8 November 2021

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

The Tasmanian Government has announced new requirements for employers in relation to the COVID-19 vaccination of certain workers in Tasmania, including some disability workers. There are also requirements for some workers.

Key points

• New requirements are in place for vaccination of some disability workers in Tasmania.
• By 21 November 2021, workers providing high intensity supports to an NDIS participant must have either:
  • had all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine; or
  • received a first dose and have evidence of a booking to receive other required doses of the vaccination; or
  • have evidence of a booking for the first dose.
• Some exemptions apply.
• Providers must maintain records relating to a workers’ vaccination status for all workers that are required to be vaccinated.
• Ensure that you and your workers understand what these mandatory requirements are, and how they affect the supports and services you deliver.
• Review your business continuity and contingency plans to ensure that continuity of critical supports can be maintained while complying with the new vaccination requirements.

COVID-19 vaccination requirements

The Tasmanian Government has announced mandatory vaccination requirements for disability workers that provide high intensity supports to an NDIS participant.

High intensity supports include:

• assistance with daily life tasks in a group or shared living arrangement
• group and centre-based activities
• specialist supported employment
• assistance with daily personal activities
• community nursing care
• therapeutic supports.

The new requirements are in the Direction under Section 16: Vaccination requirements for Certain Workers – No 8 (PDF 749KB) under the Public Health Act 1997. The requirements took effect on 3 November 2021.

Under the requirements:

• on and from 21 November 2021 a worker employed or engaged to provide high intensity supports to an NDIS participant must not provide those supports to the participant unless the worker is ‘sufficiently vaccinated’ as defined by the direction unless the worker has an exemption
• in broad summary, to be ‘sufficiently vaccinated’ workers providing high intensity supports to an NDIS participant must have either:
  • had all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine; or
  • received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and made a booking to receive other required doses as soon as reasonably possible; or
  • provide evidence of a booking to receive the first dose, and as soon as reasonably possible receive all required doses
• there are exemptions from the requirement to be ‘sufficiently vaccinated'
• workers required to be vaccinated will need to provide evidence of their vaccination status, or a vaccination medical exemption
• a worker who is not fully vaccinated by 21 November 2021 has to provide evidence of being fully vaccinated as soon as practicable after the evidence is issued to the worker
• as soon as reasonably possible after 3 November 2021, providers with workers covered by the requirements must take all reasonable steps to notify those workers of the vaccination requirements
• providers must maintain records relating to a worker’s vaccination status for all workers that are required to be vaccinated

• the operator of premises where high intensity supports are provided may refuse to allow a person to be on those premises if not satisfied that the person has been vaccinated as required by the directions

We strongly encourage you to read the full details on the Tasmanian 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 they and their disability workers 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.

Registered NDIS Provider obligations

Compliance with state laws is a condition of registration

Registered NDIS providers are required to comply with these Tasmanian 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.

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. If the changes or events result from the COVID-19 outbreak 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.

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.