This newsletter is sent to the email address associated with your registration, which means that if you unsubscribe from this email, you are unsubscribing from other important correspondence from the NDIS Commission, including renewal reminders. COVID-19 communicationsAs it has always been, our focus during the COVID-19 pandemic is on supporting you to continue to provide the safe and quality supports NDIS participants rely on. We therefore remind you of your obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct, NDIS Practice Standards and conditions of registration that relate to the delivery of safe, quality supports and services, and the management of risks associated with the supports you provide to NDIS participants. We have issued regular provider alerts during the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight important information to support you to continue to deliver safe and high quality supports to NDIS participants. It is important you read these alerts and share them with your workers to ensure you understand what you need to do, what the current guidelines are, and where to get more information. It is also important that you do not unsubscribe from receiving these alerts. You can find all of our COVID-19 provider alerts on the NDIS Commission website. Visit our webpage of frequently asked questions about COVID-19 and how it affects the supports and services you provide to NDIS participants. Notifying the NDIS Commission of changesWe again remind you that it is a condition of registration with the NDIS Commission that you notify us of changes or events that adversely affect your ability to deliver supports and services to NDIS participants. If the event is not related to COVID-19 (such as a change in key personnel, a significant change in the number of participants receiving a support or service, etc.), notify us through the NDIS Commission Portal. Our website lists other examples of events not related to COVID-19 that you should notify us about. If the event is related to COVID-19 (for example, if a worker or participant contracts COVID-19, border closures affect your available workforce, or restrictions force the temporary cessation of supports or services, etc.), use the Notification of event – COVID-19 (registered provider) form. Refer to our provider alert of 13 July for other examples of COVID-19-related events you should notify us about. New resources to support incident reporting, management and preventionEffective incident management practices can reduce preventable deaths, serious injuries and other serious incidents. We have released new resources to support NDIS providers to meet your obligations under National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 and to guide the continuous improvement of the incident management systems for your organisation. These resources complement the more detailed reportable incident guides available on our website. They explain the benefits of effective incident management; outline the reportable incident obligations and timeframes, and the required elements of an incident management system. Guidelines on the rights of people with disability in health and disability care during COVID-19Our provider alert of 26 August pointed to the newly released "Guidelines on the rights of people with disability in health and disability care during COVID-19." Issued by the Australian Human Rights Commission, these guidelines support you and your workers to respect and uphold the human rights of people with disability when providing support during the COVID-19 situation. Please take the time to read the document and ensure your work practices and those of your workers always consider the human rights of the people you support. Outbreak preparation and managementOur fact sheet, COVID-19 outbreak preparedness, prevention and management, contains practical guidance to support you to:
The fact sheet is for all registered providers of NDIS supports and services, including those providing in home supports, as well as disability accommodation settings. Advice on using masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) The Australian Government Department of Health has issued resources for people with disability, and their workers, about wearing masks. For participants, the Department of Health website has general advice on wearing a mask and other ways to protect themselves during the pandemic. An Easy Read resource on wearing a mask is also available. For providers, the Department of Health has issued a Guide to PPE for disability care providers. In addition, we have issued a fact sheet for providers on the use of PPE. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, some states and territories have updated their advice about when you should use PPE when providing supports and services for people with disability. Stay updated with the latest advice from your state or territory’s public health unit to ensure you and your workers are complying with local guidance. Infection prevention and control e-learning modulesThe Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) has developed a suite of e-learning modules with information on the principles of infection prevention and control in Australian healthcare settings. The modules, as well as workbooks and further information, are available via the ACSQHC website. Assessment against the NDIS Practice StandardsThe process of applying to register with the NDIS Commission as an NDIS provider includes an assessment of your organisation against the NDIS Practice Standards relevant to the supports and services you deliver to participants. It is important that you engage meaningfully with this step by considering how you and your workers reflect these Practice Standards when supporting participants – not just whether they are addressed in your policies and procedures. The audit you undertake as part of the registration process also examines how you demonstrate the NDIS Practice Standards in this way. Please note that the NDIS Commission does not endorse the services of consultants who offer services to assist you with the registration process. If you have any questions about how to register or renew registration, please visit our website or contact us. Western Australia transitionFrom 1 December 2020, the NDIS Commission will start managing quality and safeguards in Western Australia. As the first step in preparing providers for this change, we are holding a provider information session webinar on Tuesday 15 September at 11.00am AWST, where we will outline the new quality and safeguarding arrangements and explain how these will affect providers in Western Australia from 1 December. To find out more, or to register your attendance if you operate in Western Australia, visit the webinar registration webpage. Until 30 November 2020, existing arrangements for quality and safeguarding in Western Australia continue to apply Residential aged care (RAC) transition As we explained in the June 2020 newsletter, the exemption for aged care providers supporting NDIS participants in residential aged care (RAC) facilities to be registered with the NDIS Commission expires on 30 November 2020. Visit our website for further information about how this may affect you. Subscribing to NDIS Commission updates Registered providers receive our provider newsletters and provider alerts at the organisation’s email address listed in the NDIS Commission Portal. Log into the NDIS Commission Portal to check the email address listed for your organisation. Anyone can receive NDIS Commission communications by completing the subscription form. General Enquiries 1800 035 544 (free call from landlines) Our contact centre is open 9am to 4.30pm in the NT 9.00am to 5.00pm in the ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, TAS and VIC. Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. To provide feedback, contact the NDIS Commission by emailing |