Welcome to the inaugural NDIS Worker Screening Newsletter
Welcome to the NDIS Check Newsletter
This newsletter has been established to keep you informed about NDIS Checks in Western Australia.
It is now mandatory for people in certain NDIS work to have an NDIS Check clearance. This initiative is one of the ways to build a safe NDIS workforce and protect participants.
Can't get to a Department of Transport centre...
...to have your identity verified? Workers may be eligible for the alternate lodgement application process. The alternate lodgement process is available to people in regional and remote areas that do not have access to a Department of Transport Centre. Simply submit a request for alternate lodgement as part of the online application in DoTDirect.
NDIS Checks and aged care
The Australian Government has streamlined the dual regulatory framework for aged care providers that support NDIS participants.
These changes aim to reduce the burden on aged care providers.
As of 16 June 2021, an NDIS Check satisfies the worker screening requirements for aged care workers who also support NDIS participants.
Compliance Tip
What to do if a worker is imposed with an interim bar
Whilst Western Australia allows the majority of NDIS Check applicants to work on a pending valid application, this does not apply to a person who has been issued with an interim bar.
An interim bar is a tool used by the Screening Unit to prevent an applicant from carrying out risk assessed roles until a final decision to grant a clearance or issue an exclusion is made.
Providers are notified through the NDIS Worker Screening Database if an interim bar is imposed on one of their workers. If you are a registered NDIS provider, you must not engage this person in a risk assessed role while the interim bar is in place. The person may still undertake work that is not risk assessed.
An interim bar remains in place until a final outcome is issued. A person may seek a review of an interim bar after it has been in place for a period of six months. During that time, the Screening Unit will: gather the information required to complete a risk assessment, provide a summary of that information to the person, ask for that person to provide input before a final decision is made.
Questions from the sector
We have heard your feedback. Here are some of the top questions or comments we receive from NDIS providers.
Do you need a driver’s licence to lodge an NDIS Check? No. You do not need a driver’s licence to create a DoTDirect account and lodge an NDIS Check application. Access the DoTDirect portal and follow the prompts to register an account.
Why do some checks come back very quickly while others take weeks or longer? The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, who supply criminal record information to the Screening Unit are currently experiencing delays. Approximately 70 per cent of these record checks are completed in minutes. The other checks require manual processing by police agencies across Australia. This can cause delays which are outside the Screening Unit’s control.
If the Screening Unit identifies information in an application that needs further consideration, a risk assessment will be undertaken. This is done on a case by case basis and processing timeframes will vary.
If staff already have an NPC and/or a Working with Children Check why do they need an NDIS Check? Record Checks screen for different things. The NDIS Check is specifically designed to reduce the potential for NDIS providers to employ workers who pose an unacceptable risk of harm to people with disability.
The Screening Unit considers a person’s past behaviour that is relevant to NDIS work. For example, when conducting a risk assessment on an applicant that has offended against another person, the Screening Unit will consider the vulnerability of the victim or if the person was in a position of authority over the victim.
Unlike other types of screening, NDIS Check outcomes are portable across roles, employers and valid across Australia. This stops unsuitable people moving from employer to employer and ensures a safer NDIS workforce.
In Focus
The NDIS Check versus the National Police Check (NPC)
The NDIS Check is very different from an NPC.
The NDIS Worker Screening Unit receives a range of information and then undertakes an assessment to determine if a person presents an unacceptable risk of harm to people with disability.
The Screening Unit receives expanded criminal history information that is not shown on an NPC. This includes the facts and circumstances surrounding any charges including those that don’t result in a conviction.
The mistreatment of people with disability often does not result in criminal convictions. Having access to such a broad range of information means the Screening Unit can assess documents such as court transcripts, or records from registration boards, in order to safeguard people with disability.
We're here to help. Contact us by phone: 1800 035 544 or by email: NDISCheck@communities.wa.gov.au
