Raphael
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Raphael is in his 40s and lives with an acquired brain injury, anxiety, depression and a spinal injury.
‘I was initially trained as a disability support worker. Which is a bit of an interesting perspective, being a professional and a client,’ Raphael told the Royal Commission. ‘What I like to do is help people.’
Raphael said the low standard of care in the disability sector reflects the low level of qualifications needed to work in the sector.
‘I mean, the fact that you can get a [certificate], which is ridiculously easy, then go into the sector with, you know, just a drivers licence and a blue card. I have seen that people … treat the work as easy money.’
Raphael said his original service provider tried to discourage him from obtaining a drivers licence and become more independent.
‘I originally had a very generous budget with the NDIS. You could see the dollar symbols dancing in their eyes … They were pretty much in panic mode when I was going to get my drivers licence. They actually tried to physically stop me from getting my drivers licence. It was unbelievable.’
Raphael overheard a team leader refer to him as a ‘cash cow’.
‘I have actually heard a site manager use that term, “This is one of our cash cow clients.” I was just gobsmacked by that.’
Raphael said the service provider would coach clients about what to tell the NDIS to get larger packages.
‘What to say, what to exaggerate, to try to get the most funding for your budget. Obviously, they had an invested interest in you having a bigger budget.’
Despite his service provider trying to stop him, Raphael passed his driving test. When he realised he didn’t need ‘half of [his] funding for community access’, he asked the NDIS to reduce his funding.
‘I got the feeling that someone asking for less [was] a bit of a breath of fresh air.’
Raphael now manages his own funding package, but said providers still see him as a ‘cash cow’.
For example, when Raphael needed physiotherapy for his back injury, he asked a physiotherapist the price for an initial consultation. He didn’t mention he was funded by the NDIS.
‘I think it was $80 or something like that.’
When his wife later called the same physiotherapist and told them it was for someone on the NDIS, the price doubled.
‘That was pretty unnerving. I was having to conceal that I had NDIS funding for fear of being grossly overcharged.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.