genU will transfer its Support Coordination services in early 2025 to OnSide, a specialist Support Coordination organisation.
genU CEO Clare Amies said the decision was a proactive move to transfer genU support coordination services to a registered, independent and dedicated provider of support coordination (care navigation) services, to align with the upcoming sector changes.
Ms Amies said genU was strategically identifying how to prepare for the future, with the impending significant changes within the disability sector following the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review.
This includes the Federal Government’s clear intention to phase out Support Coordinators and introduce an independent navigator model to support navigation of health care for people with disability.
The aim is to separate Support Coordination services from organisations providing other NDIS services to avoid risk of conflict of interest and ensure the best support for participants, which would result in genU not being eligible to provide support coordination services at some stage in the future.
“genU has chosen to proactively transfer its support coordination services now, to ensure participants and employees can move to a quality provider, with a smooth and seamless transfer, ensuring continuity of support for participants and ongoing employment for staff long term,” Ms Amies said.
“This was a decision we have taken very seriously – we have conducted comprehensive due diligence, as has OnSide, to ensure this is the best fit for everyone.
“This gives genU confidence OnSide has a strong future in the delivery of support coordination and navigator services.
“genU is not alone in moving away from Support Coordination, with other large organisations that provide multiple NDIS services taking similar action.”
Ms Amies said all genU support coordinators and current participants using genU’s support coordination services could choose to transfer their employment and support coordination services to OnSide.
All other genU disability services and supports will continue as usual.
“We will work closely with our participants through this process to ensure they understand this change and their options and are comfortable in their preferred choice of support coordination services provider,” Ms Amies said.
Factors in genU’s decision to choose to transfer support coordination services to OnSide include alignment in values between the two organisations, the demonstrated expertise and positive reputation of OnSide, and the ability to transition employees and participants without OnSide’s level of service diminishing.
“In the past 12 months, OnSide has partnered with seven other organisations and facilitated the successful transition of participants,” she said.
genU’s final day of support coordination services will be Friday 17 January 2025.