•
GPO Box 1947 T 02 6285 1366• ~ Catholic Social Canberra ACT 2601 admin@cssa.org.au
Level 2 Favier House www.cssa.org.au Services Australia
51 Cooyong St Braddon ACT 2612 ABN 18 810 059 716 •
13 May 2020
Ms B Allan
Secretary
Joint Standing Committee on the National
Disability Insurance Scheme
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Ms Allan
Please find attached our submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Inquiry into the NDIS workforce.
Sincerely,
Dr Ursula Stephens
Chief Executive Officer
Catholic Social Services Australia
2
~ Catholic Social
- Services Australia Submission to the NDIS Workforce Inquiry of the
Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability
Insurance Scheme
May 2020
3
Contents
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………..4
Recommendations from this submission …………………………………………………………5
The National Disability Insurance Scheme ……………………………………………………….5
Workforce issues now ……………………………………………………………………………………6
Workforce in light of COVID-19 ……………………………………………………………………….7
COVID-19 economic measures ……………………………………………………………………..8
Access to Personal Protective Equipment …………………………………………………….9
Scenarios for the NDIS workforce post-pandemic …………………………………………….9
A return to Pre COVID-19 conditions …………………………………………………………….9
1.1 National Workforce Plan ………………………………………………………………………. 10
1.2 Disability Employment Pathways ………………………………………………………….. 11
Disruption to the NDIS Post COVID 19 ………………………………………………………… 13
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14
References ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15
4
Introduction
Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National
Disability Insurance Scheme’s Inquiry into the NDIS Workforce. We acknowledge the significance and
timeliness of this inquiry, as the NDIS workforce is set to face increasing demand and challenges. In light
of the developing COVID-19 pandemic, the scope of our submission has changed significantly. Thus, we
will highlight both current issues within the NDIS workforce, and emerging issues induced by the
coronavirus crisis, before making recommendations based on potential scenarios post-pandemic.
Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA) is the Catholic Church’s national body for social services. Our
organisation envisages a fairer, more inclusive Australian society that reflects and supports the dignity,
equality and participation of all people. CSSA works alongside an extensive national network of social
services providers to challenge, advocate and campaign for the development of just and compassionate
social and economic policies that will improve the lives people who are poor and vulnerable in Australia.
The membership network of CSSA is made up of around 50 Catholic social welfare organisations across
the country with more than half of our members delivering services to people with a disability. This
submission reflects our member agencies’ experiences with the NDIS, and their concerns with the
workforce problems associated with meeting the growing demands of the scheme.
The social service ministry, and by extension, the NDIS, is integral to the mission of the Catholic Church
in Australia. The Catholic Church, alongside other Christian Churches, have played an integral role in the
development of social services policies in Australia. Furthermore, Catholic social teachings outline the
importance of human dignity and the worth of each person. They also teach the importance of values such
as subsidiarity, where decision making and responsibility should be as close as possible to those most
affected by the decision, and solidarity, in which we recognise and celebrate the diversity of the human
family and responsibility for one another. These teachings closely align with the fundamental aims of the
NDIS and are integral to its workforce.
While committed to ensuring the success of the NDIS, CSSA and its members are very concerned about
the ability of the workforce to cope with the rapidly increasing demand for its services. The NDIS workforce
will need to employ a further 90,000 staff to meet the demands of the expected 480,000 participants when
the scheme is fully implemented (DSS 2019, 1). Furthermore, CSSA is very concerned about the impact
of COVID-19 on the NDIS workforce. It remains to be seen what impact COVID-19 will have on the NDIS
5
workforce, but it is likely that there will need to be some changes post-pandemic to ensure that the scheme
fulfils its purpose of supporting all participants.
Recommendations from this submission
CSSA recommends that a number of steps be taken to address the issues prevalent within
the NDIS workforce and the increasing demand for its services. These include: Prioritising the development of a national workforce plan that includes an awareness
raising campaign to attract and retain workers; Providing the opportunity to enhance skills development within the workforce; Re-examining the NDIS fee structure; and Supporting pathways to meaningful employment for willing NDIS participants.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme
The NDIS is one of Australia’s most significant public policy initiatives. It was established in 2013 on the
basis of providing choice and control for people with a disability to access the support they need, when
and where they need it. The scheme allows participants to access funding for any support needs related
to their disability and to enable them “to participate in economic and social life” (NDIS 2013, 10). The NDIS
is based on the principle of choice, in which participants select which providers support them, underlining
the importance of self-determination and agency. The successful delivery of the NDIS is reliant upon a
skilled, committed and caring workforce.
