NDIA policy introduced to assess safety of participants

A new policy has been announced by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to address the risks of harm associated with receiving care.

The NDIA Participant Safeguarding Policy will come into place in 2023 and will be assessed over the next five years, following Australia’s Disability Strategy — Safety Targeted Action Plan 2021–2023, which previously sought to develop safeguards for people with disabilities.

‘Safeguarding’ refers to the process of identifying, assessing and addressing risks or potential risks of harm that some may face whilst engaging with the support system.

The policy was co-designed with the disability community and will adapt to key points of interest from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, along with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) review.

Minister for the NDIS, Bill Shorten, stated that the new policy was intended to improve the safety of many Australians, reflecting the insight of the 210 participants who were consulted and 75 hours of community workshops.

“It represents a shift to a stronger focus on proactive identification, assessment, and management of risk to minimise the likelihood of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation,” Mr Shorten said.

“We know people with disability are more likely to experience violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

“This Government is ensuring people with disability are directly involved in decisions that impact their lives through inclusive co-design,” Mr Shorten said.

The policy focuses on four key areas: an individualised approach to identifying, assessing, and managing risks; developing the workforce and capability of people with disability; working with people with disability to proactively develop safeguards; corrective measures in response to incidents.

Member of both the Independent Advisory Council and the Participant Safety Co-design Steering Committee, Tricia Malowney, reaffirmed the commitment to safety for NDIS participants.

“This policy not only acknowledges that safety is a shared responsibility, and that we all have a role to play in ensuring the safety of participants, but it will also guide the way the NDIA works with participants to identify and manage risks and take steps to develop safeguards in their lives,” Ms. Malowney said.

“The co-design of this policy ensured the voices of people with disability were at the centre of its development. I look forward to the implementation of this Policy and the positive impact it will have on our lives.”

The Participant Safeguarding Co-Design Steering Committee (Steering Committee) was established in March 2022, meeting seven times over the nine-month period.

Of the participants included, all Australian states and territories were represented, with 10.6% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, 25.9% as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and representation across all age groups.

President of advocacy group People with Disability Australia, Nicole Lee, said that what matters most is whether change is actually made as a result of the policy.

“It’s a two way street — we need to be trusting, but we need them to prove that it works,” said Nicole Lee, President of People with Disability Australia.

“It leaves things open to interpretation, what is the review process like? How active is this going to be? How frequently?

“We’re not going to fix the problem in 5 years, I think that any bureaucrat would tell you the same thing. We may see a shift, but there will need to be collaboration between support workers and health workers. It’s a step in the right direction though.

“It’s still very much a ‘watch this space’ for us in the industry, to see if they do what they say that they will.”

For more information about the NDIS, please refer to the Disability Support Guide article covering the basics for navigating access and support.