Building a more responsive and supportive workforce

Over the past seven years, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) workforce has more than doubled. Today some 325,000 workers across a diverse range of occupations and settings support NDIS participants, their families and carers. The essential care and support provided by these workers throughout the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been critical. The strain of the past few years has no doubt been felt by many NDIS workers. This strain, however, goes beyond the impacts of the pandemic to the key challenges facing the NDIS workforce. Many NDIS workers are feeling burnt out. Jobs can be short term with high turnover, with poor conditions and poor career prospects. Workers appear to be leaving NDIS jobs at a faster rate compared to the wider economy. Providers report difficulty finding and keeping skilled and capable workers to effectively support participants. As the scheme matures, there is mounting pressure to attract more workers. Within the next three years to June 2025, an additional 128,000 workers will be needed to fully meet demand. Efforts are needed to improve worker attraction and retention in the NDIS.

Over the course of the NDIS Review we will continue to consider how regulation and market settings (including, pricing and payment settings) can better deliver outcomes for participants and governments while supporting and valuing the contribution of workers to the Scheme. This will include looking at ways to improve market arrangements and support greater investment in capacity building, assistive technology and home modification supports. By reducing reliance on ongoing core supports delivered directly by workers, this could improve outcomes for participants and help reduce growing pressure on the workforce. Ahead of this work, this report presents some practical actions that should be undertaken now to streamline worker screening checks and smooth entry pathways for workers.

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