National Disability Services

They’re back! Nominations for the National Disability Awards 2024 are now open.🎉

It’s time to nominate the stars showing excellence, passion, vision and commitment to supporting people with disability - just like our previous winner of the Excellence in Disability Support award, John Holdcroft. 🌟

Called by his employer Workpower, “a shining star in the disability sector,” John has used his background in human services and recruitment to find great jobs for his clients over the past seven years.

📅 Nominations close Monday 12 August

If you know an individual who provides excellence in supports, services and opportunities to meet the needs of people with disability, nominate them for the Excellence in Disability Support award now.

👉https://www.nds.org.au/index.php/resources/all-resources/national-disability-awards

National Disability Awards Celebrate the significant contribution of individual workers and teams who support people with disability to achieve their goals at the upcoming National Disability Awards. On this page About the Awards Key dates Awards Categories How to nominate Sponsorship opportunities Awards Ceremony About the A...

At the centre of disability sector sustainability is employee wellbeing. But where can you find the right tools, or even gain practical guidance, to improve the wellbeing of your colleagues?🤔​

📅Thursday 15 August
📍Online

Hosted by CEO of Macarthur Disability Services Jeff Scobie, and Amanda Mesa, our presentation 'Changing work design to improve the mental health of staff' focuses on the SMART Work Design Model, empowering employees to redesign aspects of their and their team’s jobs, and evaluating how work design and wellbeing changes after SMART interventions.

If you're a Frontline Manager, don't miss this chance to help your colleagues - register now.​

Changing work design to improve the mental health of staff  This presentation will focus on the positive impacts of the Design for Care research project with Macarthur Disability Services (MDS).

Don't get left behind - prepare for the future of disability employment now at our upcoming Disability at Work Conference!

📅Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 July 2024
📍Sydney, New South Wales

This is our final call for registrations – and we know you won't want to miss this stellar line up, packed with essential sessions on the disability employment space, including:

✅​The Minister's Address with The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP (Virtual)
✅​Leveraging technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to increase inclusion with Tracey Spicer AM GAICD
✅​A presentation on Harnessing Virtual Reality for Cost-Effective Advancements in Disability Employment
✅​A panel discussion on advocating for individuals with high support needs
.. and much more!

Register by Monday 5:00 pm AEST on our event page.

👉https://www.nds.org.au/events-and-training/all-events-and-training/disability-at-work-conference-2024-5161

Thank you to our sponsors HESTA, StreetFleet, genU, MEGT Australia, Endeavour Foundation, etrainu.com, Monash University Business School, Centre for Social Impact

Are you a newly appointed quality officer or quality manager? Let us help you get up to speed - in both your role, and with disability sector requirements.🏃​

📅Tuesday 13 August
📍Online

Run in partnership with Purpose at Work and facilitated by Dr Alan Hough and Alex Carbonetti, our comprehensive training, The New Quality Manager and Officer, will help ease you into your new role and responsibilities.

We'll take you through the quality and safeguarding system and other relevant quality frameworks, understanding key risks in your organisation, knowing how to work productively with regulators and external quality auditors, and much more.

Fill out your expression of interest (EOI) form on our website now.

👉https://www.nds.org.au/index.php/training-and-development/scheduled-training/the-new-quality-manager-and-officer-5291

The countdown for the Disability at Work conference has begun – and now, it's time to welcome our conference emcee, Téa Rundback! 👏

📅Tuesday 23 July and Wednesday 24 July
📍Sydney, New South Wales

Téa is a young woman who lives with invisible disabilities and neurodivergence, and is a disability activist, a business owner, a speaker and a lived-experience researcher.✊

She is the founder of Invisible Disability Solutions (IDS), which provides individualised Personal Support Assistant services to those living with or caring for people living with invisible disability and neurodivergence, and is on a mission to reduce the barriers to maintaining meaningful work for people with invisible disability.🌻​

Whether it's her encouraging way of addressing health and disability, or talking about what the sunflower symbol means, we know you'll learn a lot from Téa.

