Joint Standing Committee on the National
Disability Insurance Scheme
Supplementary Submission
Response to public hearings 12 and 14 October 2021
November 2021
NDIS National Workforce Plan: 2021-2025
At the public hearings of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) held on 12 and 14 October 2021, several witnesses raised concerns at the perceived lack of consultation on the development of the NDIS National Workforce Plan: 2021-2025 (the Workforce Plan); and the lack of detail on implementation of the Workforce Plan (including funding).
This supplementary submission provides further detail on the consultation undertaken to develop the Workforce Plan and an update on implementation of initiatives.
Consultation
The Workforce Plan was developed through extensive stakeholder consultation. Stakeholders were consulted through workshops, meetings and an open survey (full list at Attachment A).
A survey was open from 28 February 2020 to 27 March 2020 to identify stakeholder views about key workforce challenges. The department received 570 responses, of which two-thirds (381) were NDIS providers and 7 per cent (40) were peaks.
Workshops were held in February and March 2020 with state and territory disability and skills officials, providers, provider peaks, and participant peaks to define workforce challenges and identify potential initiatives for the Workforce Plan. Approximately 20 government representatives attended the first workshop and 25 industry and government representatives attended the second workshop.
The Department of Social Services (the department) met one-on-one with key peaks, providers and unions (including Australian Service Union) to refine the definition of workforce challenges and further discuss potential initiatives to address these.
In July 2020 Disability Ministers considered the draft Workforce Plan and agreed to work together to finalise the Workforce Plan later in 2020. During the period of July 2020 to January 2021, state and territory officials provided additional feedback on the draft Workforce Plan.
The department separately engaged with interested peaks, providers and unions
(including the Australian Services Union, Health Services Union, and United Workers
Union) in late 2020 ahead of the plan being provided to State and Territory Ministers for endorsement.
Throughout the development of the Workforce Plan, the department consulted its Advisory Group on Market Oversight – a group of provider peaks, participant peaks, and health professionals and employment peaks – on workforce issues and potential initiatives, including at its meetings on 30 October 2019, 26 February 2020, 29 June 2020, 21 January 2021 and 21 April 2021.
Final Australian Government consultations were conducted in early 2021 through bilateral meetings and written feedback on the Workforce Plan.
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The Minister for the NDIS launched the Workforce Plan on 10 June 2021. The release of the Workforce Plan was publicised in newsletters, including the NDIS eNewsletter and the department’s disAbility e-news. Several stakeholders also highlighted the release in email updates to their members.
Stakeholders, including government officials, providers, provider peaks, participant peaks, and those that had registered interest through DSS Engage as part of the 2020 survey, were also advised of the launch of the Workforce Plan via email.
The department provided a sector briefing on 29 June 2021, which outlined the proposed approach to delivery for each of the initiatives, and the department is providing quarterly updates to the sector throughout 2021-22.
The department is conducting targeted stakeholder engagement to support the design and implementation of the individual initiatives.
There are a range of consultation and engagement activities underway or planned over the next 12 months across the 16 initiatives:
Consultation on work to improve the alignment of regulation across the care and support sectors, has commenced:
o Initial workshops with providers and peak bodies were conducted in October 2021. A background paper was also published on 6 October.
o This has informed the development of a consultation paper, expected to be released shortly, inviting written submissions. An online survey will also be made available and workshops will be undertaken with consumers, carers, providers, industry and the broader community through to the end of 2021.
o Consultation findings will be released in early 2022.
The department has hosted initial workshops with members of key provider peaks
including National Disability Services, Ability First Australia, and National Aboriginal
Community Controlled Health Organisations in regard to developing a whole of care and support online demand map tool.
Engagement is ongoing with allied health peaks, allied health sector, universities and training organisations with regard to increasing allied student placements in the disability sector.
