About the Australian Association of Social Workers
The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) is the national professional body representing more than 17,000 social workers throughout Australia. The AASW works to promote the profession of social work, including setting the benchmark for professional education and practice in social work, while also advocating on matters of human rights to advance social justice.
The social work profession in Australia is based on an abiding respect for all persons and the principles of social justice and professional integrity. The AASW’s vision is one of “Wellbeing and Social Justice for All”. To fulfil this vision, the AASW works toward a society in which all people can thrive, develop their potential, contribute to their community, and pursue lives of meaning and purpose. To create such a society, social workers strive to ensure that all people enjoy the fulfilment of all their rights under the International Bill of Rights.1
The AASW celebrates the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as the fulfilment of Australia’s human rights obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability to be the principal decision maker in their life. The AASW welcomes the NDIS’s efforts to uphold rights for participants to access services and supports that have enhanced foundations in safeguarding and integrity.
The AASW represents members who are NDIS participants, and many members who provide services under the NDIS. These members are providing services in the early childhood stream, co-ordination of supports, positive behaviour supports or psychosocial recovery items. Of these, a significant majority provide Complex Support Co-ordination to participants with complex support needs. The AASW has made multiple bspersonsubmissions to consultations and draft legislation concerning improvements to the NDIS, drawing on the experience and insights of members.
In response to the Inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on the integrity of the NDIS. The AASW supports:
- The need for the scheme to ensure only appropriately qualified and regulated allied health professionals deliver NDIS supports.
- The need to balance integrity with provider viability.
- The underlying purpose of registration is to ensure the safety and quality of services that participants receive.
- The registration process should avoid duplicating or undermining existing regulatory mechanisms.
1 United Nations General Assembly. (1948). Universal declaration of human rights (217 [III] A). https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
AASW submission: Integrity of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
- The cost of NDIS registration and its impact on viability of providers including social workers and should be a consideration. It is particularly important in areas where limited supports and services already exist, such as in regional, rural and remote areas.
Responses to the questions raised in the Terms of Reference
The concept of risk is important to determining registration type and level. We understand that there is often a link between the type of service and the level of risk it entails. Nevertheless, we believe that more work needs to be done to create a more nuanced understanding of the nature of risk. We draw a distinction between determining potential risk according to the type of service on the one hand, and the characteristics of the participant on the other. AASW members work with many participants who are at high risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation, and they report that isolation, communication difficulties and physical vulnerability all contribute to the risk that a participant will be neglected, harmed or exploited.
Gaps in Workforce Regulation. A significant proportion of the NDIS workforce remains unregulated. This creates inconsistencies in service quality and increases risks for participants.
Future registration requirements need to take into account the existing registration and verification processes that already apply to professionals who provide services in the NDIS. The AASW believes that this proposed registration process should avoid duplicating or counteracting these existing mechanisms. AASW membership means that they are already subject to a rigorous registration and compliance regime. To be a member of the AASW, it is necessary to have graduated from a Bachelor of Social Work, or entry-to-practice Master of Social Work degree that has been accredited by the AASW according to the AASW’s Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS).
On joining and renewing membership, members affirm their adherence to the AASW Code of Ethics; they agree to practice according to the AASW Practice Standards and undertake Continuing professional development. Importantly, membership also means being subject to the AASW’s internal compliance regime, which receives complaints about members and can remove a social worker’s eligibility. It is not compulsory for all social work graduates to be members of the AASW before they can gain employment as a social worker. Those professional social workers who do join are demonstrating their commitment to professional excellence, dedication to the best interests of their clients, and willingness to be held accountable for the quality of their practice.
Some AASW members have attained specialist, advanced accreditations as Accredited Mental Health Social Workers, or are holders of the AASW’s Advanced Practice Credential in Disability. Both these subgroups have undertaken extra post graduate qualifications and have specialist experience. In recognition of this, they undertake specialist, expert roles. For example: AMHSW’s are accredited by Medicare Australia to provide Focussed Psychological Strategies under the Better Access scheme. Many of the AASW members who provide specialist supports and co-ordination of supports are holders of the AASW’s Advanced Credential in Disability.
AASW believes that verification that a worker is a member of the AASW should automatically fill the requirements for the highest level of registration to provide services within the NDIS.
Balance integrity with provider viability - AASW’s position is that if registration is made mandatory, it must be implemented in a way that is genuinely proportionate and financially accessible. Failing to do so risks reducing or even eliminating the services social workers are able to provide. Practitioners consistently highlight that the existing registration system creates a considerable administrative load, on top of the professional regulatory obligations they already meet. The associated costs are also substantial, with many social workers finding them unaffordable. If not carefully designed, mandatory registration could unintentionally restrict participants’ access to vital social work services and supports.
Conclusion
The integrity of the NDIS is fundamental to its sustainability and its ability to deliver on its promise of choice and control for people with disability. Addressing non-compliance requires a balanced approach that combines strong enforcement with robust safeguards, professional standards, and participant support.
Social workers are essential to this effort. Their expertise in safeguarding, advocacy, and ethical practice provides a critical foundation for strengthening the NDIS and ensuring it operates in the best interests of participants.
AASW urges the Committee to recognise and embed the role of social workers within future reforms to enhance scheme integrity and protect the rights and wellbeing of NDIS participants.
AASW submission: Integrity of the National Disability Insurance Scheme