Disability Support Services Sector Inquiry

We’re inquiring into compliance with workplace laws in the disability support services sector. Find out what we’re doing and how you can contribute.

On this page:

Video: Disability Support Services Sector Inquiry

Watch this short video of the Fair Work Ombudsman, Anna Booth, talking about our inquiry.

Video URL

 

Why we’re inquiring into the disability support services sector

The disability support services sector is one of our priority areas.

It’s a sector with vulnerable consumers and workers.

In the past, we’ve found widespread non-compliance with workplace laws and at times on a large scale. We’ve heard concerns about compliance challenges such as:

  • award complexity or ambiguity
  • strong demand for services
  • workforce issues
  • high use of casual employees, predominantly female workers
  • high turnover of employees
  • significant regulatory change
  • funding or financial viability concerns.

This inquiry gives us an opportunity to observe and assess how the sector is structured and how employers behave.

It helps us make a positive impact on employer behaviour in the sector by:

  • identifying why there is non-compliance with the Fair Work Act
  • finding the most effective way to improve and sustain a culture of compliance.

What we’re doing

In the first stages of our multi-year inquiry, we’ll:

  • engage in fact finding
  • consult with key stakeholders and industry partners
  • identify patterns of behaviour, key influences, and the views of participants
  • identify barriers to compliance and consider how to best address these.

In the next stages, we’ll concentrate on:

  • tailored education, targeting the areas and topics most in need
  • investigating non-compliance, including the most concerning behaviours.

If we find non-compliance, we’ll:

  • give employers the tools and resources they need to help them understand and meet their workplace responsibilities
  • use our enforcement tools in line with our approach to compliance and enforcement.

Aims of the inquiry

This inquiry aims to ensure:

  • we better understand the needs of employers, employees and organisations
  • workers are paid their lawful entitlements
  • there is a strong understanding of rights and obligations
  • employers find it easier to comply with the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS Award)
  • digital platforms encourage compliance
  • employers and organisations are committed to self-reporting non-compliance and putting in place sustainable compliance measures
  • regulators, employer and employee organisations and advocates collaborate more closely on information sharing and joint activities
  • participants are aware of us and our role, including how they can seek our assistance.

How you can contribute

We want to hear from employers, employees, contractors, clients and other participants in the disability support services sector.

Let us know about your experiences with workplace relations in the sector, including what is working and what needs improvement.

Learn how you can send us an email about your experiences in Tell us about the sector.

We will also be hosting in-person events in metropolitan, regional and rural areas in every state. We will have more information about this in the coming months. To be notified about these, sign up for updates.

Tell us about the sector

You can tell us about workplace relations in the disability support services sector by emailing us at disability@fwo.gov.au.

We want you to tell us:

  • about your experience with workplace relations in the sector
  • your role in the sector.

Please also tell us if you are a current or former:

  • disability support worker employee
  • disability support worker independent contractor
  • owner/director/CEO of a business providing disability support services
  • owner/director/CEO of a business operating as a gig platform in the disability support work sector
  • NDIS participant who has received support from a disability support worker
  • employer or employee representative in the sector
  • participant who is otherwise involved in the sector.

Important: Sending us an email

Don’t attach any files to your email as we’re unable to receive these emails.

Don’t use this email address if you have questions or need assistance with a workplace issue. For more information on how to get our help, go to Get our help with workplace issues.

Other information to include

If you can, tell us:

  • the state or territory you are in
  • the state or territory relevant to a business
  • the ABN and/or names of the business your information relates to.

If we can contact you to get further information about your responses, include:

  • your first and last name
  • your email address
  • a contact phone number
  • if you need any accessibility adjustments and what you require
  • if you need an interpreter and in what language.

For more information about how we collect and use information, visit Privacy.

Sign up for updates

To get updates about the inquiry, follow these steps to subscribe to our emails:

  1. Go to our Subscription centre.
  2. Enter your details.
  3. For ’Topics’, check the box ‘Updates in my industry’.
  4. Enter your customer type and location.
  5. For ‘My industry’, select ‘Social, community, disability and home care services’. There is no need to select a sub-industry.
  6. For ‘My award’, check the box ‘Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award [MA000100]’.
  7. Press the ‘Subscribe’ button.

Get our help with workplace issues

For information about workplace entitlements or obligations in the disability support services industry, go to Disability support and aged care services.

If you have questions about workplace rights and responsibilities, visit Contact us.

Report concerns about the sector anonymously

Prefer to stay anonymous but want to report an issue? Send us a tip-off.

Anyone can report their concerns about workplace practices in the disability support services sector. This could include issues with pay and wages, workplace conditions or workplace problems. Use our Anonymous report form.

Tools and resources

Related information