The department is establishing a Disability Workforce Industry Working Group that reports to the Advisory Group on Market Oversight to support the implementation of the Workforce Plan. The industry-led Working Group will provide a forum to collaborate, co-design and jointly implement initiatives. The first meeting will be held in November 2021.
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The department will continue to engage officials from all jurisdictions to discuss the approach and timing for implementation, to ensure linkages are made between the Workforce Plan and related state and territory initiatives.
The department will also continue to work with officials from other Australian Government departments and agencies throughout implementation of the Workforce Plan to incorporate a whole-of-government, coordinated approach that supports longer-term government reforms.
Implementation
Each of the Workforce Plan’s 16 initiatives have implementation strategies.
A number of initiatives are being implemented, or have key delivery activities in the second half of 2021. These include:
Initiative 1: The care and support sector communications campaign, A Life Changing Life, launched on 15 August 2021, and aims to promote the benefits of working in the sector.
A suite of tools and resources including more information about the care and support sector is available at www.careandsupportjobs.gov.au.
o Initiative 3: A targeted, pre-filled JobActive jobs board was developed and published on the care and support jobs website. This directs job seekers to jobs in the care and support sector.
o Initiative 3: Additionally, through the communications campaign partnership with SEEK, targeted jobs boards for aged care, disability and veterans’ support have been developed and published on the website.
Since the launch of the campaign there has been significant engagement with the care and support jobs website and social media channels:
o Care and support jobs website - as of 30 September 2021, there have been 724,003 total page views, including 309,425 unique views.
o Facebook page - as of 5 October 2021, 2.6 million unique users have seen content, including ads and posts.
Initiative 5: The remit of the Boosting Local Care Workforce Regional Coordinators and Subject Matter Specialists has been expanded to include aged care and veterans’ care providers, as well as working with educators and employment service providers.
Initiatives 6, 7 and 8: Consultation is underway on development of micro-credentials and training; a care and support worker professional network; and establishing a skills passport.
Initiative 10: The Department of Health has established a cross-agency taskforce with the Department of Social Services and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to support alignment of regulation across the care and support sector. Consultation across the aged care, disability and veterans’ care sectors is being undertaken in three stages by the cross-agency taskforce on regulatory alignment (page 3 and page 7 of this supplementary submission refers).
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On 16 June 2021, the Aged Care Act 1997 was amended to recognise the NDIS worker screening check. This makes it easier for aged care providers and workers (staff and volunteers) that support NDIS participants. Information is being disseminated on the changes.
Initiative 15: The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has agreed to allow providers to charge for case conferencing for professional support via telehealth to support NDIS participants. The department and NDIA are working with key stakeholders, particularly those in rural and remote areas, to highlight the availability of this service option.
In addition to these recent achievements, the next steps for implementation include:
Initiative 1: Targeted public relations activities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences will roll out across the A Life Changing Life campaign, mostly aligned with campaign advertising bursts through to June 2022. Phased Culturally and Linguistically Diverse public relations and engagement will also roll out over the campaign from October 2021 and January 2022, targeting 15 languages groups. Public relations activities will continue in 2021-22, including development of additional case studies, media outreach to regional areas, stakeholder communications and follow-ups.
Initiative 4: To leverage employment programs, consultation will continue with program owners to determine the scope of trials into:
Disability Employment Services
Community Development Program
New Employment Services Model
Initiative 9: The department is undertaking consultations with disability support providers, the allied health sector, universities and other disability stakeholders to define barriers to student placements and options to inform strategy development. The Boosting the Local Care Workforce program will develop case studies and business strategy models for allied health student placements. The department will host a roundtable with allied health stakeholders on student placement model funding options.
Initiative 10: To improve alignment of provider regulation and worker screening across the care and support sector, the Australian Government will:
Finalise the consultation and engagement strategy and phase one engagement with the sector, and
Engage with states and territories on nationally consistent worker screening.
