Australia’s disability sector faces a mass exodus of support workers that could leave vital services at breaking point.
According to a major survey of nearly 2,500 disability support workers almost one third of respondents want to leave the sector within the next 12 months.
The survey, by unions representing sector workers – ASU, HSU, UWU and AWU – found 31 per cent wanted to leave their jobs because of negative workplace culture, and 21 per cent wanted to leave for more pay.
The findings follow the release of a recent report by the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS that found there is a shortfall of 83,000 full time workers in the sector.
Catholic Social Services Australia said the survey shows a sector demoralized and at breaking point.
“We have got a situation where one in three disability workers want to leave the sector because of low wages and poor conditions,” CSSA executive director, Monique Earsman said.
“What has become crystal clear is that there is a major crisis in one of Australia’s most important sectors.
“The NDIS is one of the greatest reforms to disability services in decades, but as workers leave the sector it is being undermined and its capacity to deliver vital services is being gutted.
“Disability workers are undervalued and this is having a devastating impact on the people they care for.”
The survey found that COVID 19 has had a major impact on workers.
Nearly a fifth of respondents (18 per cent) had contracted COVID-19 since November 2021, 44 per cent had used their paid leave for their recovery, while a further 28 per cent had no access to any paid leave or government payments.
The sustainability of the NDIS has been under close scrutiny after NDIS Minister, Linda Reynolds last year raised concerns about a blowout in the projected cost of the scheme.
It is predicted NDIS costs will grow to more than $40bn by 2024-25 – almost $9bn more than previously expected.
A key architect of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, economist Bruce Bonyhady has told The Australian there needs to be an alternative to the federal fund, to curb the number of people desperate to get on to the NDIS.
Mr Bonyhady said the fact that “you’re either in or out” of the NDIS and that there was inadequate “tier two” support for those not eligible was inequitable and would lead to the cost of the scheme continuing to explode.
Professor Bonyhady said the issue was that disabled Australians were either eligible for the NDIS or eligible for nothing at all.
“People who have milder disabilities who may not necessarily need to be on the NDIS will try to get on the scheme because there’s very little else,” he said.
There are about 400,000 people on the scheme, but around two million others with disabilities who are not eligible.