The NDIS legislation was developed within the scope of Australia’s obligations under the United Nation’s
2006 Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD). The CPRD outlined that its purpose
was to “promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental
freedoms by all persons with disabilities” (UN 2006, 4). As a signatory of this convention, the Australian
government has committed to “take all appropriate measures” to ensure that persons with disabilities are
able to live without discrimination in Australia.
6
The National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 aims to “support the independence and social and
economic participation of people with a disability” and to promote the provision of high quality and
innovative supports that enable people with disabilities to maximise independent lifestyles and full inclusion
in the community” (Office of Parliamentary Council 2013, 4). At the core of these objectives is enabling
people with disabilities to live an independent life based on social and economic participation. This
independent life includes the ability to access meaningful employment.
Workforce issues now
The Department of Social Services has projected that there will be an expected 480,000 participants in
the NDIS when the scheme is fully implemented in 2020. In order to meet the needs of these participants,
the Department of Social Services (DSS) has estimated that the NDIS will need a further 90,000 staff (DSS
2019, 1). In 2019, the DSS found that the NDIS workforce consisted of approximately 100,000 full time
equivalent staff (DSS 2019, 1).
A 2017 Costings Report by the Productivity Commission highlighted that during the transition period to full
operation of the NDIS, 1 in 5 (net) jobs created in Australia will need to be in the disability sector (PC 2017,
319). The scale of this workforce growth dwarfs previous major national projects in Australia, placing the
government in uncharted waters. For instance, the rollout of the National Broadband Network required a
workforce increase of 25,000 staff and the Building the Education Revolution Program of 2007-2010
required 22,971 additional staff (DSS 2019, 1). The additional 90,000 staff required for the NDIS to meet
its demand when fully rolled out this year poses a very substantial challenge.
In addition to increasing the NDIS workforce, there are a number of issues that exist within the workforce
that need addressing. Firstly, staff within the disability sector do not receive remuneration that reflects the
challenging and demanding nature of their work. The majority of disability support workers are paid a little
over the minimum wage. In 2018, a study found that many NDIS staff experienced “difficulties earning
enough to pay their bills” (MacDonald et al. 2018, 87). The casualisation of the sector also results in
workers receiving less hours and unstable work. A workforce which does not feel adequately valued will
struggle to effectively carry out its role and will experience difficulty in attracting new staff.
The decline of permanent, full-time employees and the growing casualisation of the workforce is another
issue. From September 2015 to September 2017, the growth rate of casual workers in the disability
workforce was 26% per year, compared to only 1.3% per year for the permanent workforce (NDS 2018,
7). In 2018, the NDIS workforce comprised of only 6% fixed staff and 10% permanent full-time employees,
7
compared to 38% permanent part-time and 46% casual staff (NDS 2018, 5). This is problematic as
workforce stability is essential to meet current and future demands. Further, workforce instability can result
in poorer outcomes for participants. Indeed, for many in the system, having established and reliable
support workers is crucial to their care.
Studies have found that workers in the disability sector experience high levels of stress and burnout. This
has been an ongoing issue that existed prior to the creation of the NDIS, and continues to this day. In
2011, the Productivity Commission found that stress and burnout, and the high “emotional and physical
demands” placed on staff resulted in high staff turnover (Productivity Commission 2011, 703). In 2010, it
was found that 13% of surveyed workers in the Australian disability sector listed “stress or burnout” as a
reason for leaving their occupation (Martin and Healy 2010, 148). In 2017, the Curtin University conducted
a study into the experiences of 12 disability support workers in Australia. They found that stress and
burnout were a very common experience amongst these staff, and that these conditions led to workers
experiencing difficulty in performing to their full potential (Judd et al. 2017, 1114-1115). Disability support
workers clearly continue to face a demanding working environment, and it is imperative that these staff
are better supported.
These issues in part explain the high staff turnover rate within the NDIS workforce. In June 2019, the
quarterly turnover rate for permanent staff in the disability sector stood at 5%, with the rate for casual
workers somewhat higher at 7% (NDS 2019, 58). This highlights the difficulty of retaining staff in the
disability workforce. High turnover also leads to higher costs in recruiting new staff. This further cements
the importance developing and promoting a sector in which its workforce feel valued and supported.
