A new survey shows a deep workforce crisis building in the ranks of those supporting our most vulnerable citizens.
Disability support workers are in crisis, with a new survey from the Health Services Union showing almost half believe they often or always lack enough staff for safe, quality care.
Employer and unions came together at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday for a meeting with politicians about the urgent need for federal intervention.
“These workers are the backbone of the NDIS,” said HSU national secretary Lloyd Williams.
“Right now, they’re burnt out, underpaid and under-resourced. The people they support feel the consequences. The data unequivocally shows this is a workforce crisis.”
The survey of almost 500 disability support workers revealed an acute workforce crisis, with overwhelming concern about pay, chronic understaffing and burnout, and clear evidence that support and care quality is suffering.
Key findings were:
- 55% have considered leaving in the past year; 91% have at least thought about it occasionally;
- 49% report they often or always lack enough staff for safe, quality care (86% say it happens at least sometimes);
- 71% say shortages have already impacted their ability to provide the care they’d want for a loved one (rising to 91% including those worried it could happen);
- 74% say their pay doesn’t reflect their skill, responsibility and emotional labour;
- 62% report frequent or constant burnout; 72% say the workforce is not large or stable enough for current and future needs; and 86% fear wages could be cut without government action.
“When almost half of staff say they often or always don’t have enough colleagues on shift, you don’t get safe, high-quality care, you are escalating risk,” said Mr Williams.
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“That’s not fair on workers or NDIS participants.”
Yesterday, unions representing the disability workforce and several major disability employers also signed a pledge to work together, in codesign with people living with a disability, to lift the quality of services and supports.
The pledge calls for a Workforce Compact: a targeted funding pool of $5 per hour per worker (for workers employed by registered providers of core supports) to enable employers to negotiate with workers for better pay and conditions that stabilise the workforce and improve participant outcomes.
“A Workforce Compact of $5 an hour is a simple, targeted fix to keep skilled workers in the sector, lift wages and conditions, and deliver better supports for NDIS participants,” said Mr Williams.
“This could be achieved with just a $900 million investment over three years.
“The government has a clear choice to make. They either invest in the people who deliver the NDIS, or watch more of them leave.
“While the sustainability of the NDIS has been in focus recently, what we’re talking about is immediate and existential.”