Worker screening underpins safer care
New, legally-binding worker screening checks – endorsed in Queensland Parliament this week – are an important step towards safer support for people with a disability, under the NDIS.
The legislation paved the way for the new NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, which will provide oversight for disability support in Queensland.
The bill strengthens existing screening processes and puts safeguards in place to monitor whether or not a worker poses a risk for a person with disability.
From 1 July 2019, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission will also support the implementation of a nationally consistent worker screening framework, for the first time.
It’s a welcome change designed to stop discredited workers from moving states to work with vulnerable people, and was a recommendation of the Senate Inquiry into abuse of people with a disability in 2015.
Endeavour Foundation applauds the move towards mandatory screening for all support workers employed by registered service providers.
We also hope to see a robust worker screening process for individual support workers who provide care without being employed by a registered service provider.
Andrew Donne
Endeavour Foundation CEO