Day One | Tuesday 14 October
Registration
8:30
Chairperson's Opening Address
9:45
David Moody, Head of Strategic Relationships, Management Governance Australia Group
NAVIGATING SECTOR CHANGE: POLICY, FUNDING & SAFEGUARDING
Panel: Navigating regulatory ambiguity and its impact on service delivery
10:00
Ongoing reforms (i.e. changes to eligibility, (especially with young children), fraud prevention, and pricing) are contributing to regulatory uncertainty, creating stress for both providers and participants. What are the implications of this ambiguity for long-term planning, and service continuity?
Engagement is focused on seeking input rather than providing guidance – how can frontline providers effectively navigate the transition and maintain confidence in service delivery?
How can providers adopt strategic foresight and scenario planning to shape resilient, future-ready services in a rapidly evolving policy landscape?
Moderator: Natasha Fyles, Chief Executive Officer, Somerville
Karim Amin, Chief Strategy Officer, United for Care
Donna Lockyer Clark, Chief Safeguarding & Quality Governance Officer, Life Without Barriers
Nicola Ballenden, Executive Director Research, Advocacy & Policy Development, Mind Australia
Jess Harper, Chief Executive Officer, Disability Intermediaries Australia
Morning tea & coffee
10:45
Government keynote: Evaluating projected expenditures, government efforts & reform initiatives
11:15
With NDIS expenditures expected to significantly increase in the coming years, how can the government ensure the scheme remains financially sustainable while continuing to deliver quality services to participants?
Reforms focus on stricter eligibility, tighter fraud prevention, and reducing over-servicing. How effective will these reforms be in ensuring financial sustainability for providers without compromising service delivery to participants?
Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Minister for the NDIS, Parliament of Australia
Care First. Business Second. Finding the Balance in 2025
11:30
Mathew Cagney, Chief Executive Officer, ShiftCare
** Attendees can move between the sessions listed under the two streams**
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY & STRATEGIC INVESTMENT
11:50
Panel: The role of providers in mitigating financial risks
Government funding volatility, driven by stricter eligibility and anti-fraud reforms, can impact provider revenue and planning. How can providers adapt operations and staffing models to stay resilient amid policy shifts and funding uncertainty?
Rising compliance costs under the 2025 NDIS Code of Conduct require investment in systems, training, and audits. What strategies can providers use to balance compliance with cost management and service quality?
Moderator: David Moody, Head of Strategic Relationships, Management Governance Australia Group
Mark Straney, Chief Financial Officer and Director, Bridges Alliance
Jess Harper, Chief Executive Officer, Disability Intermediaries Australia
Michael Churchman, Chief Financial Officer, Unisson Disability
Mathew Cagney, Chief Executive Officer, ShiftCare
RISK & ETHICS IN SERVICE DELIVERY
Panel: Managing risk in a dual provider market - registered vs. unregistered
11:50
By end of 2024, only 8.2% of NDIS providers were registered, raising concerns about quality, safety, and accountability. What role should regulation and market oversight play in managing these risks and ensuring consistent, high-quality care?
Discuss the implications on participants using registers and unregisters providers, and how policy reforms can ensure safeguards without restricting access or choice
Moderator: Josie Kitch, General Manager, Avina
Catherine McAlpine, Chief Executive Officer, Inclusion Australia
Linda Hunt, General Manager Safeguarding & Assurance, Sunnyfield Disability Services
BUILDING FINANCIAL RESILIENCE IN A COMPLEX NDIS LANDSCAPE
Lunch
12:40
Managing conflicts of interests in individualized housing (SDA) and support services (SIL)
1:40
How can providers manage potential conflicts of interest when delivering both housing and support services, while still promoting genuine choice and control for participants?
As the sector moves away from legacy group homes, what does high-quality, individualized supported living look like?
David Clarke, Chief Executive Officer, InLife Independent Living
Breaking the price cap trap
2:10
As operational costs (i.e. wages and administration) continue to rise, NDIS price caps limit providers' ability to adjust pricing accordingly. How can providers maintain service sustainability under NDIS price caps that limit their ability to adjust pricing accordingly?
