NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NQSC), also referred to as the NDIS Commission, is a statutory agency of the Australian Government responsible for improving the quality and safety of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) through regulation of scheme providers, the promotion of quality and safety, dispute resolution, and scheme review. The NQSC replaces state-by-state NDIS quality legislation, gaining responsibility on a rolling basis from 1 July 2018 to 1 July 2020.

This article is about the commission overseeing the safety of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. For the scheme itself, see National Disability Insurance Scheme.

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Agency overview
Formed
  • 13 December 2017 (2017-12-13) (legislation assented)[1]
  • 1 July 2018 (2018-07-01) (began operation)[2]
JurisdictionAll States and territories of Australia, excluding Western Australia[2]
Annual budgetA$28.6 million (2020–21)[3]
Agency executive
  • Graeme Head, Commissioner
Parent departmentDepartment of Social Services, as part of the NDIS portfolio[1]
Websitendiscommission.gov.au

More than 10,000 cases are submitted each month to the NQSC.[4]

Purpose

The NQSC was created in December 2017 to "improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services."[2] The Commission exists as part of a federal agreement between the Australian Government and states and territory governments, the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework.[5] It aligns the various quality and safeguard programs each state and territory developed during the initial rollout of the NDIS, benefiting from additional federal investigative and regulatory powers. Fundamentally, the NQSC has the role of managing the complains, quality and safeguarding processes of the NDIS and for regulating NDIS service providers and workers.[6] The Commission, however, does not regulate the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which operates the scheme proper.[7]

Rollout

The NQSC has gained responsibility for the quality and safety of the NDIS on a rolling basis, scheduled to end on 1 December 2020, when the Commission will gain responsibility for the NDIS in Western Australia.[2] The Commission gained responsibility for the NDIS in New South Wales and South Australia on 1 July 2018. Starting 1 July 2019, it also gained responsibility in Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory.[2] The NQSC was created under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 through the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Quality and Safeguards Commission and Other Measures) Act 2017. More than 10,000 cases are submitted each month to the NQSC.[8]

The Commission was originally planned to rollout to Western Australia, the final jurisdiction, on 1 July 2020, however it was postponed by the Government of Western Australia until 1 December to allow providers to "focus on critical support issues for people with disability during the COVID-19 recovery period".[9]

Structure

The NQSC is led by its Commissioner, Registrar and Chief Operating Officer. These three roles are supported by the Senior Practitioner, the Complaints Commissioner, Deputy Registrar, and General Counsel.[10] The NQSC as an independent government agency falls under the control of the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, The Hon. Stuart Robert MP.[11]

Commissioners

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner is Graeme Head, supported by Robert Griew, the Complaints Commissioner.[10] The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner has overarching control over the NQSC and has the concentrated legislative powers of the Commission. Head was appointed as the NQSC Commissioner in December 2017, having previously worked in public health and environmental protection for the NSW Government and the federal Department of Health, as well as the Sydney Catchment Authority.[12]

References
  1. "National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Quality and Safeguards Commission and Other Measures) Act 2017". Federal Register of Legislation. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  2. "NDIS Commission state dates". NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  3. Frydenberg, Josh (6 October 2020). "Budget Paper No. 2: Budget Measures" (PDF). Budget 2020–21. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  4. "Overwhelmed disability watchdog routinely dismisses abuse and neglect". Crikey.com.au. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  5. "NDIS Quality and Safeguards Framework". Department of Social Services. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  6. "Why we exist". NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  7. "What we do". NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  8. "Overwhelmed disability watchdog routinely dismisses abuse and neglect". Crikey.com.au. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  9. Dawson, Stephen (21 May 2020). "More time for transition to Quality and Safeguards Commission". Government of Western Australia Media Statements. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  10. "Who we are". NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  11. "Minister". NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  12. "Our Commissioner". NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
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