As per rules already set by the NDIS commission, disability workers are required to be screened to ensure that they do not pose a risk to people with disability. As of now, whoever has applied for a disability worker screening check are all set to have portable screening credentials in an online centralised clearance database.
This database is core element of COAG agreement and will be administered by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, whereas states and territories (who agreed to creation of this database in May 2018) will to continue to perform the checks.
“Examples of personal information which may be contained in the database include information relating to the identity of persons who have made an application or had a decision about them made under an NDIS worker screening law,” (ref. The NDIS Amendment (Worker Screening Database) Bill 2019).
Access to the information
Main purpose of this database is to ensure that information therein is up-to-date, accurate, and accessible. It is proposed that the information in database will be accessible (at varying levels of detail) by;
– State and territory screening units
– Department of Social Services,
– The NDIA and its contractors
– The NDIS providers and their subcontractors
“Worker screening is only one of a range of strategies that providers need to put in place to identify and minimise risk of harm to people with disability,” the NDIS commision states. More details are available at https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/providers/worker-screening
