Recommendation 10.8 – A national disability support worker registration scheme

What has been achieved to date

The Australian Government remains committed to considering this recommendation further.

What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report

The Australian Government should establish a national disability support worker registration scheme by 1 July 2028.

Consultation about the scope and elements of the national disability support worker registration scheme should begin as soon as possible. The consultations should include people with disability, disabled people’s organisations, disability representative organisations including member-led First Nations Community Controlled Organisations, support workers and their representative bodies, disability service providers, state and territory governments, and peak and regulatory bodies.

The design of the scheme should consider: 

• the definition of ‘disability support worker’
• a code of conduct and minimum standards for registered disability support workers, including support coordinators
• mandating the NDIS Worker Screening Check for all disability support workers
• recognition and accreditation of workers’ qualifications, experience, capabilities and skills
• continuing professional development requirements for disability support workers
• automatic registration for disability support workers who are registered with other relevant professional bodies ■ a First Nations workforce pathway to address barriers to First Nations workers entering the sector
• an accessible portal to enable people with disability and their supporters to view the profiles and registration status of disability support workers
• portable training and leave entitlements.

Australian Government Response July 2024

The NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce will provide a report with advice and recommendations to Government in mid-2024. This will inform the response to this recommendation.

In addition, HumanAbility has been established as the Jobs and Skills Council responsible for identifying the skills and workforce needs for the care and support sector, mapping career pathways across education sectors, developing contemporary Vocational Education and Training products, supporting collaboration between industry and training providers to improve training and assessment practice, and acting as a source of intelligence on issues affecting their industries. This includes considering job roles and career pathways for disability support workers.

More recommendations

View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.