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).

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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:
- Initial workshops with providers and peak bodies were conducted in October 2021. A background paper was also published on 6 October.
- 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.
- 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.

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.
- 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.
- 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:
- Care and support jobs website - as of 30 September 2021, there have been 724,003 total page views, including 309,425 unique views.
- 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.

Implementation Updates

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 NDS 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.

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). * 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).

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.

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

eatWork 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

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

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

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

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

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 Safegards 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 CabinetnThe 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

Supplementary Submission Response to public hearings 12 and 14 October 2021

Joint Standing Committee on the National

NDIS National Workforce Plan: 2021-2025

Consultation

Page 3

Implementation

Initiative 1: The care and support sector communications campaign, A Life Changing Life,

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.

Implementation Updates

Initiative 15:

Initiative 1:

Initiative 4:

Initiative 9:

Initiative 10:

Initiative 11:

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

Attachment A

Organisation Consultation

Organisation Consultation

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Survey

Mackay

Organisation Consultation

Organisation Consultation

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,

Member Organisations

Government Agencies