So don’t miss out - secure your place today before registrations close!
👉https://www.nds.org.au/events-and-training/all-events-and-training/disability-at-work-conference-2024-5161

Thank you to our event sponsors HESTA, genU, Endeavour Foundation, etrainu.com , Monash University Business School, and MEGT Australia

We know conflict isn't everyone’s favourite topic - but learning to deal with conflict in your work and personal life is an important skill to have. 💪​

📅Tuesday 6 August
📍Online

Our Productive Conflict training is here to help you improve your conflict resolution skills, by exploring positive and negative conflict, examining some basic communication strategies, and promoting the development of negotiation and influencing skills.

We'll take you through some of the deeper psychological drivers behind our behaviours including becoming hypercritical, revenge, defensiveness, and stonewalling - and teach you the skills to resolve them.

Get your spot at this important training before it's gone.​

👉​https://www.nds.org.au/index.php/training-and-development/scheduled-training/productive-conflict-scheduled-workshop-5227

📢​Calling all Disability Workers: Complete our survey and go in the draw for one of three $500 eGift cards!

📅​Survey closes Sunday 21 July

We've partnered with Painted Dog Research to conduct a quick survey with disability support workers and frontline supervisors. We want to understand what is important to disability support workers when it comes to skills, qualifications, and training - and you all it takes is 15 minutes of your time.

Complete the survey and go in the draw for a eGift card now
👉 https://painteddogresearch.com/ndsworkforce

From today until Sunday 14 July, we're celebrating NAIDOC week - the National Aboriginal and Islander day Observance Committee week to honour and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. ❤️​💛​🖤​

If you're looking for a way to learn more about First Nations people currently living with disability, then the good people over at First Peoples Disability Network have got you covered.

Dedicated to bringing attention to the specific needs of First Peoples with disability and their families, they have some great resources available to help you learn more about first nation's knowledge, history, and stories.

You can watch films, view planning resources and much more on their website now.
👉 https://bit.ly/4eSGQH9

Lately, we've been focusing a lot on Palliative care – and how to support people living with disability to access it - with everything from events and panel discussions to resources.

That's why we're sharing the good work of Southern Metropolitan Region Palliative Care Consortium, who are delivering Palliative Care sessions for Personal Care Workers, with short, sharp education sessions run online every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 July to 7 August.

You can check out our growing Palliative care resource on the NDS website.

👉 https://www.nds.org.au/resources/all-resources/palliative-care-life-limiting-illness-and-support-for-people-with-a-disability

Find out more about the Consortium's sessions on their website: https://smrpcc.org.au/

Palliative Care, life limiting illness, and support for people with a disability Learn more about what palliative care is, how to support people living with a disability to access it, and information and resources for disability providers and support workers.

We've been saddened to hear of the recent death of John Walsh AO, one of the architects of the , at the age of 73.💐​

A powerful and engaging presenter, John's expert opinion and lived experience were crucial in the Commission’s decision to recommend setting up the NDIS. John challenged leaders in the sector to focus on delivery of quality person-centred supports and the prevention of abuse.

NDS President Rohan Braddy has said, “It’s sad to hear of the passing of one of the architects of the NDIS. The Scheme was shaped by his professional expertise and lived experience; the reforms to come will carry forth his example and his philosophy.”

The disability sector has lost a great advocate for the NDIS and a tireless campaigner for the rights of people with disability, and all at NDS send their condolences and best wishes to John’s family.❤️

You can read our full article on John Walsh on our website.👇 ​

Farewell John Walsh AO One of the architects of the NDIS, John Walsh believed strongly in the rights of people with disability and the power of their decision making.

July is ; a time to both honour and to recognise the almost one in five people worldwide currently living with disability.💜

To celebrate, our friends at Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) are spotlighting stories from women, girls and gender diverse people all throughout July - to show just what's possible when are included.✊

Learn more from their post below.👇

It's July, which means it's also Disability Pride Month! 🦾🦻🦿🦼🩼
This is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. This year's theme is "We Want a Life Like Yours" - people with disabilities and chronic conditions deserve to live full, self-determined lives (just like everyone else), but many of us still face discrimination for our access and support needs, appearances and identities. We need to uplift our community and represent the diversity of disability. That’s why Women with Disabilities Australia will spotlight inspiring and real stories from women, girls and gender-diverse people with disability this July, and show what is possible with inclusion!

