Get to know PACE in three minutes

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has been working on improving the way it delivers the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It’s spent time talking to participants, staff, NDIS partners, providers, and the disability community, and it’s come up with PACE.

In roughly three minutes’ time – after reading this article – you’ll be able to confidently say you’re across the basics of PACE.

Precious time is ticking, so let’s go!

What PACE isn’t

Sometimes, to understand what something is, it’s helpful to know what it isn’t.

PACE isn’t a new NDIS program, form, or rate of movement (at least in this instance).

The introduction of PACE isn’t going to change:

• the NDIS Act
• the fundamental structure of the NDIS
• NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission obligations

Now we’ve established what PACE isn’t, and what it isn’t going to change, let’s examine what it is.

What PACE is

PACE – which stands for Participant/Provider Alternative Cloud Environment – is the NDIA’s new customer relationship management system (CRM). Most big organisations use a CRM to record, analyse and store customer data, and to communicate with their customers.

PACE is:

• designed to make it easier for NDIA staff and partners to do their job, work the same way everywhere in Australia, and make consistent decisions
• intended to improve the participant and provider experience
• rolling out over an 18-month period, starting from the end of October 2023

What exactly does that mean for you? The answer to that is as unique as you are – and it depends on your role in the Scheme – but here are three key takeaways:

1. Changes to support types and categories

In PACE, Core Supports, Capital Supports, and Capacity Building Supports will be joined by a new support type – Recurring.

Six new support categories will also be added, and some existing support category names will be changed. We cover that here.

2. New ‘my NDIS’ portals for participants and providers

There are new ‘my NDIS’ participant and provider portals, which have been developed to work in with PACE.

For participants, ‘my NDIS’ is more accessible and user friendly. Participants can register for the portal in myGov once their new NDIS plan is approved in PACE – until then, they need to keep using the existing ‘myplace’ portal.

For providers, the new ‘my NDIS’ provider portal is different to the ‘myplace’ provider portal. Providers will only need to use the ‘my NDIS’ provider portal if they’re working with a participant who has an NDIS plan in PACE.

Support coordinators and psychosocial recovery coaches who aren’t registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission will need to create a Provider Digital Access (PRODA) account and register their details with the Agency to gain access to the ‘my NDIS’ provider portal.

Before providers can see participant information in the ‘my NDIS’ provider portal, participants will be asked for their consent.

3. No more service bookings

Service bookings are used to set aside funding for an NDIS registered provider to pay for a support or service they’ll deliver.

For participants who’ve transitioned to PACE, there will no longer be a requirement to create service bookings, because the NDIA will know which providers participants have chosen to work with (participant-endorsed providers).

Providers linked with existing service bookings will automatically become participant-endorsed providers once PACE is rolled out.

We still recommend putting in place service agreements for all supports.

What's next

To find out more about how you’ll be impacted by the PACE rollout, browse our PACE Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). We’ll continue to update these as we learn more from the NDIA.

Importantly – if you’re a participant – you don’t need to do anything about PACE. Your information will be rolled onto the system after you have a plan reassessment, a change of circumstances, or once your plan expires.

If you’re a provider or an intermediary, the NDIA encourages you to attend a PACE information session to learn exactly how your role functions within the new system.

PACE rollout – a timeline

• August 2022 – NDIA announces the design and build of PACE
• November 2022 – PACE testing begins in Tasmania
• October 2023 – Nationwide staggered rollout of PACE begins

National Disability Services (NDS), Australia’s peak body for disability services, has extra detail about the rollout of PACE. Access the details here if details are your thing.

We’re here to help

If you have any questions about PACE, we’re here to help. You can call us on 1800 507 050 from 8am-5.30pm (SA time), Monday to Friday, or email us at enquiries@myplanmanager.com.au. You can also read our PACE FAQs.