National Disability Insurance Scheme Workforce Plan – Priority Actions
NDIS has developed a National Workforce Plan 2021-2025. This national plan for the NDIS support workers outlines the NDIS commitment towards
A more capable NDIS workforce
Fulfilling and supporting NDIS participant’s needs
Complying with industrial standards
Actively responding to all stakeholders
The aim of this plan is to make sure that the NDIS participants get the required care and support. For this, it aims to ensure that the care and support market, as well as the workforce, is capable, skilled, and sufficient.
The care and support sector is one of the largest and fastest-growing ones in Australia. This industrial growth is greatly being driven by the rapid extensions taking place in NDIS participants, aged people, and veteran’s numbers. This increase in number is increasing the demand for care and support.
National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Plan is to attract workers with the necessary skills, attributes, and values. All this while ensuring the provision of training and development opportunities to the existing workers. This plan intends to benefit not only the participants but also service providers, workers, and the broader community.
How will the plan help?
The plan will support everyone by ensuring:
The NDIs participants have access to higher quality support and also enhanced continuity of support.
The workforce will be befitting from enhanced training and easy access to professional and personal development opportunities.
The service providers will benefit from enhanced regulations across the sector. As well as more market demand that aims to drive innovation.
There are 16 initiatives incorporated in the plan that will promote workforce growth in NDIS. It also aims to support the complementary workforce measures in aged care by putting the initiatives into 3 priorities.
Priority Actions in NDIS Workforce plan:
A total of sixteen initiatives will be implemented by the Australian Government. These initiatives will provide support for building a responsive and capable workforce. All these 16 initiatives are divided into 2 priority lists. These are:
Priority 1:
Improving community understanding of the benefits of working in the care and support sector. And strengthening entry pathways for suitable workers to enter the sector
Initiatives:
Promoting opportunities in the care and support sector
Developing a simple and accessible online tool for job seekers to self-assess their suitability for new roles based on values, attributes, skills, and experience
Improving the effectiveness of jobs boards to match job seekers to vacancies in the sector
Leveraging employment programs to ensure suitable job seekers can find work in the sector
Better connecting NDIS and care and support providers to employment and training providers and workers
Priority 2:
Providing necessary training and support to the NDIS workforce
Initiatives:
Developing micro-credentials. And also updating nationally recognized training to improve the quality of support and enhance career pathways
Working with the sector to establish a skills passport
Supporting the sector to develop a Care and Support Worker Professional Network
Supporting the sector to grow the number of traineeships and student placements. Ensuring to work closely with educational institutions and professional bodies
Priority 3:
Reducing red tape, facilitating new service models and innovation. Providing more market information about business opportunities in the care and support sector
Initiatives:
Enhancing alignment of provider regulation and worker screening across the sector
Ensuring continuous improvement in NDIS pricing approaches
Providing market demand information across the sector to help delineate new business opportunities
Supporting the participants to find more of the services and supports they need online
Exploring options to support allied health professionals to work alongside allied health assistants and support workers to increase capacity to respond to the needs of NDIS participants
Enabling allied health professionals in rural and remote areas to access professional support via telehealth
Helping to build the ATSI community-controlled sector to enhance culturally safe NDIS services