8 October 2021

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccines: New requirements relating to vaccination of disability workers in Victoria

The Victorian Government has announced new requirements for employers in relation to the vaccination of workers in Victoria, including disability workers.

IMPORTANT CALL TO ACTION FOR ALL PROVIDERS

As vaccination rates increase across Australia and governments continue to make plans to ease community restrictions - it is vital that people with disability are supported, in whatever way they require, to access vaccinations.

 You have an important role to play!

There are a number of actions you can take today:

• Talk about vaccination to the people with disability that you support
• Offer assistance, where needed, to access information about vaccination from reliable and trusted sources, such as the person’s GP
• Provide active support to make an appointment and to attend vaccination appointments.

Please refer to the letter sent to CEOs by the Acting Commissioner on 21 September 2021. 

Further information is available on the Department of Health website, including Easy Read and Auslan resources.

Vaccinations can be booked by visiting the Vaccine Clinic Finder or by contacting the National Coronavirus and COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 1800 020 080. The Disability Gateway is now also assisting people with disability that might need help to book a COVID-19 vaccine.

Key Points

• New requirements are in place for vaccination of disability workers in Victoria.
• Providers must keep records of workers’ vaccination status, including records of bookings for first and second doses of a COVID vaccination.
• Ensure that you and your workers understand what these mandatory requirements are, and how they affect the supports and services you deliver.
• Restrictions on access to disability residential services are also in place.
• Review your business continuity and contingency plans to ensure that continuity of critical supports can be maintained with the new vaccination requirements.

COVID-19 vaccination requirements

The Victorian Government has announced mandatory vaccination requirements for essential workers in Melbourne and regional Victoria who are not working, or cannot work, from home.

The new requirements are in the COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions under the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.

They concern the vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine of workers, including ‘care workers’. Examples of care workers are people who work in connection with:

• a disability residential service or
• services provided to an NDIS participant in any setting.

The requirements came into force just before midnight on 7 October 2021.

Under the requirements, people who employ (or engage) care workers in Victoria will generally have to collect and hold information about the vaccination of any worker who is, or may be, scheduled to work outside their ordinary place of residence on or after 15 October 2021.

If the worker has had one dose of the vaccine the information must include whether the worker is booked to receive the second dose by 26 November 2021.

If the worker has not had any dose of the vaccine the information must include whether the worker is booked to receive the first dose by 22 October 2021.

If a worker is unvaccinated, or their employer has no information about their vaccination, the employer must ensure that, on or after 15 October 2021, the worker does not work outside their ordinary place of residence unless an exception under the direction applies.

We strongly encourage you to read the full details on the Victorian Government website.

Consistent with obligations of registered providers under the NDIS Code of Conduct and the NDIS Practice Standards to provide supports and services in a manner and environment that is safe for participants, providers should ensure that disability workers who are not, or cannot work from home, comply with these requirements.

Supporting workers to access the COVID-19 vaccine

Please ensure that you and your workers understand what these new requirements are, and how they affect the supports and services you deliver. Encourage your workers to arrange a vaccination.

Restrictions on access to premises

Public Health Directions are also in place that restrict entry to certain care facilities in Victoria, including disability residential services and SDA enrolled dwellings.

Only residents, workers and visitors are permitted to enter a care facility and only where they meet specific requirements in relation to exposure to COVID-19. There are also restrictions on the number of visitors to a resident.

We encourage you to read the full details on the Victorian Government website.

Registered NDIS Provider obligations

Compliance with state laws is a condition of registration

Registered NDIS providers are required to comply with these Victorian Government public health directions as a condition of registration.

Business continuity and outbreak management planning

All registered NDIS providers are reminded of their obligations regarding continuity of critical supports, and to review business continuity and contingency plans for emergencies and disasters.

You are encouraged to engage with workers on their vaccination status and their plans for vaccination. These discussions should inform your business continuity and contingency plans, and outbreak management plans.

Refer to our provider alert of 6 August 2021.

The NDIS Commission will provide further guidance for registered NDIS providers to support you in meeting the requirements of public health orders relating to mandatory vaccination over coming weeks.

Notification of changes or events

Registered NDIS providers must notify the NDIS Commission of any change or event that significantly affects your ability to comply with any of your conditions of registration, including compliance with the NDIS Practice Standards. You must use the COVID-19 notification of events form to report these changes.

The requirements to notify the NDIS Commission of reportable incidents under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018 are separate from the COVID-19 notification of changes or events and remain unchanged.  

NDIS Commission COVID-19 vaccine information and resources

The COVID-19 vaccine information webpage on our website contains links to updates about COVID-19 vaccines and resources for NDIS providers.

We also have a COVID-19 vaccine webpage containing information for people with disability.