Initiative 11: The NDIA is currently undertaking its annual pricing review. The department is also preparing a public consultation paper on the pricing project to identify potential options for price and payment arrangements over the longer term.
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Initiative 12: An ICT supplier will be engaged to design and build the expanded online Demand Map (NDIS and aged care).
Initiative 13: The department will continue to investigate integration of online services and supports into current and future digital projects with the NDIA.
Funding
In the 2021-22 Budget, the Government announced funding of $12.3 million to 2022-23 for regulatory alignment activities across the aged care, disability and veterans’ care sectors. This includes working closely with the sector to:
establish a single Care and Support Sector worker screening check (expected to commence from 1 July 2022)
establish a single care and support sector Code of Conduct for workers and providers (expected to commence from 1 July 2022)
strengthen information sharing and enforcement powers
pilot joint auditing/assessment against the standards residential across aged care and disability, and
explore options for further alignment of aged care and disability Standards.
This builds on the 2020-21 Budget, which announced $19.8 million to 2022-23 to implement Australia’s Care and Support Workforce Package, as part of the Government’s JobMaker Plan to boost jobs and encourage innovation, better service delivery and a more sustainable workforce.
Assisting providers across the care and support sector through the provision of market demand and supply information ($2.4 million 2021-22 to 2022-23).
Facilitating cooperation across the care and support sector by broadening the scope of the Boosting the Local Care Workforce program ($16.9 million 2021-22 to 2022-23).
Attracting workers to a career in the broader care and support sector by expanding the scope of the NDIS Jobs and Market Fund communications campaign (2020-21).
o This measure was agreed as part of the 2020-21 Budget with funding of $13.3 million. In the 2021-22 Budget, additional funding of $9.8 million (2021-22 to 2022-23) was provided to extend the campaign.
This is in addition to existing Government investment, including:
Providing more than $112 million in the Sector Development Fund (2012-13 to 2016-18).
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Investing $64.3 million in the NDIS Jobs and Market Fund, including $5.9 million for the
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to support community
controlled providers to expend their services to the NDIS and become sustainable providers (2020-21 to 2021-22).
Rolling out the $41.5 million Boosting the Local Care Workforce Program (2017-18 to 2020-21), including Transition Assistance Funding for providers to get business advice to support them to become sustainable NDIS providers.
Other initiatives under the Workforce Plan are funded through existing programs without separately identifiable costs and / or are initiatives progressed by other departments, for example the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
Regulatory alignment Aligning provider regulation and worker screening requirements across the care and support sector will ensure all participants and consumers are protected by consistent best practice regulation whether they are in aged care, disability or veterans’ care. At the same time, it will improve the capacity of workers and providers to operate across all segments of the care and support market through simplified regulatory requirements that reduce duplication.
Similar services are provided across aged care, disability support and veterans’ care. While some differences are appropriate, duplication in regulatory requirements may be a barrier to consistent, efficient, high quality and safe services for senior Australians, people with disability and veterans.
For consumers and participants, this means care and support services will:
strengthen protections to ensure consistent quality and safety for participants and consumers
be person-centred and address the different care and supports an individual’s needs
provide more choice.
For providers and workers in the care and support sectors, this means:
it will be easier for service providers and workers to deliver services across the sector
workers will have increased flexibility and mobility across sectors
duplication of reporting will be reduced where possible
best practice regulation can be implemented across sectors, while ensuring differences across sectors are appropriately catered for.
These reforms will seek to improve quality and safety for participants/consumers and remove unnecessary duplication of obligations for service providers and workers to work more seamlessly across different parts of the sector.