What strategies can providers adopt to remain financially viable if price caps fail to keep pace with inflation, and how can they prepare for long-term financial resilience?
Peter Barney, Executive Officer, Valued Lives Foundation
Diversified funding models for financial sustainability
2:40
With rising NDIS expenditures projected by 2028–29, the need for innovative and diversified income streams is more pressing than ever. How can providers future-proof their financial models while maintaining service quality?
Gain insight into Selectability’s successful revenue diversification beyond the NDIS into areas such as Child Safety and Aged Care
Debra Burden, Chief Executive Officer, Selectability
Afternoon tea
3:15
Keynote – Lived Experience Q&A
3:45
In this engaging conversation, Catherine McAlpine, CEO of Inclusion Australia, speaks with Luke Nelson about his experience with work, meaningful waged employment, and the impact it has had on his life.
Catherine McAlpine, Chief Executive Officer, Inclusion Australia
Luke Nelson, Lived Experience
DRIVING INNOVATION TO ENHANCE OUTCOMES & RISK MANAGEMENT
Leveraging innovation & technology to transform NDIS service delivery
4:15
How can affordable AI tools and accessible digital systems support smarter decision-making in areas like medication management, incident reporting, and predictive risk mitigation?
Get insights on how cost-effective technology solutions can reduce administrative burden, improve service efficiency, and enhance participant outcomes while balancing privacy, ethics, and workforce capability
Kerryn Eastwood, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Nextt
Chairperson’s closing remarks
4:45
Networking drinks
4:55
Day Two | Wednesday 15 October
Registration
8:20
Chairperson's Opening Address
8:50
BUILDING A FUTURE-READY DISABILITY WORKFORCE: TALENT ATTRACTION & NEW PATHWAYS
Winning talent for the sector: Competing for skills & engaging the next generations
9:00
As aged care workers receive additional salary increases while the disability sector’s funding remains stagnant, how can the disability sector become more attractive to the new workforce?
How can disability providers expand the talent pool to younger generations through TAFEs and youth programmes to position the sector as a first-choice career option
Simon Wright, Chief Executive Officer, Multicap
Government keynote: Safeguarding participants and supporting providers
9:30
Gain a clear understanding of the Commission’s vision for the NDIS market, its regulatory priorities and upcoming reforms.
Explore how the NDIS Commission will work with providers to promote safe and quality services
Louise Glanville, NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner, NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Panel: Balancing workforce quality and accessibility in disability support
10:00
How can we address the current reality where anyone can become a disability support worker without formal skills or training — and what systems are needed to lift quality and safety without shrinking the workforce?
How can we balance the need for a more skilled and regulated workforce with the risk of narrowing access to support, especially in regional areas and informal care roles (i.e. family members)?
Moderator: Kate Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Civic Disability Services
Di Geddes, Registered Nurse, Director, Exceptional Care for You
Ben Fioramonte, General Manager - Children, Families and Disability Supports, SSI
Helen Emmerson, Chief People Officer, Unisson Disability
Morning tea & coffee
10:40
** Attendees can move between the sessions listed under the two streams **
SMART TECHNOLOGY: TRANSFORMING CARE DELIVERY
11:00
Cost-effective tech solutions: Making smart technologies work for every provider
How can disability service providers harness affordable and accessible technologies to improve service delivery without straining budgets?
Explore practical examples of low-cost AI tools, digital systems, and assistive technologies that support independence, streamline operations, and enhance participant outcomes
Libby Callaway, Associate Professor, RAIL Research Centre
11:15
Leveraging technology to simplify NDIS compliance
How can we move from simply reaching compliance to improvement and behavioural change?
Learn from best example on how technology can assist with streamlining processes and reduce administration burden
Toni Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, Focus Individualized Support Services
11:30
The future of technology and predictive analytics in the NDIS
How can emerging technologies - such as AI-driven predictive analytics and next-generation assistive devices - reshape service delivery, risk mitigation, and participant outcomes?
