Disability Services Minister Stephen Dawson has today announced a further $2 million to strengthen the capacity of Western Australian providers to comply with the requirements of the National Disability Insurance Service Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission).
The funding will support implementing providers to audit their restrictive practices and identify where behaviour support plans are required and develop and deliver a training program about working effectively with NDIS behaviour support practitioners and how to convene an authorisation panel.
The NDIS Commission is an independent agency established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services. It regulates NDIS providers, provides national consistency, promotes safety and quality services, resolves problems and identifies areas for improvement.
Western Australia will transition to the NDIS Commission today after a five-month deferral due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Earlier this year, WA disability service providers requested that the transition be deferred to allow them to focus on critical support issues for people with disability during the initial phase of COVID-19 and subsequent recovery period.
Current quality and safeguarding arrangements for the Continuity of Support Programme for people aged 65 and over will remain with the Department of Communities.
The NDIS Commission has hosted several information webinars for NDIS providers in WA to enhance their knowledge and understanding of processes, obligations and responsibilities.
As stated by Disability Services Minister Stephen Dawson:
“This is a significant milestone in WA’s transition to the NDIS. The McGowan Government has allocated this funding through the Sector Transition Fund to ensure the sector and people with disability who self-manage their plans will be prepared to meet the requirements of the Commission.
“WA’s transition was deferred to give the disability sector time to respond to the challenges of the evolving situation around COVID-19 and focus on ensuring people with disability, their families and their carers continued to receive the supports and services they required during the pandemic.
“The Government’s Sector Transition Fund was established to safeguard the sustainability of WA’s disability sector during transition to the Australia-wide NDIS.”
