The Federal Government has announced that it’s going to establish a Code of Conduct for all NDIS workers to follow.
This new Code of Conduct is being established to ensure people with a disability receive NDIS supports in a safe and ethical way and will outline the obligations you and your employer will be required to follow if you work with NDIS clients.
The Code will be policed by a new Government organisation called the NDIS Commission. Anyone (e.g. worker, carer, client) will be able to make a complaint to the Commission if they believe the Code has been breached. The Commission will be given powers to then investigate the complaint – and if it is found that a worker or provider has breached the Code, the Commission will have the power to issue penalties including:
- Warnings and directions
- A fine of up to $50,000
- Cancelling registration of providers so they can’t do any other NDIS work
- Ban a worker from working in the disability sector
The Government wants the Code of Conduct and NDIS Commission to start from July next year but has only opened consultation for a few weeks. The Code and its enforcement will have huge implications for the sector and it's vital that frontline workers are properly consulted.
If you have any questions contact your local ASU delegate or Organiser for more information. We will be developing member-only information and resources to provide you with more information in the coming weeks about the new Code.