On the eve of International Day of People with Disability, this is an interesting issue that Rick Morton has highlighted in todays Australian. What do you think? Warning over soft regulation for disability carers The Australian - December 02, 2014 Rick Morton - Social Affairs Reporter THE pressure of doubling the nation’s disability workforce to service the national disability insurance scheme has prompted the agency responsible for its delivery to relax strict care provider registration requirements, signalling a move to a more unregulated market. The Australian is aware of at least one case where the NDIS agency has agreed to provide a “restricted registration” to a home care assistant without either a TAFE qualification or extensive experience in the sector. The agency says the qualification or “similar” is “desirable” in its guide to suitability requirements. All providers, including those on a restricted list, still require police record and working with children checks. There are about 100,000 aged and disability care workers and Treasury estimates the number of the latter alone will have to double once the NDIS ramps up to cover 460,000 people with permanent and profound disability. The change of tack is only recent and has not been publicly announced by the agency. National Disability Services chief executive Ken Baker said the move was concerning. “It’s difficult to make a blanket judgment but there are certain skills that are required for work in this sector,” he said. “I would want the people who perform the work to have the appropriate skills and qualifications.” Mr Baker said the agency should not “compromise on the principle” that skills were needed in the sector. Similarly, he had concerns prices paid to one-on-one carers as set by the agency were, in some states, lower than those already charged by providers under the old system. The lower prices would imperil those who needed the highest care. In July, the agency implemented a transitional hourly rate for self-care assistance at $38.78 for standard care and a $42.94 hourly rate for high-intensity community support. By 2016 the agency’s “efficient” price will step down to $35.77 an hour and $39.27 an hour respectively. The NDIS agency had specifically requested the input of the National Disability Services working group but later ignored its advice. The agency says it needs more data to provide accurate prices. “The price increase in July did not reflect the methodology we’d agreed,” Mr Baker said. “Added to that is the concern they (the agency) set a price signal by flagging a ‘future efficient price’ without any basis for it. It is clear that will compromise quickly the choice available to people. “There is a risk that high-needs and vulnerable people will be left out. This is an important test for the NDIS. I do not think the prices pass that test.” Australian Lawyers Alliance NDIS spokesman Tony Kerin said the dimensions of the $28 billion scheme were so big they would inevitably lead to workforce problems. “In terms of compromising the standard of care, that is a worry, particularly for participants in the scheme,” he said. “It’s not inconceivable to have situations where poor operators are involved in substandard care, outside of the NDIS. I have seen cases regarding disability workers in state-based agencies where this happens. It should be unacceptable.’’ The Department of Social Services did not respond to questions. theaustralian.au/national-affairs/health/warning-over-soft-regulation-for-disability-carers/story-fn59nokw-1227141316380
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 10:59:19 +0000
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