Providing a safe environment for NDIS Participants
NSW and SA NDIS registered providers have a number of new responsibilities under the new NDIS Quality and Safeguards arrangements.
Providing a safe environment for the NDIS participants they support is a significant part of these responsibilities.
The recent NSW Ombudsman’s Report on the deaths of people with disability who lived in residential care in 2014-2017 identified a range of actions that disability providers should undertake to reduce preventable deaths. You can read a Snapshot - Deaths in 2014-2017 of people with disability in residential care or view the full report on the Ombudsman website: Report of Reviewable Deaths in: 2014 and 2015, 2016 and 2017 – deaths of people with disability in residential care.
All NDIS providers must comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct. The Code includes the responsibility to provide services and supports in a safe and competent manner with care and skill.
NDIS registered providers must also comply with the NDIS Practice Standards relevant to the services and supports they provide. The Practice standards for registration groups set are online: Registration Requirements by Supports and Services. The indicators that providers must meet to comply are also online: NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators. The Core practice standards include responsibilities to make sure each NDIS participant accesses services and supports:
- free from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination
- in a safe environment that is appropriate to their needs
- where any risks to them are identified and managed
- where their needs are met by workers who are competent in relation to their role, hold relevant qualifications and expertise and experience in providing person centered support
- where incidents are acknowledged responded to and well managed and learned from.
NDIS registered providers must report to the NDIS Commission serious incidents (including allegations) that happen when participants are accessing NDIS supports or services. Reportable incident responsibilities are online: Reportable incidents, including the death of any NDIS participant must be reported to the NDIS Commission within 24 hours of the incident.
For NDIS providers who are registered to deliver High Intensity Daily Personal Activities the NDIS Commission has released a guide to assist providers in understanding their obligations when delivering certain types of support. You can find that guide online: High Intensity Skills Descriptors
NDIS provider compliance against the Code and the Practice Standards will be assessed through the registration renewal process.