Quality Commission Update
The Commission is taking a phased approach to ensuring organisations meet the new national requirements. This means that if your organisation recently went through a state or territory audit process for disability services you don’t need to worry immediately, but they are encouraging everyone to start getting ready now.
If you are a registered NDIS service provider, you will need to comply with:
- NDIS code of conduct
- NDIS practice standards
- Complaints management requirements
- Incident management and reportable incident management requirements
- Worker screening
- Behaviour support requirements where applicable
The commission is responsible to registering NDIS providers. There are two pathways for registration and ongoing compliance against the requirements:
- Verification – for providers providing low risk services
- Certification – for providers providing more complex supports
Incidents and complaints: service providers are expected to have functional quality management systems that effectively manage incidents and complaints. The Commission will have responsibility for complaints about NDIS providers and will investigate where required.
Reportable incidents include, death, abuse and neglect, serious injury, sexual or physical assault, sexual misconduct, unauthorised us of restrictive practices. Organisations should have robust procedures in place to support the reportage of incidents and complaints. The Commission has a range of investigative and enforcement tools to support enforcement, from support and information through to organisational bans.
Behaviour support: State and Territory governments remain responsible for authorising restrictive practices in their jurisdiction. The NDIS Senior Practicioner wil provide clinical leadership for behaviour support and the reduction and elimination of restrictive practices.
Worker screening: a shared responsibility between Commonwealth, State and Territory governements. The Comission will oversee national policy directions while states and territories will enact national screening policies.
NDIS Code of Conduct: applies to all registered and unregistered providers and workers. Works in conjunction with existing professional code of conducts such as those relating to allied health profressionals.
Check out the Commission’s new website or the federal Department of Social Services website.