In the face of these findings, it is imperative that a national workforce plan is designed to meet the growing
demand for workers in the disability support sector. Complacency and inadequate action on the
development of a sustainable NDIS workforce will undermine the scheme and directly impact those it
supports.
Workforce in light of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced significant challenges to the NDIS workforce. As the current
situation is ongoing and developing it is difficult to determine the level of impact that this crisis will have on
the workforce. That said, many of the issues discussed in the previous section are being magnified during
the ongoing pandemic.
8
Casualisation of the NDIS workforce has reduced the stability of the sector. Due to the COVID-19
pandemic, casual workers are at greater risk of losing their jobs as has been witnessed in other sectors.
Given that in 2018, the workforce comprised of 46% casual staff, a large proportion of the workforce is at
risk. However, it is critical that NDIS participants continue to receive support care during this crisis. The
sector’s demand for an additional 90,000 staff to meet the needs of a fully implemented NDIS will be further
challenged if workers are laid off during this pandemic.
COVID-19 economic measures
The Australian Government has introduced a number of employment measures to soften the economic
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Australian economy. The most significant of these measures in
the context of this submission is JobKeeper. The JobKeeper payment of $1500 a fortnight is $20 above
minimum wage, which for many in the NDIS workforce is significantly greater than their current income
(Cassells and Duncan 2020). We see two issues arising from JobKeeper that may have a bearing on the
future NDIS workforce.
The NDIS has been particularly impacted by the cancellation of services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “fee for service” model operating across large parts of the NDIS leaves employers little capacity to
continue to pay employees when demand for services falls. While the Australian Government’s
announcement on 21 March on changes to the NDIS were welcome, access to JobKeeper is, for many
employers, critical to the maintenance of their NDIS workforce. However the construction of the current
NDIS workforce complicates the accessibility to JobKeeper, and for some employees, access to
JobSeeker.
The JobKeeper Payment is designed to help businesses affected by the Coronavirus to cover the costs of
their employees’ wages, so that more employees can retain their job and continue to earn an income. It
has been described as an employer attachment payment. Casual employees are only eligible if they were
employed by an eligible entity on a regular and systematic basis for at least 12 months at 1 March 2020.
The eligibility requirement for casual employees, is problematic given the high level of casuals employed
within the NDIS. In the short-term there will be many casuals who will no longer be attached to the NDIS
because of their ineligibility to qualify for JobKeeper, which in our view will be problematic for the future
NDIS workforce. Conversely, a number of employees will receive more income because of their eligibility
to JobKeeper. The difficulty for the sector will be the financial impact the withdrawal of JobKeeper will have
on these individuals and the consequences of this on the employee’s decision to remain within the sector.
9
Access to Personal Protective Equipment
The NDIS workforce has limited access to access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) due to the
extraordinarily high demand in the current situation. Hospitals are struggling with the limited supply of PPE,
with medical staff reportedly having to reuse facemasks (Knaus 2020). The CEO of the NDS, David Moody,
on 9 April 2020 stated that NDIS support workers were struggling to access protective equipment (Truu
2020). He noted that without adequate access to PPE, the challenge of “ensuring that there will be
sufficient workers to actually support people with a disability during the pandemic” is raised (Truu 2020).
The concern about contracting COVID-19 has seen in increase in staff cancelling their shifts. A further
increase in cancellations will test the system’s ability to deliver vital services, especially if there is a COVID
19 cluster within an entity or facility with NDIS participants.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a number of new challenges for the NDIS workforce,
as well as exacerbating the issues that previously existed within the workforce.
Scenarios for the NDIS workforce post-pandemic
It is still unclear what impact and challenges the current pandemic will present to the NDIS and its
workforce once the health challenges have been mitigated. If the situation returns to ‘normal,’ and the
NDIS sector emerges relatively unscathed, the critical issues, pre-COVID-19, facing the workforce will
need to be addressed. However, if there is a significant change to the disability sector following the
abatement of the pandemic, there will be many new and potentially more serious challenges facing the
workforce that will require system-wide reforms. In the following section, we will consider two different
post-pandemic scenarios, and their respective workforce issues.
A return to Pre COVID-19 conditions
If the disability sector emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic relatively unchanged, there are a number of
important issues that will need to be addressed. As discussed previously, these include insufficient
remuneration for staff, increasing casualisation of the workforce and the demand for 90,000 additional staff
by 2020. Further, the implications of the application of JobKeeper on the sector may see a decline in the
number of casual employees willing to work in the sector, especially should other employment
opportunities present themselves during the economic recovery period.