Join WWDA today to become a part of our diverse, amazing community, and maybe share your story with Neve or Our Site? 💜 wwda.org.au/join-wwda

[Image Description: This post has a purple-blue gradient background. The white WWDA logo is in the top-right corner. In large white text at the top of the tile it says: "July is Disability Pride Month!" In the bottom half of the tile there is a drawn image of people with different disability, identities and backgrounds. One on the far right is being assisted by a guide dog. At the bottom of the tile, under the feet of these characters, are the Disability Pride stripes, in order: black, green, blue, white, yellow, red and black.].

We've got some exciting news to share - we're delighted to welcome Tracey Spicer AM GAICD, multiple Walkley Award winning author, journalist, and broadcaster, as one of our highly regarded speakers at the upcoming Disability at Work Conference.🎉

📅 Tuesday 23 July to Wednesday 24 July
📍 Sydney New South Wales

Join us at the Disability at Work Conference as Tracey discusses how leveraging can be used to increase inclusion - a topic she spent seven years researching to write her own book.✊

This year’s conference promises invaluable networking opportunities, insightful presentations, and more captivating speakers like Tracey.

Don't miss this opportunity - secure your place today.👉​ https://bit.ly/3VJUbJ3

Thank you to our event sponsors HESTA, genU, Endeavour Foundation, etrainu.com, Monash University Business School, and MEGT Australia.

Disability at Work Conference 2024 National Disability Services (NDS) calls on employment service providers and other professional employment specialists, to help shape and drive the program for NDS's Disability at Work Conference.

🚨NDS Member Exclusive content: The National Disability Insurance Agency's Annual Pricing Review rise of 3.19 per cent fails both providers and participants. We've got a comprehensive analysis of the headlines ready for members on our website.

Yet again, the prices set by the go nowhere near to covering increases in the costs of running a well-managed service.

Our question is, do these prices signal the value of fair pay and safe employment conditions? Do they assume the importance of career pathways for their workers and investing in quality, safety and accountability?

Or are they the sign of a market where any provider will do?

Read our analysis now.👇

NDIS pricing announcement fails participants and providers The Annual Pricing Review rise of 3.19 per cent is not enough to secure the continuity of supports for people with disability.

The 's Annual Pricing Review rise of 3.19 per cent announced today falls far short of what the sector needs, failing to cover rising operational costs and necessities like training and onboarding.

Everyone needs an NDIS that delivers value for money, meets its objectives and fulfils human rights - and yet again, the prices set by the NDIA go nowhere near to covering increases in the costs of running a well-managed service. 💸​

We have been concerned for a long time about the NDIA’s incompetent approach to setting prices, and the only way forward is pricing that is independent, transparent, fair and accountable.

Read the our media statement now.👇 Further analysis to follow for NDS members today as we dissect the details.

Government’s NDIS Annual Pricing Review ‘Ripping Off’ Australians with disability and disability services NDS are calling out the government’s Pricing Review for ‘ripping off’ Australians with disability and disability services across the country.

Emergency health services are under pressure - and that means health authorities are urging the public to use emergency departments and ambulance services for only life-threatening immediate care.❤️‍🩹

That's why it's important for disability workers in residential accommodation, respite care and in-home care to get familiar with non-life-threatening emergency care options - and thankfully, there's lots of options available in your state or territory.

We've got a comprehensive list of all your urgent care helpline and clinic options on our website, which also include links to video resources, a symptom checker, and where to turn for interpreter support.

Learn more.👉 https://bit.ly/3L0hSHR ​

Providers urged to use emergency services only for life-threatening health needs In the face of high demand for emergency services, providers should consider alternatives when the condition is not life-threatening.

Have you seen our preliminary program for the upcoming Disability at Work Conference? It's just been released and we're ready for a sneak peak!

✅ The Australian Government's policy direction for disability employment
✅ Customised employment: the theory and practical application
✅ The importance of economic participation for quality of life
✅ Employer perspectives on inclusive employment
✅ Insights into international employment models and the role of innovation
✅ Post-budget insights and so much more.

📅 Mark your calendars for 23 and 24 July and we'll see you at the Sydney Masonic Centre!​

👉https://www.nds.org.au/index.php/events-and-training/nds-events/disability-at-work-conference-2024-5161

📣Get in before July 1!
NDS has partnered with etrainu to bring you the Workforce Essentials eLibrary - the perfect solution to support providers to become NDIS compliant and deliver the best quality care.

