‘I've probably risk assessed this myself’: Choice, control and participant co-regulation in a disability individualised funding scheme

Abstract

Co-production is an intrinsic component of disability individualised funding schemes such as Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). In this paper, we argue that an under-explored facet of co-production is the role that users of these services play in co-regulation. We draw on data collected in a qualitative study exploring participants' use of providers who are not registered with the NDIS regulator, the Quality and Safeguards Commission. Employing Steiner et al.'s (2023) 5Ws framework, we focus particularly on the dimensions of what, why and where to understand the conditions underpinning client co-regulation of quality and safety in the NDIS. We also explore the various types of activities participants engage in to co-produce their NDIS services, highlighting activities designed to improve the quality and safety of services delivered by unregistered providers.