3.1
This chapter provides a brief overview of the committee’s NDIS Workforce Interim Report (interim report) and outlines the measures identified by the government that respond to recommendations in that report, including the NDIS National Workforce Plan: 2021-2025 and other measures outlined in the Australian Government response to the NDIS Workforce Interim Report.
NDIS Workforce Inquiry Interim Report
3.2
On 9 December 2020, the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS tabled an interim report for its inquiry into the NDIS Workforce. The unanimous report outlined key issues related to the NDIS workforce, which were raised by participants, providers, support workers, allied health professionals, representative bodies and other key stakeholders.
3.3
Aware that the Australian Government was, at the time, developing a national plan for the NDIS workforce, the committee made 14 recommendations aimed at enhancing the NDIS’ capacity to attract and retain a workforce with the skills, qualifications and experience to deliver safe, quality supports to NDIS participants.
3.4
A table presenting the recommendations made in the interim report, the committee’s reasons for the recommendations and the government response to each recommendation is available at Appendix 3.
3.5
The committee specifically outlined its views on what the content, scope and focus of the national plan should be, suggesting that the Workforce Plan should include measures to:
Improve workforce conditions.
Review existing tertiary programs, support transitions from education to employment and consider increasing investment in the tertiary education sector.
Increase—and where appropriate, harmonise—the skills and qualifications of the workforce via national accreditation.
Support the employment of people with disability in the workforce.
Address thin markets for services – with a particular focus on regional, rural and remote areas and the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Ensure the workforce is equipped to meet the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
3.6
The committee also highlighted that the plan should:
Consider the recommendations of the National Rural Health Commissioner.
Consider the needs of other sectors such as health and education.
Clarify responsibilities at the Commonwealth level for market stewardship within the NDIS.
Deliver national consistency and leadership.
3.7
A full copy of the interim report is available on the committee’s webpage.
Government responses
NDIS National Workforce Plan: 2021-2025
Overview
3.8
On 10 June 2021, the Department of Social Services (DSS) released the NDIS National Workforce Plan: 2021-2025 (Workforce Plan; the plan). The Workforce Plan outlines the Australian Government’s vision for the NDIS workforce, the context in which the plan was developed and the state of the care and support workforce. The Workforce Plan includes 16 actions, aimed at enabling the development of a responsive and capable workforce.
3.9
The government stated that its vision for the plan is to ‘build a responsive and capable workforce that supports NDIS participants to meet their needs and achieve their goals’. The Workforce Plan notes that governments, peak bodies and workers need to work together to:
support and retain existing workers
maintain quality of participant supports delivered by workers; and
support sector efficiency and innovation.
3.10
The Workforce Plan also provides context on the current conditions and circumstances surrounding the plan, including information on the current state of the care and support workforce.
3.11
The Workforce Plan sets out three priority areas and within that, 16 initiatives aimed at driving better workforce outcome and growth:
Priority 1: Improve community understanding of the benefits of working in the care and support sector and strengthen entry pathways for suitable workers to enter the sector.
Priority 2: Train and support the NDIS workforce.
Priority 3: Reduce red tape, facilitate new service models and innovation, and provide more market information about business opportunities in the care and support sector.
3.12
The below figure illustrates the Workforce Plan’s priorities and actions:
3.13
The plan notes that the Australian Government will work with state and territory governments, industry, providers, participant groups and workers to design and deliver its initiatives. The plan provides a brief outline of the Government’s consultation and engagement strategy, which includes:
Convening stakeholder briefing sessions shortly after publication of the plan, followed by regular updates.
Engagement sessions and working groups to support the co-design of the initiatives in the plan where appropriate, drawing on the experience of peak bodies, providers and participant groups.
Ongoing collaboration with states and territories on linkages between the Plan and related state and territory initiatives.
3.14
According to the plan, DSS will monitor and evaluate the success of the plan through to 2025, using success indicators for each initiative and 'established stakeholder feedback mechanisms'. Further, the plan will be reviewed and adjusted over time to take account of feedback from stakeholders and findings of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with a Disability.
3.15
In a supplementary submission, DSS told the committee that the plan was subject to extensive consultation, including a survey (which received 570 responses), workshops and meetings. Stakeholders engaged throughout these processes included:
Disability Reform Ministers
state and territory governments
Australian Government agencies.
Workforce Plan Quarterly Update
3.16
A quarterly update on the workforce plan, released in October 2021, provides an implementation overview for the plan’s 16 initiatives. It includes a ‘planned implementation timeline’ which illustrates the progress of each initiative as at October 2021. A copy of the timeline is provided at Appendix 4.
3.17
Initiative by initiative, the quarterly update also highlights key achievements so far, and discusses next steps for implementation. The update also outlines funding details for five of the 16 initiatives.
Government response to the NDIS Workforce Interim Report
3.18
On 7 October 2021, the Australian Government tabled the government response to this inquiry’s NDIS Workforce interim report. The government noted three, supported five and ‘supported in principle’ six recommendations made in the interim report. The government response to each recommendation will be discussed further throughout the remainder of this report.
3.19
A full copy of the government response can be viewed on the committee’s webpage.