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Attachment A NDIS National Workforce Plan consultations — January 2020 to June 2021
Direct consultation: workshops, bilateral meetings
Organisation Consultation
Ability Centre Direct
Ability First Australia Direct
ActivOT Direct
Aftercare Direct
Aged Care Workforce Remote Accord Direct
Allied Health Professions Australia Direct
Association for Children with Disability Direct
Australian Community Industry Alliance Direct &
Survey
Australian Physiotherapy Association Direct
Australian Psychological Society Direct
Australian Services Union Direct
Brain Injury Matters Direct
Carers Victoria Direct
Catholic Social Services (Australia) Ltd Direct
Centacare Ballarat Direct
Centacare Brisbane Direct &
Survey
Centacare South West NSW Direct
Cerebral Palsy Support Network Direct
Community Mental Health Australia Direct &
Survey
Community Services Directorate Direct
Community Services Industry Alliance Direct
Deaf Blind Victorians Direct
Disability Employment Australia Direct
Enablers Network Direct
Geelong Occupational Therapy Direct
GenU Direct
HireUp Direct &
Survey
Health Services Union National Direct &
Survey
I CAN Network Direct
Lifestart Direct
LiveBetter Direct
MatchWorks Direct
Organisation Consultation
MAX Employment Direct
Mental Health Victoria Direct
Migrant Resource Centre Direct
Mouthworks Direct
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Direct
National Disability Services Direct
New Horizons Direct
Noah’s Ark Direct
Occupational Therapy Australia Direct
People with Disabilities WA Direct &
Survey
Purple Orange Direct
Salvation Army Direct
Scope Australia Direct &
Survey
Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health Direct &
Survey
Speech Pathology Australia Direct
St Giles Direct
Summer Foundation Direct
That’s Black Advertising Direct
United Workers Union Direct
University of Melbourne Direct
University of Newcastle Direct
Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with a Disability Direct
Victorian Disability Advisory Council Direct
Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council Direct
Women with Disabilities Victoria Direct
Young People in Nursing Homes Direct
Youth Disability Advocacy Service Direct
DSS Engage Survey — 28 February-27 March 2020, 570 responses (providing contact details was voluntary, respondents that provided their name/organisation are listed here)
Organisation Consultation
360 Health and Community Survey
A Better Life Home Care Services Survey
AbbiCare Survey
Additional Needs Education Survey
Alliance Community Survey
Always Able Survey
Amity Health Survey
Organisation Consultation
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Survey
Mackay
atWork Australia Survey
Austin Health Survey
Australian Education Union Survey
Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association Survey
Autism Spectrum Australia Survey
Avenues Lifestyle Support Survey
B.E.S.T Autism Therapy Survey
Baby Steps Physiotherapy Survey
Balanced Health Psychology & Counselling Survey
Ballarat Regional Industries Survey
Barkuma Inc Survey
breakthru Survey
Brightwater Survey
Brite Survey
Cality Care Survey
Cam Can Survey
Can Speak Canberra Speech Pathology Survey
CareChoice Survey
Castle Personnel Survey
Centacare Fraser Coast Survey
Challenge Community Services Survey
Communities@Work Survey
Community Lifestyle Support Survey
Community Lifestyles Agency Inc Survey
Community Living Options Inc Survey
Community Nurse Service Pty Ltd Survey
ConnectGV Survey
Continence Foundation of Australia Survey
Continence Specialist Services Survey
Cootharinga North Queensland Survey
DAISI Services Limited Survey
Deadly Hands Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation Survey
Deafness Forum of Australia Survey
Disability Council NSW Survey
Disability Resources Centre Survey
EACH Survey
Early Start Australia Survey
East Pilbara Independence Support Survey
Endeavour Foundation Survey
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Organisation Consultation
Ermha365 Ltd Survey
Esperance Home Care Survey
Essential Employment and Training Survey
Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria Survey
EveryBody Therapy Survey
Fiona Stanley Hospital Survey
Focus Survey
GB Mobility Survey
Good Things Foundation Survey
Guidestar Survey
Hallmark Occupational Therapy Survey
Health Workers Union Survey
