Commonwealth update on NDIS participants and COVID-19 – 19 August 2020

Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Stuart Robert, today announced the Commonwealth will commence providing data on infection rates of COVID-19 for NDIS participants and workers.

The reporting will ensure accurate and timely information is being provided to the community. The data is collated through reporting mechanisms of the NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission and compiled by the Commonwealth’s NDIS Critical Response Group.

The Commonwealth is continuing to work closely with the Victorian Government through its formal representation on the Victorian Government’s Disability Rapid Response Group (DRRG). The Commonwealth has been a formal member of the DRRG since 29 July 2020, attended by the Registrar of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)’s Incident Leader and the NDIA’s Specialist Medical Adviser, Dr David Ashbridge.

The DRRG is actively monitoring and rapidly responding to any incidence of COVID-19 amongst all people with disability and service providers, not just those within the NDIS. This includes:

• supported residential settings regulated by the Victorian Government and provided to the NDIS on an in-kind basis (45 per cent of supported residential settings in Victoria)
• Supported Residential Services regulated by the Victorian Government (e.g. Hambleton House, Lilydale Lodge)
• Public, social and community housing provided by the Victorian Government.

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit in the early stages of 2020, the Commonwealth, through the Department of Social Services, the NDIA and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission have worked closely with states and territories to ensure essential support is in place for NDIS participants, workers and providers. The Commonwealth is currently in discussions with other states and territories, with a priority on NSW, about the need to establish and participate in their disability response groups.

Visit www.ndis.gov.au/coronavirus for more information.

COVID-19 cases notified to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission as at Tuesday, 18 August 2020

Notes:

– Data only includes cases of COVID-19 in NDIS funded supports and services notified to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission by registered NDIS providers. NDIS supports and services include those provided to people with disability in their own homes, or in disability accommodation supports under the NDIS. Infections may not occur due to the provision of NDIS supports and services and include acquired infections in the community.

– Data does not include: reports of people with disability who manage their own supports in the NDIS, as they are not required to report; all NDIS participants who may be residing in residential aged care where their providers are not required to be registered NDIS providers; and in-kind supports or other services that are under the jurisdiction of any other state and territory government, which may include Supported Residential Services, public housing, social and community housing.

– Active cases are determined by advice from providers to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. In order to protect individuals’ privacy, active cases are not specified in jurisdictions where there are low reports of infection.