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 has 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.
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