The benefits experienced by participants on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can be immense and even life-changing.

Participants and their families have been enabled to engage valuable supports that enrich and improve their living situations and their access to community.

It has also opened up employment opportunities to hundreds of thousands of people who are now providing NDIS support (The Australian Government NDIS Workforce Plan estimated to be half a million by 2024).

Undeniably, this scheme comes replete with a lot of issues. One experience locally is the exodus of qualified workers leaving their employment to work for the NDIS (a sector that currently requires no official qualifications).

While the flexibility of work hours is one factor, the most common reason reported is the high rate of pay that can be charged as an independent support worker, which other employers cannot compete with. Not only local businesses, but other services, such as the health industry and early childhood education. They are also suffering as a result.

A local preschool director spoke with the Lismore App and reported a critical staff shortage. A part of this shortage is due to educators leaving to work in NDIS support.

“With educators leaving to work in the NDIS, we are struggling to staff preschools and child care centres, and all the staff who remain are burning out. I support NDIS as an idea. The rates people get paid, however, are taking away skilled and experienced people from many industries with lower pay.”

She spoke about an educator who left recently after 20 years in the industry, and while it was difficult to see her go, she completely understands, as the remuneration for Early Childhood Education is relatively low. To put it in perspective, the rate of pay for NDIS is over $20 more per hour more than what the educator was receiving.

“I’m a strong believer in the power of early years education. I can’t see how we are going to improve early childhood education with the competition that NDIS wages creates.”

Alex Jackson from The Boys Hair and Makeup recently had an apprentice leave for NDIS work.

"She had completed about half of her three-year apprenticeship and literally left because of the money. Now, she is being paid more to work less. The pay is $60 an hour, how can you compete with that?"

"She left here with no qualification and enters a workplace where she doesn't need one. I have a client who has a 23-year-old son who has a debilitating disease and literally cannot walk. He is getting help from unskilled people and she is concerned for his welfare when they take him out."

"I still cannot find a new apprentice. It's really disappointing."

Clearly, the issue is systemic, as who can blame people in this economic climate for taking the opportunity to step into a better-paying job? A key element of the problem is that award wages have not increased relative to the rocketing costs of living.

Kelly said, “So far I’m loving it. I’m my own boss, good money, my clients are great, and I don’t have to deal with office politics. I’m happier, I eat better, sleep better, work less and have more time to maintain my home and life as a sole parent.”

Another issue that walks hand in hand with the loss of employees from other industries, is the problems that arise when people who are unqualified step into caring roles that require experience or special knowledge to adequately meet the needs of participants.

Sophie Burke, a local support coordinator specialising in coaching and psychosocial supports, shared the critical problems that she has seen first-hand with ill-equipped staff attempting to meet high-needs support to NDIS participants.

“A lot of the clients that I work with are intense-needs psychosocial disability, and there’s no protection for those people against these unqualified staff. They are actually causing more issues because they don’t have an understanding of how to communicate and engage effectively with somebody with these needs. This can reinforce feelings of alienation and of not being understood. It’s just really sad to see.”

While many support workers carry out invaluable roles for those living with disability, what is becoming clear is that greater regulation needs to be put in place around NDIS to protect and support both participants and workers and to alleviate the critical problems on both ends of this issue.