Resources

Our regulatory approach

‘Our Regulatory Approach’ explains the high-level principles that guide the work of the Commission to meet their vision for people with disability to be able to choose services that best meet their needs and supports their quality of life free from abuse and neglect.  It describes who the Commission is, how they do their work and what to expect from them. It also sets out the work they undertake, how they make decisions and the types of action they can take.

Overstretched NDIS regulator in crisis

As the NDIS regulator pushes to meet targets, its staff say they are pressuring disabled people to drop complaints and are missing serious abuse and neglect.

NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework issues paper

Closing date: May 29, 2023

The Framework says what governments will do to keep NDIS participants safe and make sure the services they receive are good quality.  The Framework was put in place in 2016.  The Issues Paper discusses whether it is still useful, what it should do and how to make the Framework easier to understand. You are invited to share your ideas about ways for governments to work better together, strategies to work towards improving safety and quality to keep people safe and what rules should apply to providers and workers.

Own Motion Inquiry into aspects of supported accommodation report

This first Inquiry focused on the experiences of NDIS participants living in supported accommodation. The Inquiry examined reportable incidents and complaints that have been made to the NDIS Commission in connection with the supported accommodation services provided by 7 of the largest providers of these services over the period 1 July 2018 to 30 September 2022. The inquiry report describes trends in issues that are occurring in supported accommodation, what is causing those issues, models of best practice to eliminate or address these issues, and how the NDIS Commission can use its powers to support the delivery of higher standards of support in these settings.

Complaint mechanisms: Reporting pathways for violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation

The report found that a lot of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation experienced by people with disability is related to being segregated or institutionalised, discrimination and negative attitudes. It said that complaint mechanisms are not equipped to make systemic changes which are needed to prevent and address violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Senior Practitioner Annual Report 2020-21

This report measures the use of restrictive practices and compulsory treatment reported by disability services. In 2020-21 environmental restraint was reported for the first time. This is the second report to reflect substantive transition to the NDIS and reporting on the new function of authorisation.

Victorian Disability Worker Commission Complaints Resources

Have you got concerns about a disability worker’s behaviour or quality of work? The Victorian Disability Worker Commission aims to protect the rights of people with disability and support the safety and quality of disability services available to them. Organisations are encouraged to repurposed the content from this information pack for sharing in newsletters and social media, or supplemented with your own messaging in any way to meet your organisational needs.

TelePBS: Delivering Positive Behaviour Support via telepractice

TelePBS is the delivery of positive behaviour support via telepractice. Telepractice is the delivery of services at a distance. Services can be delivered by face to face videoconferencing, audio videoconferencing, chat box videoconferencing, telephone, text messaging, emailing or a combination of these. TelePBS is a way to provide timely, quality, low-cost behaviour support services.  It … Continued

Royal Commission explores Quality and Safeguards

Safeguards and quality services are key areas of inquiry for the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation (Royal Commission). Whilst the full report is not due to be handed down until September 2023, there are plenty of updates, reports, and transcripts published on the Royal Commission’s website that provide insight into the critical issues in focus.

Police responses to people with disability

The report finds that often, police responses to people with disability – whether they are witnesses, victims or alleged offenders – are not adequate. This is because policing is the ‘default’ response to people with disability who experience disadvantage, like homelessness, poverty or violence, while there is less and less funding for other social and human services. The recommendations promote community based, culturally safe and trauma informed programs that divert people away from the criminal justice system if they into trouble, like the Cognitive Impairment Diversion Program

Domestic violence services need training in disability access, say advocates

About 47% of adults with disability have experienced violence, yet the lack of accessible and inclusive services makes escaping violence extremely difficult for women with disability. Researcher within the Disability Health Unit, at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Jen Hargrave, says this problem is unfortunately common for people with disability. 

What has changed since the tragic death of Ann Marie Smith?

Ms Smith’s death sparked numerous investigations and reviews, including by police, the state government and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. The NDIS Commission’s independent investigation led to 10 recommendations, including that vulnerable NDIS participants should have multiple carers.

Statement on mandating vaccination among residential disability support workers

Many people with disability have a higher risk of developing severe illnesses from COVID-19. Ensuring high vaccination rates among residential disability workers will help protect people with disability.  In light of this, AHHPC recommends National Cabinet strongly encourage all disability support workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect their own health and the health of the people for whom they are caring

Securing Their Future: Planning for the future when you care for a person with disability

This guide has been created to help you put in place some safeguards to ensure the person with disability you care for is properly provided for, if something were to happen to you. It outlines actions carers can take now to ensure safeguards are in place, should the time come when they are no longer able to care for the person with disability.