10
CSSA believes that a national workforce plan should be established by the Australian Government to
address these issues. Furthermore, CSSA recommends the national workforce plan include a focus on
the development of stronger employment pathways for willing NDIS participants to gain meaningful, paid
employment within the NDIS itself.
1.1 National Workforce Plan
It is imperative that a national workforce plan is established for the NDIS to meet the projected demand
for workers in the system. CSSA believes that this workforce plan should be underpinned by innovative
strategies that attract new workers to the sector and enhance the development and retention of existing
staff.
Firstly, the NDIS requires a workforce plan that promotes the importance and value of the sector. A public
campaign that highlights the importance of working in the sector is necessary. This needs to showcase
the life changing difference that disability support workers experience. It is essential that the NDIS
workforce is built around staff who are passionate about the industry, and thrive in an environment where
they show compassion and care towards those they support. A public awareness campaign that
showcases the rewarding nature of the industry and the importance and value of the sector will be a step
in the right direction towards developing a workforce pipeline.
In the 2018-19 financial year, the Australian government spent a total of $140 million on advertising across
its departments and agencies (Department of Finance 2019, 12). The Department of Defence dominated,
spending $30 million on recruitment advertising (Department of Finance 2019, 11). Australian Defence
Force recruitment has received a total of $157.6 million over the last 5 years. It is CSSA’s position that
strengthening the NDIS workforce pipeline will require a similarly significant financial investment by the
Australian government to create a prominent public campaign to attract new staff to the disability sector.
As well as attracting new staff to the expanding NDIS workforce, it is also important to focus on retaining
staff. As outlined previously, the quarterly turnover rate for permanent staff in the disability sector in 2019
was 5%, with the rate for casual turnover at 7% (NDS 2019, 58). Factors such as high levels of stress and
burnout, and relatively low levels of remuneration contribute to this. To address staff retention it is essential
that staff are well managed and supervised. Greater focus needs to be placed on the training and
development of staff. More training and development opportunities need to be provided to the workforce
so that their skills and knowledge are regularly refreshed. In order to facilitate greater training and
11
professional development, the fee structure for the NDIS needs to be revamped to enable providers to
offer employees access to more professional development opportunities.
Whilst skills and knowledge are critical to the delivery of NDIS services, values such as empathy and
compassion, and a commitment to making a better life for other people is also incredibly important. It is
essential therefore that the remuneration levels within NDIS are sufficient to attract employees with the
right skills and values as well as retain and reward those also already working in the NDIS.
A national workforce plan requires quality and innovation to continually refresh the system. It is not simply
enough to create a workforce pipeline. It is imperative to encourage and invite innovation in order to
stimulate the ongoing development of the NDIS workforce, and avoid stagnation. This could be achieved
by using new technology to address challenges faced by staff. For example, using technology to deal with
administration provides support workers the ability to focus more on the care and support of participants,
resulting in greater outcomes for both the workforce and those the NDIS supports. A survey in 2018 found
that only 46% of organisations providing services in the Australian disability sector believed that their
“information & service delivery system(s) work well for our staff and management” (Infoxchange 2018, 10).
This was well below the national average of 54% (Ibid, 10). This highlights that significant improvement
needs to be made in quality and innovation to refresh the use of technology within the NDIS workforce.
The Committee has already heard concerns raised about the NDIS fee structure and the impediments in
both the price and design in securing continuity of service to participants. Workforce development and
retention at provider level can only be achieved through a pricing structure which incentivises the
development and retention of staff. The current system does not. Further, governments must also look at
the disability sector as an industry and develop policies which will support a whole of sector approach to
developing a pipeline of employees that are willing and capable of serving NDIS participants now and into
the future. That investment must be more than simply providing education pathways. It must include the
funding of a workforce campaign.
1.2 Disability Employment Pathways
CSSA believes that it is imperative to create pathways to meaningful employment for people with a
disability willing and capable of working in the sector. Whilst the NDIS provides crucial support to
Australians with a disability, it also has the ability to provide willing participants an opportunity to gain
meaningful employment.
