Protecting 24-hour support arrangements for people with disability | NDIS | consultations | fair work
| Policy and Advocacy | News
| Text only
| NDIS | consultations | fair work
| Policy and Advocacy | News
| Text only
The Self Manager Hub has made a submission to the Fair Work Commission about proposed changes to the SCHADS Award.
We support fair pay for disability support workers. Support work has been undervalued for too long, and workers should be properly paid and protected.
But we are concerned that proposed changes could unintentionally make some individualised support arrangements harder to use.
Some people with disability use the 24-hour care provision in the SCHADS Award. This can allow one trusted worker to stay for a 24-hour period when support is needed at different times across the day and night.
For some people, this helps them:
- have fewer workers coming into their home
- reduce handovers between workers
- keep a small team of trusted workers
- get support from people who know their needs well
- stay living safely in their own home.
If this option is removed, some people may need more short shifts, overnight shifts, and workers. This could increase NDIS costs and make self-directed support arrangements harder to maintain.
We are asking the Fair Work Commission to protect access to 24-hour care arrangements for appropriate individualised in-home disability support.
We also want any changes to be properly assessed before they are introduced, including their impact on people with disability, workers, and NDIS costs.
Fair wages and individualised support should be protected together.
You can read the Self Manager Hub’s full submission to the Fair Work Commission to learn more about our concerns and recommendations.