Human rights lawyers say NDIS workers and their clients remain at risk despite newly bolstered whistleblower protections
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When Susan* came across wrongdoing at her disability support provider, she faced a choice.
Say nothing, and allow her highly vulnerable clients to be put at serious risk.
Or blow the whistle and risk a career that she loved.
“I guess my overwhelming philosophy was if I do the right thing, it will all work out in the end,” she said.
The disability support provider Susan worked for had issued a directive that she immediately cease key services that were required to meet participants’ complex communication and disability support needs.
The directive was issued as part of an effort by the provider to cut costs to meet impossible margins under the national disability insurance scheme funding.
The danger of such an approach was obvious. Many of her clients had severe psycho-social disability and did not use technology.
Susan said the changes, by putting her clients at risk of harm, were a breach of the NDIS code of conduct and quality and safeguard requirements.
“You may be the only person that goes to their house and knocks on their door and checks on them,” she said. “That then puts those people at risk of perhaps being found deceased or significant self-harm. Or in the case of people who can become a harm to others when they’re unwell, it might put other people in the community at risk if...
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