The Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors has developed a nationally consistent worker screening system for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to improve safeguards for people with disability.
Minister for Disability Services, Coralee O’Rourke said the Disability Services and Other Legislation (Worker Screening) Bill had been introduced to replace existing worker screening provisions under the Disability Services Act 2006.
“This Bill will strengthen safeguards for people with disability following the rollout of the NDIS,” Mrs O’Rourke said.
“The legislative amendments in this Bill will support the implementation of nationally-consistent worker screening for the first time ever.”
She said the new system for screening meant clearances and exclusions would be recognised across all States and Territories.
“The Bill will also enable ongoing monitoring of a screened worker’s criminal history at a national level,” Mrs O’Rourke said.
“This means that if someone commits an offence in another State or Territory, we will know about it and be able to take action to assess whether the person should be issued with an exclusion.”
She said the existing State screening system would continue to provide safeguards and apply until the new NDIS worker screening began, at a time subject to national agreement.
Mrs O’Rourke said the Bill also included provisions to enable Queensland to operate a State disability worker screening system for certain disability services it continues to fund, or deliver, which are not covered by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
“This is about making sure the highest levels of safeguards apply and that we are assessing the history of those seeking to work with people with disability as thoroughly as possible,” the Minister said.
