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Report on Government Services 2018

Part F, Chapter 15

Services for people with disability

This chapter reports on the Australian, State and Territory governments’ assistance provided to people with disability and their carers.

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  • Key Facts
  • Indicator Framework
  • Indicator Results
  • Indigenous Data

Performance reporting currently focuses on assistance provided by governments through specialist disability services under the National Disability Agreement (NDA) as well as the broad social and economic outcomes of people with disability. Performance information on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will be developed for future reports.

In 2016-17, total government expenditure on specialist disability services provided under the NDA was $7.8 billion — a real decrease of 9.7 per cent from 2015-16. There was $3.2 billion support committed to the NDIS for 2016-17. As the NDIS is progressively implemented to replace services under the NDA, funding for the NDIS will increase.

Nationally in 2015-16 (2016-17 data were not available for this Report), the number of people with disability using NDA specialist disability services as a proportion of the estimated potential population was:

  • Community support, 22.0 per cent (131 850 users)
  • Respite, 13.9 per cent (34 948 users)
  • Open employment, 8.8 per cent of people who had an employment restriction (124 786 users)
  • Community access, 7.7 per cent (46 099 users)
  • Supported employment, 6.4 per cent (19 226 users)
  • Accommodation support, 5.5 per cent (32 750 users).

In 2015-16, 3519 people who used disability support services under the NDA were identified as transitioning to the NDIS. As at 30 June 2016, there were 15 041 NDIS participants who were existing State/Territory service users (that is, had transferred at some time from NDA services).

The Australian, State and Territory governments aim to ensure that people with disability and their carers have an enhanced quality of life, enjoy choice and wellbeing, achieve independence, social and economic participation, and full inclusion in the community.

The performance indicator framework provides information on equity, efficiency and effectiveness, and distinguishes the outputs and outcomes of government funded services for people with disability. The performance indicator framework shows which data are complete and comparable in the 2018 Report.

Indicator framework

An overview of the Services for people with disability performance indicator results are presented. Information to assist the interpretation of these data can be found in the indicator interpretation boxes in the Services for people with disability chapter and attachment tables.

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Equity — Access indicators

Service use by special needs groups

Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians using accommodation support services per 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander potential population, 2015-16

Most recent data for this measure are not complete, but are comparable, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
Rate 38.2 21.4 37.1 62.5 83.7 31.2 na 95.3 44.9
Source: Attachment table 15A.28

Effectiveness — Access indicators

Access to specialist disability services

Proportion of potential population using National Disability Agreement (NDA) accommodation support services, 2015-16

Most recent data for this measure are not complete, but are comparable, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
% 5.0 4.4 5.2 6.6 10.8 8.1 na 5.1 5.5
Source: Attachment table 15A.46

Younger people with disability in residential aged care

Rate of younger people admitted to permanent residential aged care per 10 000 potential population, 2016-17

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
Rate 34.9 37.4 30.8 22.8 35.0 51.0 11.7 2.3 32.8
Source: Attachment table 15A.53

Effectiveness — Quality indicators

Client and carer satisfaction

Proportion of people with disability/primary carers who are satisfied with the quality of assistance received, 2015 (per cent)

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
People with disability 75.6 ± 4.6 78.9 ± 4.3 83.3 ± 6.2 80.2 ± 17.8 82.1 ± 14.0 80.7 ± 3.7 85.4 ± 5.6 65.6 ± 24.7 78.7 ± 3.1
Primary carers 74.8 ± 10.6 72.1 ± 10.5 80.4 ± 6.0 69.5 ± 9.2 79.1 ± 17.3 70.9 ± 15.7 50.9 ± 23.4 46.5 ± 28.8* 73.4 ± 3.8
Source: Attachment tables 15A.57–58

Efficiency — Cost per output unit indicators

Government contribution per user of non-government provided services

Government funding per user of non‑government provided accommodation support services in group homes, 2015-16

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable or complete
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
$ 164 282 97 913 149 498 173 291 133 517 167 016 na 245 433 145 796
Source: Attachment table 15A.67

Cost per user of State and Territory administered services

Total estimated expenditure per service user, State and Territory government administered programs, 2015-16

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable or complete
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
$ 43 174 28 504 47 352 47 573 37 878 31 065 na 35 513 38 600
Source: Attachment table 15A.71

Outcome indicators

Labour force participation and employment of people with disability

Labour force participation rate of people with disability aged 15–64 years, 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
% 51.2 ± 2.8 53.1 ± 3.8 54.2 ± 2.6 57.8 ± 4.3 52.6 ± 3.9 54.3 ± 3.2 60.1 ± 5.6 67.1 ± 8.7 53.4 ± 1.5
Source: Attachment table 15A.73

Labour force participation of primary carers of people with disability

Labour force participation rate for primary carers aged 15–64 years, 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
% 53.2 ± 6.5 53.8 ± 8.7 55.7 ± 5.8 63.4 ± 10.5 57.6 ± 9.6 64.0 ± 10.5 75.6 ± 14.5 66.2 ± 20.6 57.0 ± 3.7
Source: Attachment table 15A.81

Social participation of people with disability

People with disability aged 15–64 years who have had face to face contact with family or friends in the previous week, 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
% 71.8 ± 3.4 73.1 ± 3.1 66.9 ± 1.5 73.1 ± 3.6 72.5 ± 3.7 77.5 ± 3.0 69.2 ± 5.7 59.8 ± 8.3 71.4 ± 1.2
Source: Attachment table 15A.89

Carer health and wellbeing

Proportion of primary carers of people with disability who feel satisfied with their caring role, 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
% 25.1 ± 7.4 21.7 ± 6.3 23.1 ± 6.2 14.6 ± 9.9* 22.3 ± 8.7 32.4 ± 10.1 17.8 ± 15.5* np 22.9 ± 3.2
Source: Attachment table 15A.21

Notes

These data and caveats for these data are available in chapter 15 and attachment 15A.

Some percentages reported in these tables include 95 per cent confidence intervals (for example, 80 per cent ± 2.7 per cent).

* Indicates the estimate or proportion has a relative standard error between 25 per cent and 50 per cent and should therefore be used with caution.

na Not available. np Not published.

Performance indicator data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this chapter are available in the attachment tables listed below. Contextual data and further supporting information can be found in the chapter.

Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability data
Table number Table title
Table 15A.28 Users of NDA accommodation support services, by Indigenous status
Table 15A.29 Users of NDA community support services, by Indigenous status
Table 15A.30 Users of NDA community access services, by Indigenous status
Table 15A.31 Users of NDA respite services, by Indigenous status
Table 15A.32 Users of NDA employment services (aged 15–64 years), by Indigenous status
Table 15A.33 Indigenous users of NDA open employment services/Employment Support Services aged 15-64 years, by age
Table 15A.34 Indigenous users of NDA Disability Management Services aged 15-64 years, by age
Table 15A.35 Indigenous users of NDA supported employment services/ Australian Disability Enterprises aged 15-64 years, by age
Table 15A.41 Indigenous users of State/Territory delivered NDA services aged 0-64 years
Table 15A.53 Rate of younger people admitted to permanent residential aged care per 10 000 potential population, by Indigenous status, by age
Table 15A.55 Younger people who separated from permanent residential aged care to return to home/family, by Indigenous status, by age
Table 15A.56 Younger people receiving permanent residential aged care, by Indigenous status, by age