Victoria's Disability Worker Regulation Scheme is being established under the Disability Service Safeguards Act 2018.
The Act:
- creates a voluntary registration scheme for disability workers, commencing 1 July 2021
- provides a way to make a complaint about any disability worker in Victoria
- requires all unregistered disability workers to comply with a code of conduct
- creates the Victorian Disability Worker Commission, the Victorian Disability Worker Commissioner and the Disability Worker Registration Board as regulators of the scheme.
The Scheme is designed to protect vulnerable people from harm and neglect by stopping people who pose a serious risk of harm from providing disability services.
The Victorian Government asked for public and stakeholder input on the proposed regulations and code of conduct in December 2019. Consultation closed in February 2020. A summary of feedback is now on the Engage Victoria website.
Most stakeholders support the adoption of the NDIS Code of Conduct as the code of conduct for Victorian unregistered disability workers. This aligns with national NDIS requirements for disability workers and protections for people with disability, which reduces regulatory burden. Stakeholders also consider the NDIS Code of Conduct to be effective and that there will be no reduction in protections for Victorians.
The regulations also support the administration of the Scheme. In particular, they enable information sharing with other regulators, such as the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, Victorian Institute of Teaching and Secretary to the Department of Justice and Community Safety.
Stakeholders also support the adoption of NDIS worker screening offences as the prescribed offences for the scheme, once these are settled.
Other feedback will also help the Victorian Disability Worker Commission to understand the needs of disability workers and people with disability as the Scheme commences.
The Department of Health and Human Services sincerely thanks all who gave feedback. Your input has shaped the regulations for Victoria's disability workforce.