TAFE NSW Survey
Holy Cross Services Ltd Survey
Improved Disability Services Survey
Independent Disability Services Survey
Interact Health Group Survey
Interchange Outer East Survey
Intervention Services for Autism and Developmental Delay WA Survey
Joanna Life Skills Centre Survey
Jump Start Occupational Therapy Survey
Karingal St Laurence Survey
Kindred Living Survey
Leadership Plus Inc Survey
Life Without Barriers (NT) Survey
Lifestyle Solutions Survey
MedHealth Survey
Melbourne Health Survey
Mentis Assist Survey
Merriwa Industries Survey
Mission Australia Survey
MOIRA Ltd Survey
Monash Health Survey
Montrose Therapy & Respite Services Survey
Multitask Human Resource Foundation Survey
Mypower Foundations Survey
National Disability Services Survey
National Rural Health Alliance Survey
Neami National Survey
New Leaf: Lifestyle Mapping Survey
Nexus Primary Health Survey
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Organisation Consultation
No Limits Survey
North Metro Mental Health Survey
Novita Survey
Nulsen Group Survey
Omnicare Survey
Osborn Sloan and Associates Survey
Outcomes Connect Australia Survey
Peninsula Health Survey
People with Disability Australia Survey
Plan Tracker Pty Ltd Survey
PlayAbility Incorporated Survey
Private Respite & Accommodation Services Survey
Programmed Health Professionals Survey
Queensland Council of Social Service Survey
Quest Survey
raefConsulting Survey
Ready to Rise Care Survey
Real Therapy Solutions Survey
RiskManaged Pty Ltd Survey
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists Survey
Royal Children’s Hospital Survey
Royal Far West Survey
Royal Melbourne Hospital Survey
Ruah Community Services Survey
Samaritans Foundation Survey
Shine A Light Community Support Survey
Silverlea Services Survey
Simply Helping Goulburn Valley Survey
Specialised Hand Therapy Services Survey
Spinal Community Integration Service Survey
Spiral Survey
St Vincent de Paul Society Survey
Step by Step Interventions Survey
Stirling Adult Mental Health Service Survey
Sutherland Psychology Survey
Territory Care and Support Services Survey
The Business Centre Survey
The Companion Group Survey
The Deaf Society Survey
The Housing Connection Limited Survey
The IndividualiTree Survey
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Organisation Consultation
The Northcott Society Survey
Therapy Alliance Group Survey
Therapy Connect Survey
Thrive Allied Health Survey
Unisson Disability Survey
Victorian Continence Resource Centre Survey
Victorian Council of Social Service Survey
Vital Occupational Therapy Survey
Waverley Helpmates Inc Survey
Westhaven Survey
Wild West Wheelchairs Survey
‘Yumaro Survey
Advisory Group on Market Oversight — 30 October 2019, 26 February 2020,
29 June 2020, 21 January 2021 and 21 April 2021
Member Organisations
Ability First Australia
Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA)
Australian Community Industry Alliance (ACIA)
Boosting the Local Care Workforce (BLCW)
Catholic Social Services (Australia) Ltd
Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA)
Disability Employment Australia (DEA)
Hireup
Human Services Skills Organisation
Mental Health Coordinating Council
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
National Disability Services
National Employment Services Association (NESA)
NDIS Independent Advisory Council
People with Disability Australia (PWDA)
Purple Orange
Summer Foundation
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Government agencies
ACT Community Services
Department of Communities Tasmania
Department of Education, Skills and Employment
Department of Health
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Jobs Queensland
National Disability Insurance Agency
NDIS Independent Advisory Council
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet
QLD Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors
QLD Department of Employment, Small Business and Training
SA Department for Innovation and Skills
SA Department of Human Services
Skills Canberra
TAS Department of Health
TAS Department of Premier and Cabinet
The Treasury
VIC Department of Health and Human Services
Victorian Disability Advisory Council
WA Community Services, Health and Education Training Council
WA Department of Communities
WA Department of Training and Workforce Development
WA Mental Health Commission
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