An online training solution with over 80 assets mirrored to the NDIS Practice Standards, this interactive training focuses on support workers, administrators and executives within the care and support industry.

More than 1200 support providers already use Workforce Essentials, with courses that cover important topics like infection control, medication management and manual handling.

⭐If you have an NDS membership, you're also eligible for a discount on online training!

See the complete list of training courses in Workforce Essentials
👉https://etrainu.com/solution/disability

etrainu Disability Training | We change the way you learn etrainu's online disability awareness training eLibrary helps you provide the support people with disability deserve. Aligned to the NDIS Practice Standards, you can have the confidence to train your staff anywhere, at any time.

🕒Time's ticking! Don't miss your chance to join us at NDS's Victorian State Conference. Get ready for the insightful panel discussion 'Sustainable Practice for Business Longevity' where industry experts from accounting, legal, and asset management will unleash powerful insights to drive your business forward.

Featuring the brilliant minds of:
🧠Jonathan Teh, Principal at Russell Kennedy Lawyers
🧠Daniel Tome, Partner - Private Clients at Perpetual
🧠Siobhain Simpson, Audit Partner at StewartBrown

Secure your spot now!👉https://bit.ly/4b09qmQ

As always it is a pleasure to have StreetFleet on board as our Platinum Sponsor and Perpetual as our Gold Sponsor.

The recent King’s Birthday honours recognised hundreds of Australians giving dedicated service to their communities. NDS would like to make a special mention of a few serving the disability sector, whether it be in research, government or on the front line.

Congratulations to ✨Sherene Devanesen, the former CEO of provider Yooralla , who was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for a lifetime’s work in community health.

And ✨David Willersdorf’s contribution to Greater Dandenong was recognised with an AM, but we also recognise him for his years of involvement with support provider Wallara.

Awarded an OAM, ✨Cheryl Kitto has given years of service to many community organisations around Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. She has been on the board of Dare Disability Support since 2014.

The Co-founder of the Global Alliance for Disability in Media, ✨Catia Malaquias, also received an OAM for service to people with disability, particularly her championing their greater and more positive representations in the media.

In WA, ✨Marion Hailes-McDonald, the Director for the Office of Disability, was recognised for her decade’s long service with the Public Service Medal.

In academia, Prof. ✨Elizabeth Kendall from Griffith University became a Member of the Order of Australia for her research in rehabilitation and disability.

✨Donna Rousham has volunteered for Variety the Children’s Charity in Darwin for thirty years and founded their Starfish Swim Group in 2007. She is a great example of grassroots dedication that the disability sector relies on and well deserves her Order of Australia medal.

Our congratulations and gratitude go to all.
See the full list 👉https://www.gg.gov.au/kings-birthday-2024-honours-list

📢Did you know people with disability are less likely to receive palliative care than those without. At NDS, we're working to change this.

Discover what palliative care is and how to support people with disability to access it with our comprehensive resource.
➡️ https://bit.ly/3WLTX6h

Recently we brought over 200 people together for a forum in Melbourne, where we explored how living with disability and life-limiting illness should not be a barrier to end-of-life conversations and planning. Would you be interested in a national palliative care forum? Let us know in the comments below! Let's make a difference together. 💪

National Disability Services NDS represents service providers across Australia in their work to deliver high-quality services

Our friends at Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) have launched their new website, Neve. The site was co-designed for women, girls and gender diverse people with disability, as well as their families and those who support them.

The section for disability professionals provides over 70 topics covering wellbeing, support, safety awareness and violence education.

The site available in both Easy Read and plain English versions. Check it out!👇

Neve is also here to support our professionals who are dedicated to supporting women, girls, and gender-diverse people with disabilities!

Neve has a dedicated resource hub available to:
- Elevate your work with our free resources.
- Courses to expand your knowledge.
- Factsheets & guides for inclusive, practical support
- Worker wellbeing tools – because caring for yourself is essential.

Let's empower each other to make a greater difference because here at Neve we understand the importance of supporting those who support others.

