NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner speaks up against abuse and neglect of people with a disability

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner Graeme Head, has published a statement following the release of recent statistics. He has urged people with a disability to speak up about abuse and neglect of people with a disability. 

The Statistics

The Department of Social Services recently released some alarming data. The report shows six people with a disability are assaulted or neglected each week in Australia. Figures from the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline also show an increase in the number of reports this year. There were 198 reports of neglect, abuse and sexual assault received in the first six months of this year. This is up from 180 for the six months prior.

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is part of the federal government’s response to concerns about abuse and neglect of people with a disability. Its role is to oversee private providers who offer services to people with a disability under the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Mr. Head said that he wanted to empower people with a disability to report cases of neglect and abuse and that “a really well functioning complaints management system” was critical to achieve that.

Mr. Head also said that both registered and unregistered providers would be bound by a code of conduct. The commission will also have “a comprehensive toolkit” to deal with those who did not follow the rules. The range of actions available to the commission include the power for “deregistration, banning orders and seeking the application of civil penalties”.

The commission also works to introduce new NDIS worker screening checks and educates organisations on all mandatory reportable incidents.

Our Commitment

At ONCALL, we commit to playing our part in helping to stamp out abuse. ONALL played a central role in the zero-tolerance to abuse initiative. The issue is very close to our hearts.

We urge anyone who is experiencing abuse or neglect to raise this with a staff member or contact the commission directly:

The office of the Disability Services Commissioner

Phone 1800 677 342

Website https://www.odsc.vic.gov.au/