Welcome to the September issue of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's Provider Newsletter, where you'll find information to support you in meeting your obligations to provide safe and quality services to people with disability.
Video: Understanding complaints with Complaints Commissioner Miranda Bruyniks
“The NDIS Commission works with participants and service providers to resolve issues relating to the quality and standard of NDIS supports and services.”
NDIS Commission Complaints Commissioner, Miranda Bruyniks, talks about the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's role in ensuring that people have the right to speak up when they are not happy with the quality or the safety of their NDIS supports and services.
How to make a complaint.
Online reporting using the NDIS Commission Portal
The NDIS Commission Portal supports registered NDIS providers to submit behaviour support plans and reportable incident notifications in a timely and efficient way. This assists registered NDIS providers to meet their reporting obligations.
Paper-based forms for reportable incidents will not be accepted after 30 October 2019. Quick Reference Guides for submitting reportable incident 5-day and Immediate Notification forms are on our website.
When reporting the routine use of unauthorised chemical and environmental restraint, the NDIS Commission may contact you regarding weekly reporting, which is now available in certain circumstances.
Behaviour support plans and monthly reporting on the use of restrictive practices must be lodged on the NDIS Commission Portal.
Specialist behaviour support providers are required to notify the NDIS Commission of new behaviour support practitioners, which you can do via this online form.
Online Course: Worker Orientation Module
More than 85,000 people have now completed the Worker Orientation Module, ‘Quality, Safety and You’, which was launched in May.
General feedback is that the module conveys a simple, yet powerful, message using realistic examples of the work performed by support workers. Many workers report that, as a result of completing the module, they feel re-energised and reconnected with the purpose and passion they initially brought to the sector.
The Worker Orientation Module is also available in an Auslan version.
Worker screening checks update
State and territory transition arrangements for worker screening remain in place as the Commonwealth continues to work with state and territory governments to implement a nationally consistent approach.
Registered providers will be advised when the new state and territory checks come into effect.
A new NDIS Participant Service Guarantee
The Australian Government is inviting people with disability, and their carers, families and supporters, to have their say on a review into National Disability Insurance Scheme processes that will cut red tape and wait times for NDIS participants.
All NDIS participants and their families, friends, carers and supporters are invited to contribute to the consultation, which is open until 31 October 2019. Details about how to participate in the consultation, as well as accessible resources to help people take part, are available on the Department of Social Services site.
New Resources
Fact sheet: Young people in residential aged care – providers
Residential aged care providers have the same responsibilities towards NDIS participants as they do to other residents who receive services and supports under the Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth). This fact sheet explains the role and responsibility of the NDIS Commission, the rights of NDIS participants, and the requirements and obligations of residential aged care providers as registered NDIS providers.
Fact sheets: Incident management and reportable incidents
Incident management and reportable incident fact sheets that explain the record keeping obligations of providers about incidents, and explain the information we require from registered providers when they are us of a reportable incident.
Provider Information Sessions 2019: Behaviour Support Q&A Compendium
In June 2019, the NDIS Commission held a series of information sessions for NDIS providers in the five states and territories that transitioned from 1 July – the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria. The Compendium has the most common questions and answers from these sessions, in relation to behaviour support.
NDIS service agreements: making choice and control more real
The Victorian Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) recently released a report on NDIS provider service agreements. The OPA site also has information about NDIS service agreements for service providers, including two deed templates that relate to the provision of support services and include matters that are within a guardian’s authority to agree to on behalf of the represented person.
NDIS Commission Corporate
Plan
The Corporate Plan sets out how the NDIS Commission will uphold the rights and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of NDIS participants. It outlines the NDIS Commission’s vision, purpose, future activities and performance measures, and also details its environmental, risk oversight, management and capability functions.
‘Speak up’ resources
A series of resources developed to empower people with disability to ‘speak up’ if they need to about the quality and safety of their NDIS funded supports and services.
Q&A
1. How do I meet the Practice Standards?
The NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators specify the quality standards that NDIS providers must meet when providing supports and services to NDIS participants. Approved quality auditors assess providers against the NDIS Practice Standards, including the NDIS Practice Standards for worker screening, as part of the registration process.
The NDIS Commission also monitors registered providers’ compliance with the Standards. The NDIS Practice Standards consist of a core module, and several supplementary modules, which apply according to the supports and services an NDIS provider is registered to deliver.
The Practice Standards are a good tool for participants and organisations that self-managing participants use. The focus in them is on the outcome that a participant will experience.
More about the NDIS Practice Standards here
2. How can I get the best value quote for my audit?
The number of approved quality auditors is growing, which means providers have more choice when it comes to sourcing an appropriate quote for their audit.
To help get the best value for your audit, ensure you have an NDIS Commission Portal-generated scope before contacting an auditor. Be accurate about the full-time equivalent of staff you employ, and count only participants you are currently delivering supports and services to. If you have been registered for services and supports you have not yet provided, consider removing these from your registration.
General Enquiries
1800 035 544 (free call from landlines)
Our contact centre is open 9am to 5pm local time, Monday to Friday.
To provide feedback, contact the NDIS Commission by emailing contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au.
Connect
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You can find past issues of the NDIS Commission provider newsletter on our website.