For all professionals, find out more about the resources we have available in Easy Read: neve.wwda.org.au
For professionals in Plain English: neve-plainenglish.wwda.org.au/for-professionals

And just like that, our Virtual Workforce Conference has come to a close. ✨​
Today we had the privilege of hearing from industry experts Laurie Leigh, CEO of NDS, and Associate Professors Roxanna Pebdani and Justin Scanlan from the Centre for Disability Research at the University of Sydney.

They delved deep into the data released today in the Workforce Census Report and found:
➡️More employees were recruited, but turnover rates remain high.
➡️The cost of workforce turnover is not sustainable.
➡️Rates of employment of people with a disability in the sector remain low, but the survey responses may point to improvements.

Want the full scoop? Dive into the findings by accessing the Virtual Workforce Conference on-demand for the next 30 days! You'll also get a chance to look back on all the amazing presentations - that's almost 15 hours of quality content.

If you haven't already registered, it's not too late
👉https://bit.ly/4bih2S6

Thank you to our sponsor HESTA.

📢 Member Exclusive 📢
NDS’s latest Workforce Census Report, released today, shows that the sector’s workforce recruitment and retention problems have not eased, with casual turnover continuing to increase – now at 24 per cent.

Providers face serious workforce pressures as they enter a long period of NDIS reform, with estimated sector costs of more than $80 million from staff turnover alone.

Launching the report at the NDS Workforce Virtual Conference today, NDS CEO Laurie Leigh said, “As we move into this period of sector reform, our latest survey shows that workforce shortages have become entrenched. Recruitment proved to be just as hard as last year, turnover is just as unsustainable, and there’s still no proper compensation in NDIS pricing for training and onboarding.”

More than 360 organisations responded to the survey covering 2023, representing around 67,000 disability support employees in the country.

The full report and key findings are available exclusively to NDS members.
Read it now 👇

NDS Workforce Census Report finds entrenched disability workforce shortages Latest report shows the Australian disability workforce supply and turnover issues continue.

Make a splash without ever leaving your desk - with our upcoming Skills Bank Plunge Pools for disability workers.🌊

📅 ​Wednesday 12 June
📍Online

We want to hear from you. Join us for interactive sessions to build the disability sector “Skills Bank", a place for you to help document the essential skills for disability support workers and frontline supervisors.

In collaboration with the Workforce Capability Framework and the NDIS Practice Standards, your input will inform NDS policy and advocacy on training needs for the disability sector, funding for training to support you to build a skilled disability workforce, and much more.

Snorkels and masks are optional!🥽Register below.

👉​https://www.nds.org.au/events-and-training/all-events-and-training/skills-bank-plunge-pools-5271

Disability service providers: ever wondered how your workforce compares to others operating in the market? Now is the time to find out.

📅 Wednesday 5 June
📍Online

The 2024 NDS Workforce Census data collection has now been completed – and the survey findings will be published at our Virtual Workforce Conference.

This conference is your chance to gain valuable insight into disability workforce data, as well as take time out from the daily grind to explore innovative strategies to support workplace wellbeing.

Important workforce sessions just like this one are happening at the conference – so secure your tickets today.

👉https://www.nds.org.au/events-and-training/all-events-and-training/nds-s-workforce-virtual-conference-2024-5087

NDS’s Virtual Workforce Conference 2024 Registrations are open for NDS's Virtual Workforce Conference. Held virtually on 5 June 2024, the theme of this year's conference is 'Working well', providing an opportunity to take time out from the daily grind to explore innovative strategies to support workplace wellbeing.

If you're looking for a guiding hand to take you through risk assessment steps - or just need a refresher - we're here for you. 👐

📅​Wednesday 19 June
📍Online

Our Client Risk Assessment Workshop will walk you through how to complete a risk assessment, enabling effective planning and meeting .

Through a combined self-paced e-learning module and instructor led training, you'll gain the confidence to understand Quality Standard requirements and best practice for risk assessment, how to analyse risk and determine the likelihood and severity of the risk, understand the decisions that need to be made after an assessment, and much more.

Get started on our website.

👉​ https://www.nds.org.au/events-and-training/all-events-and-training/client-risk-assessment-workshop-5222

Client Risk Assessment Workshop This course will walk you though how to complete a risk assessment to identify causes, enable effective risk management strategies to be put in place and meet Quality Standards.