Discuss practical strategies for adopting innovative technologies affordably, balancing technological advancement with participant rights, inclusivity, and workforce readiness
Dr Sam Donegan, Co-founder, Support Sorted
11:45
Panel: Tech that transforms: Practical innovation for quality, compliance & impact
How can providers of all sizes harness emerging technologies to simplify compliance, improve service quality, and create meaningful outcomes for participants — without compromising values or budgets?
Hear real-world insights from sector leaders on what’s working, what to avoid, and how to lead your organization through digital change with confidence and purpose
Moderator: Joshua Baker, Managing Director, MGA Group
Libby Callaway, Associate Professor, RAIL Research Centre
Toni Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, Focus Individualized Support Services
Dr Sam Donegan, Co-founder, Support Sorted
QUALITY, SAFETY & GOVERNANCE IN A DIVERSE PROVIDER LANDSCAPE
Raising the bar: Embedding continuous quality improvement in NDIS services
11:00
How can providers move beyond compliance to build a culture of continuous improvement? Explore frameworks like ISO, CQI and participant feedback loops to ensure continuous improvement
With participant expectations evolving and reforms reshaping the sector, what tools and data can organisations use to monitor, evaluate, and enhance care outcomes over time?
Melissa Dunn, Chief Quality and Practice Officer, Gen U
Panel: Cost-effective quality & safety strategies: Governance that works for every provider
11:30
How can providers – especially small to mid-sized organisations – maintain high standards of quality and safety without overextending budgets?
Explore practical, cost-effective strategies in clinical governance, risk management, and safeguarding (e.g. abuse/neglect prevention) that support safer, high-quality outcomes across diverse service settings
Moderator: David Moody, Head of Strategic Relationships, Management Governance Australia Group
Amelia Rowell, Group General Manager Practice Governance and Quality, CPL
Tim Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Enhanced Lifestyles
Jared Chapman, Chief Executive Officer, What Ability
CULTURAL SAFETY AN REPRESENTATION IN DISABILITY SUPPORT
12:10
Panel: Supporting First Nations People with disability: building trust and culturally safe services
Many First Nations people with disability still face deep-rooted barriers to support, especially in remote areas. With trust fractured by the legacy of the Stolen Generations, how can we create services that are truly safe, inclusive, and culturally grounded?
How can providers and policymakers co-design care models that reflect cultural values, improve service delivery, and ensure Indigenous representation across the disability workforce?
Moderator: Anna Jovanovic, Operational Manager, Mibayn Disability Services
Jake Briggs, Managing Director, Culture Connex
Tenille Lamb, Director of Strategy, First People Disability Network
Kelly Mundine, Chief Executive Officer, Mibayn Disability Services
12:50
Lunch
PARTICIPANT-CENTRED SERVICE DESIGN
1:50
Panel: Building participant self-advocacy & decision-making capacity
How can providers and support workers build participant capacity to exercise choice and control, especially for those with cognitive or communication challenges?
Delve into supported decision-making, advocacy training, and tools to elevate participant voices within care planning and organisational feedback loops
Moderator: Anneke Jurgens, General Manager Practice, Quality and Safeguards, Melba
Julie Fisher, Disability advocate
Carolyn Campbell-McLean, Senior Support Specialist, Muscular Dystrophy NSW
Dariane McLean, Advisory Specialist, Inclusion Australia
2:30
Designing personalised care pathways: From planning to outcomes
How can providers co-design services with participants that are tailored, culturally appropriate, and focused on long-term goals such as independence, community participation, and employment?
Examine tools and models that promote active engagement in goal setting and how they align with evolving NDIS planning processes
Yasser Zaki, Global Chief Executive Officer, Tender Loving Care
STRENGHTENING WORKOFRCE RETENTION AND INCLUSION
3:00
Panel: Incorporating people with disabilities into the workforce
Instead of focusing only on how the workforce can support people with disabilities, how can we create an inclusive environment that provides them with opportunities for employment?
Expand workforce opportunities for people with disabilities who are interested in the sector, ensuring that patience and meaningful support are integral to creating long-lasting employment outcomes
Moderator: Corinne Butler, Chief People Officer, Aruma
Lylea McMahon, Chief Operating Officer, Aruma
Angela Johnston, Chief People Officer, Achieve Australia