decision as soon as practicable.
If you have any questions, please reach out. If there are any further
delays, I will keep you updated.
Kind Regards
Kate
A/Assistant Director – Freedom of Information
Non Personals Team
Complaints Management and FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E [3][email address]
[4][IMG]
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians 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 past, present
and emerging.
Dear Kate,
Thank you for giving me a progress update on this. The problem I'm having is that all of the information requests I've made to the NDIS are delayed and overdue. I have six requests and no decisions.
- Due 10/12/24 "Guidance for NDIA staff"
- Due 13/11/24 "Article labels"
- Due 13/11/24 "Internal note and activity templates"
- (This request) Due 16/12/24 "Impairment list and category/code"
- Due 23/12/24 "NDIA business units"
- Due 9/1/25 "Logging activities and notes to case/person"
I would be grateful if the other five requests were also updated in their respective email chains and allocated to a decision maker as a priority.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Carter