The NDIA will be rolling out the new PACE system, which will replace the current NDIS Customer Relationship Management. This new computer system is designed to be more user-friendly for NDIS providers (General Providers + Support Coordinators).

Testing PACE 

Tasmania was chosen by the NDIA to test PACE before it is introduced to the rest of the country. The state has been using the new system since the end of 2022. By 31 March 2023, 13,200 people in Tasmania are recorded to be benefiting from the NDIS. Out of this number, 8,657 have received support for the first time while 185 children accessed early connections and 278 participants entered in the last quarter.

Thanks to the providers from Tasmania, the NDIA was able to pinpoint what they could do for the national rollout of PACE. Transitioning to the new computer system they will deliver information sessions regularly as well as work with provider representative organisations directly. NDIS provider-specific resources for general providers, support coordinators, and plan managers will be provided, too.

Changes to Watch Out For

As PACE is developed for efficiency to further help providers offer high-quality services and more time to NDIS participants, there will be key change areas in the new system. Here are some of the changes:

• No more service bookings 

Creating a service booking will no longer be needed by participants, instead, there will be new system controls. There are also new budget categories that will support both NDIS participants and providers.

While some providers will be glad to see the back of the admin involved in doing service bookings when their software system fails to do so for them, there is a lot of concern about how providers will maintain some level of financial visibility and controls around cost. 

Service bookings provide providers with the ability to manage their service to a budget, and confidence that when they are scheduling service delivery and making cost commitments to support the participant that they will be able to claim for it. Without them, or any reasonable alternative, providers will need to ensure they have a system in place that will claim immediately after service delivery is completed and alerts and workflow processes to handle claims rejected due to lack of funds in the package. 

• Single claims removal

To help reduce transactional requirements by providers, claims will occur via bulk upload. This change will mean that providers MUST adopt a modern software that has an interface to support claiming via API and bulk claim processing. 

• Participant budgets

The current product catalogue has only 3 support types while PACE will have 4. There will be no changes for the support items however from 15 support categories PACE will increase it to 20 support categories.

This will mean that budgets will be more specific and granular, and building out quotes and contracts, for participants will mean a software system for NDIS quoting will be necessary for NDIS providers. 

• Additional support categories

The Core support type will add Home and Living while the Capital support type will include Assistive Technology, Maintenance, Repair, and Rental plus Specialised Disability Accommodations.

For Capacity Building, there will be Support Coordination and Psychosocial Recovery Coaches. A new support type will be introduced, Recurring, and under this is Recurring Transport.