News

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) has today published its latest activity report, covering the period 1 July 2022 to 30 September 2022 for all states and territories in Australia.

The quarterly activity report provides an overview of NDIS Commission activities, including complaints, registrations, reportable incidents, behaviour support, compliance, and engagement for all stakeholders, and in particular for participants.

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner Tracy Mackey said the information collected through activity reports, together with complaints received and incident reports, offered an oversight of participants’ experiences of NDIS supports and services.

“This information shapes our safeguarding and compliance activities, and highlights areas where improvements are being made or further work is necessary to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports provided to participants,” Ms Mackey said.

The activity report results are as expected across most functions during 1 July 2022 to 30 September 2022:

• There was a 9% increase in Complaints lodged this quarter compared with last quarter, from 1812 to 1976. This was partly driven by an increase in NSW.
• The total number of registered providers plateaued to 19,536 in this quarter. The stabilisation of this figure is largely driven by targeted compliance activity leading to refusal of applications of transitional providers.
• 9% increase in reportable incidents (excluding unauthorised restrictive practices) in this quarter.
• 14% increase in behaviour support plans lodged this quarter compared with last quarter - an additional 504 plans.
• 3,252 NDIS behaviour support practitioners considered by the NDIS Commission to be suitable to deliver behaviour support services, increasing 29% from 2,529   last quarter.
• 329 NDIS Worker Screening exclusions issued this quarter, increasing 18% from the 230 issued last quarter.

The NDIS Commission continues to receive notifications relating to the use of unauthorised restrictive practices (URP) by implementing behaviour support providers, however these figures appear to be starting to stabilise.

During this reporting period, the NDIS Commission was advised of 4,228 participants subjected to 357,104 URPs, which is a 0.5% decrease in URP notification on last quarter.

“Participants subjected to URPs remain a key priority for the NDIS Commission and we continue to carry out regulatory activities with implementing providers and behaviour support practitioners to further reduce the rate of these incidents,” Ms Mackey said.

“We are also carrying out significant work to educate and build the capability of the workforce that are implementing restrictive practices, and engaging with states and territories to build on their current restrictive practice authorisation processes.

“By using our regulatory frameworks to continuously promote and remove barriers to quality and safety, and working together with providers, workers and behaviour support practitioners, the NDIS Commission is committed to ensuring all NDIS participants can choose the safe and quality services they deserve.”

Visit the NDIS Commission Activity Reports page for more information.