The Health Services Union welcomes today’s announcement by the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme to initiate an inquiry into the NDIS workforce.
The HSU has always been a strong supporter of the NDIS and our longstanding position has been that quality disability services depend on a quality workforce.
For people with disabilities, skilled and well-supported workers, employed with decent working conditions and good job security, can ensure that support is consistent, high quality and responsive to clients’ choices and needs.
However, the NDIS has brought about an explosion of insecure work (more than 40% of the workforce is casually employed), alongside cuts to conditions, training and career development opportunities.
HSU members working in disability services across the country, whether as disability support workers, allied health professionals or other support staff, will be keen participants in this inquiry. As the people who deliver services on the ground, they are best placed to identify the challenges and develop the solutions to the NDIS workforce crisis.
Ultimately, we can’t deliver the high-quality NDIS people with disability so rightly demanded unless the NDIS workforce crisis is addressed.
If you have a story about your NDIS experience, whether as a worker, a participant or a family member, tell us your story – we’d love to hear from you. Click the button below:
