Self-Management Advisory Group meeting summary August 2025

The Self-Management Advisory Group (SMAG) met for the fifth time on 12 August 2025.

The meeting was held online.

Focus of the meeting

The focus of the meeting was:

  • Data dashboard
  • Mobile App update
  • Navigators
  • Short Term Respite. 

Policy data dashboard 

The NDIA presented an overview of committed supports and payments for participants who self-manage. 

  • The NDIA confirmed that if a self-managed participant has supports in their plan that must be agency managed, such as Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), then the plan is recorded as being partly self-managed. Members suggested support categories that must be Agency managed, be excluded to evidence a more comprehensive data snapshot around self-management.
  • The Group agreed to further consider what members would like to see, and the NDIA would return with specific data sets requested by members to examine at a future meeting.

Mobile App Update

The NDIA lead a discussion on how the budget is presented in the app and informed the Group about updates to navigation in the myNDIS Mobile App. 

Members provided the following feedback to the NDIA: 

  • Suggestions of exploring features that display:
    • A breakdown of expenditure
    • How many days there are left in the funding period
    • An average weekly spend.
  • Recommendations to include an announcement space in the app to provide general announcements to self-managers.
  • Improving accessibility for participants with complex communication needs. 

Navigators

The NDIA led an update on the early thinking on the Navigators role.

Members provided the following feedback to the NDIA:

  • The need for Navigators to be well versed in supported decision making and self-management to best support self-managers in their contribution and participation in community.  
  • The importance of training for Navigators including, in ways to promote the benefits of self-management options, self-efficiency and independence.
  • The need for Navigators to support participants to not only have more choice and control, but a whole range of options.

Short Term Respite

The NDIA led a discussion on the recent changes to the Short-Term Respite policy. The NDIA discussed the key aspects and the intent of Short-Term Respite.

The language around this policy has changed from ‘Short Term Accommodation’ to ‘Short Term Respite.’ 

Members provided the following feedback to the NDIA:

  • Short Term Respite can provide participants with opportunities for capacity building supports, including preparing to live more independently.  

SMAG next meeting 

The SMAG’s next meeting will be 18 September 2025.