Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme, I present the following reports: General issues and the NDIS workforce interim report.

Reports made parliamentary papers in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—I will make a statement on each of the reports. I am pleased to present the General issues report of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme, a report pertaining to the committee's ongoing inquiry into general issues relating to the implementation and performance of the NDIS. This inquiry provides an opportunity for the public to present important evidence to the committee about the NDIS and how it could be improved. In particular, the inquiry is a chance for people with disability to share their experiences of the scheme. This is the committee's first report of the 46th Parliament for the general issues inquiry. It reviews issues raised during the inquiry and provides an update on the committee's recent activities. The committee makes 10 recommendations to improve the NDIS for participants, providers and other key stakeholders.

A key focus of the report is the National Disability Insurance Agency's proposal to introduce independent assessments as part of the NDIS access and planning processes. According to the agency, the introduction of independent assessments will enhance equity and consistency in access and planning decisions.

The policy intent of independent assessments is to be commended, as is the decision to offer assessments free of charge. However, a substantial number of submitters advanced that independent assessments may create challenges for people with disability, may not be an accurate means of measuring functional capacity and may not reflect adequate consultation with the disability and allied health sectors.

Independent assessments have not yet been implemented and the committee does not make any recommendations about these assessments in this report. However, the committee appreciates that the introduction of independent assessments represents a major change to the NDIS, and is cognisant that there are significant concerns that have been expressed about this matter. The committee therefore proposes to conduct a dedicated inquiry into independent assessments. This will include seeking further evidence about this matter through submissions and public hearings next year.

The report also examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had extraordinary and destructive effects on Australian society. As all here would be aware, the effects of COVID-19 have been particularly acute for people with disability, their families and friends. The pandemic has also presented serious difficulties for NDIS providers, disability support workers and others in the disability sector.

Of course, the effects of the pandemic are ongoing and likely to be with us for some time. The report examines evidence about the stress and anxiety felt by people with disability during the initial phase of the pandemic, difficulties in accessing personal protective equipment and challenges for providers continuing to offer disability supports. It also considers the government's planning and preparation for a pandemic, as well as how the NDIA and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission have responded to COVID-19.

The committee makes two recommendations on these matters. The first aims to ensure that we learn lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and are better prepared to support people with disability in future emergencies. The second proposes that the NDIA and the commission maintain beyond the COVID-19 pandemic beneficial changes that were implemented in response to the pandemic.

The report also gives voice to a number of other key issues related to the NDIS raised by participants, providers and other stakeholders. These include financial matters relating to the implementation and performance of the NDIS and issues affecting particular cohorts of people with disability. The committee makes eight recommendations intended to improve the operation of the NDIS in light of the issues raised, focused on the following matters: systemic engagement with people with psychosocial disability; ensuring cultural competency and investing in capacity building for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; supporting people with disability who are experiencing homelessness; improving the way in which the NDIA communicates with participants; and managing the circumstances associated with a participant's death.

Some of the issues reviewed in this report have been more thoroughly examined by the committee in its other inquiries, or have been considered in inquiries conducted by other bodies. Consequently, in a number of instances the committee proposes to maintain a watching brief and encourages the government to give close consideration to the matters raised in this report.

The committee thanks everyone who has contributed to this inquiry by making submissions, expressing views through correspondence or providing testimony in public hearings. In particular, the committee thanks the NDIS participants who shared their experiences. The testimony of people with lived experience is crucial to identifying issues with the NDIS and improving the operation of the scheme. With these remarks I commend the general issues inquiry to the House.

I'll now turn to the NDIS workforce interim report. The NDIS is one of Australia's most ambitious public policy initiatives. It is currently supporting over 410,000 people with disability to access services and supports. The number of participants in the NDIS is expected to grow, with the minister for the NDIS estimating that the scheme will ultimately support over 500,000 Australians.

Critical to the sustainability of the NDIS and the delivery of safe, quality disability supports is a workforce of sufficient size to meet demand with appropriate skills, qualifications and expertise. To meet growing demand for disability supports it is estimated that the NDIS workforce will need to increase by around 90,000 full-time equivalent staff over the next four to five years. However, attracting and retaining a skilled, qualified workforce is proving to be a challenging endeavour, as the sector is increasingly seen as overworked, underpaid, undervalued and poorly trained. Evidence indicates that the sector is highly casualised and work is often insecure. Remuneration may not reflect the complex and sensitive nature of disability support, workers often receive limited, if any, training from employers and there are limited opportunities for career advancement. Workers may not be adequately supervised and are often left to make complex decisions about care needs. Evidence to the committee also indicates that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to be significantly underserved by the NDIS due to acute shortages of affordable, culturally appropriate services and a lack of investment in capacity building.

More must be done to increase the representation of people with disability in the NDIS workforce, including in the leadership, managerial and technical roles. This is not only to improve employment outcomes for people with disability but to grow and enhance the quality of the NDIS workforce by harnessing the untapped potential of lived experience.

The issues identified in this report are not new. They've been identified on several occasions by this committee, as well as via numerous other review and inquiry processes and in media commentary. Many of these issues have also come into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic and have created challenges for various stakeholders seeking to manage the impact of the virus on the Australian community. Comprehensive, targeted action is required to address barriers to attracting and retaining a skilled and qualified workforce that reflects the diversity of people with a disability. Otherwise, workforce supply issues and skill gaps will likely worsen, with significant adverse consequences for participants.

This interim report makes 14 recommendations to address some of these issues, focused on addressing concerns with funding arrangements, enhancing training, growing a workforce with lived experience of disability and addressing thin markets for supports and services. The committee acknowledges actions that have been taken by the NDIA and by the Australian government more broadly to address some of the workforce issues facing the NDIS and the disability sector. However, evidence before the committee indicates that these have not been sufficient to date to address the workforce issues facing the NDIS into the future.

The committee also appreciates that the Australian government has a number of initiatives in train, including, significantly, the development of a national workforce plan. However, as many of these initiatives have not yet taken effect, it is not possible yet to determine whether they'll address the issues identified in the inquiry. The committee therefore proposes to give further consideration to the issues identified in this inquiry in the coming months, including through additional public hearings, before presenting a final report to the parliament in 2021.

In conclusion, the committee thanks all those who have participated in this inquiry so far by lodging submissions, giving testimony at public hearings or expressing their views through correspondence. I thank the other members of the committee, including the deputy chair, Senator Carol Brown. I particularly thank the secretariat, led by Bonnie Allan, for their wonderful efforts. With these comments, I commend this report to the House.

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