There are significant barriers to employment that exist for NDIS participants. Employers often consider it
“too difficult” to employ those with a disability, and when they do, they are often limited to “menial work”
12
(NDIS 2019c, 8). Furthermore, even when they secure work, people disabilities are often underemployed,
with limited working hours (NDIS 2019c, 8). The OECD has found that people with a disability in Australia
experience twice the risk of poverty than those without a disability (OECD 2017, 32). Significant action
needs to be taken to drastically improve this disparity.
The aforementioned UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, on which the NDIS itself
was based, emphasises the importance of employment for those with a disability. Article 27 of the
convention recognises “the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others” (UN
2006, 19). This includes the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a
labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities”
(UN, 2006, 19). Furthermore, the Convention states that “state parties” shall safeguard and promote the
realisation of the right to work…by taking appropriate steps, including through legislation” (UN 2006, 19).
In 2019, of the 300,000 Australians participating in the NDIS, 170,000 were between the ages of 15 and
64 years, and thus classed as of working age. Of this group, only 24% were employed in paid work (NDIS
2019c, 7). However, 31% of participants have a work related goal in their plan (NDIS 2019c, 7). Thus,
participants seeking work are subject to an unemployment rate of 23%, compared to the Australian
average in 2019 of 5.3% (Naufal 2019). The Australia Government’s new strategy aims to reach a target
of 30% of working age NDIS participants employed in paid work by June 2023 (NDIS 2019c, 12). Whilst
CSSA supports the Government in increasing opportunities for disability employment, these efforts must
not be tokenistic. A sophisticated approach is required that identifies opportunities for participants to gain
experience and skills to further their life and career ambitions.
There are widespread benefits in increasing the employment of NDIS participants, for both employers and
employees. For those with a disability, employment can provide them with a greater sense of identity and
independence, and have positive health benefits. Furthermore, it can give them an increased income,
resulting in greater financial independence and better living standards. In turn, this can reduce demand on
welfare and support systems.
Likewise, employing those with a disability can also benefit business and organisations, by providing them
with a diverse variety of skills, experiences and qualifications. Studies have found that people with a
disability are just as, if not more productive than their counterparts without a disability. Australian research
highlights that 86% of workers with a disability have average or superior attendance records, with 90%
displaying equal or superior productivity rates than their colleagues without a disability (Graffam et al.
2002, 251).
13
Ultimately if the NDIS workforce emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic relatively unchanged, a focused
national workforce plan that aims to both attract and retain workers is essential for the NDIS to meet the
demands for an estimated 90,000 additional staff. Furthermore, quality and innovation are required to
continually refresh the system and ensure that it remains up to date so that the workforce can provide
essential support to all NDIS participants. In addition, increased support is required to ensure that all willing
NDIS participants can access pathways to meaningful, paid employment, which will provide longstanding
benefits for themselves and for their employees.
Disruption to the NDIS Post COVID 19
If the COVID-19 pandemic damages the capacity of the NDIS sector to support its 480,000 participants
then further efforts might be required to rebuild workforce capability within the NDIS.
Prior to the pandemic, the NDIS workforce required an additional 90,000 staff to meet the expected
demands of the scheme when it was fully rolled out in 2020. High casualisation of the workforce, may see
many disability support staff retrenched during the COVID-19 crisis. The Australian government will be
required to implement systemic reforms in order to rejuvenate the workforce back to its pre-pandemic
capacity, and boost it to the level required to support all the participants of the NDIS.
A recent Grattan Institute report suggests the unemployment rate in Australia could rise to between 10
and 15 per cent (Coates et al. 2020, 3). With levels of unemployment not seen since the last recession it
may appear counter-intuitive to suggest that there is increased urgency in developing and executing a
strong awareness raising campaign to attract and retain employees in the disability sector. The nature of
this economic shock is materially different to that which occurred during Global Financial Crisis (GFC). It
is our hope that governments will be reluctant to pursue austerity measures as many did during the GFC,
instead looking to stimulate the economy to deliver faster economic recovery and limit the prospects of
high and sustained levels of unemployment. If that is the case then those employees who have left the
sector will likely pursue other employment opportunities.
Positioning the disability sector as an employer of choice needs to begin before the recovery of the rest of
the economy. That is why CSSA is recommending that preparations for a strong awareness raising
campaign to attract and retain employees in the disability sector should be done as matter of priority.
14
Conclusion
This submission seeks to highlight the challenges facing the NDIS workforce and presents a number of
recommendations to address these issues. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges of attracting
and retaining staff may be exacerbated and amplified. That is why CSSA is recommending the prioritisation
of a national workforce plan that focusses on attracting new staff to the sector and retaining current staff.
