Today, the Senate Community Affairs Committee has handed down its report into the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission legislation, and made a number of recommendations supporting the positions that have been put by ASU members.
ASU members appeared before the Committee hearing back in September, and told Senators that investment in workforce development and training is essential to ensuring a quality NDIS. They also told the Committee that it was completely unfair that the legislation did not include any protections for NDIS workers during an investigation into their conduct, and that they were worried that investigations could drag on for months or even years. They said all workers should be registered and screened, to ensure a baseline of quality assurance, while not impinging on people with disability’s right to choice and control.
In today’s report, Labor and Greens Senators have listened, and adopted ASU members’ positions, including these recommendations:
- The legislation should be amended so adequate training and support is provided to NDIS workers to meet their obligations under this new regulatory regime;
- The Government must address our concern that NDIS pricing does not allow for adequate training and development for NDIS workers;
- The Government must work with unions on issues around workforce development and training to proactively focus on the quality of supports and the skills of the workforce;
- The legislation must be amended to ensure that workers are afforded procedural fairness during any investigation undertaken by the Quality and Safeguards Commission; and
- Any investigations need to be concluded as expeditiously as possible, so the matters can be resolved in a timely way.
This is a big win for ASU members.
We now need to convince the Government to adopt these amendments, to make sure the NDIS is the best it can be. We will continue to work with MPs and other stakeholders to get the best outcome possible for ASU members in this legislation.
Click here to access the full Senate Inquiry report.
You can read the ASU's original submission here.
If you work in disability and are not already an ASU member, now is the time to join: www.asu.asn.au/asujoin