A strong advertising campaign to raise awareness for the sector is essential to expand the workforce.
Furthermore, CSSA recommends that the NDIS provide greater opportunity to enhance skills development
within the workforce. The impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may prompt a re-examination of the
sector and its workforce. A key area for re-examination is the fee structure of the NDIS sector. Finally,
CSSA recommends that greater support is provided for pathways to meaningful employment for willing
NDIS participants.
15
References
Cassells, Rebecca and Duncan, Alan. (2020). “JobKeeper payment: how will it work, who will miss out and how to get it?”
The Conversation. 31 March 2020. Accessed 9 April 2020 at https://theconversation.com/jobkeeper-payment-how-will-it
work-who-will-miss-out-and-how-to-get-it-135189.
Coates, Brendan., Cowgill, Matt., Chen, Tony and Mackey, Will. (2020). “Shutdown: Estimating the COVID-19
Employment Shock.” Grattan Institute.
Cortis, Natasha et al. (2017). “Reasonable, Necessary and Valued: Pricing Disability Services for Quality Support and
Decent Jobs.” SPRC Report. June 2017. Sydney: Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW.
Department of Finance. (2019). “Campaign Advertising by Australian Government Departments and Agencies Report
2018-19.” Commonwealth of Australia.
Department of Social Services. (2019). Growing the NDIS Market and Workforce. Commonwealth of Australia.
Department of Social Services. (2020). “Supporting Australians most at risk in the wake of coronavirus. Ministers for the
Department of Social Services. 9 April 2020. Accessed 13 April 2020 at: https://ministers.dss.gov.au/media
releases/5721.
Graffam, Joseph., Smith, Kaye., Shinkfield, Alison and Polzin, Udo. (2002). “Employer Benefits and Costs of Employing a
Person With a Disability.” Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. Vol. 17, No. 4: 251-263.
Judd, Megan., Dorozenko, Kate., and Breen, Lauren. (2017). “Workplace Stress, Burnout and Coping: A Qualitative
Study of the Experiences of Australian Disability Support Workers.” Health and Social Care in the Community. Vol. 25,
No. 3: 1109-1117.
Knaus, Christopher. (2020). “More than 130 Australian companies ready to boost PPE stock of face masks, gowns and
gloves.” The Guardian Australia. 23 March 2020. Accessed 8 April 2020 at:
coronavirus-masks-gowns-and-gloves.
Macdonald, Fiona., Bentham, Eleanor and Malone, Jenny. (2018). “Wage Theft, Underpayment and Unpaid Work in
Marketised Social Care.” The Economic and Labour Relations Review. Vol. 29, No. 1: 80-96.
Martin, Bill and Healy, Josh. (2010). “Who Works in Community Services? A Profile of Australian Workforces in Child
Protection, Juvenile Justice, Disability Services and General Community Services.” National Institute of Labour Studies.
August 2010.
16
Naufal, Elise. (2019). “The Missing Ingredient of the NDIA’s Employment Strategy.” Disability Services Consulting. 2
December 2019. Accessed 11 March 2020 at: https://www.disabilityservicesconsulting.com.au/resources/ndis
employment-strategy.
NDIS. (2019a). “Annual Report 2018-19.” National Disability Insurance Agency.
NDIS. (2019b). “2019 NDIA Employee Census.” National Disability Insurance Agency.
NDIS. (2019c). “NDIS Participant Employment Strategy 2019-2022.” NDIS. November 2019.
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. (2019). “Annual Report 2018-2019.” NDIS Quality and Safeguards
Commission.
NDS. (2018). “Australian Disability Workforce Report.” National Disability Services. July 2018, 3rd Edition.
NDS. (2019). “State of the Disability Sector Report 2019.” Centre for Applied Disability Research.
OECD. (2017). “Connecting People with Jobs: Key Issues for Raising Labour Market Participation in Australia.” Paris:
OECD Publishing.
Office of Parliamentary Counsel. (2013). “National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.” Commonwealth of Australia.
4 April 2013.
Productivity Commission. (2011). Disability Care and Support – Inquiry Report. 10 August 2011.
Productivity Commission. (2017). National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Costs – Study Report. 19 October 2017.
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. (2019). First Progress Report.
December 2019.
Tune, David. (2019). Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013: Removing Red Tape and
Implementing the NDIS Participant Service Guarantee. December 2019.