Our Annual Report 2023 released today shows National Disability Services, like many in the sector, focused on the reform of the scheme through the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review. With the chance to reset the scheme and fulfill its promise, it was a big year at NDS for policy development and advocacy. So far, there are encouraging signs that our members’ concerns are being heard.

With a new organisational structure and a renewed focus on smart and effective advocacy, we fought for members on several fronts. The Disability Royal Commission held its final hearings. CEO Laurie Leigh appeared before it to make our argument that, given the financial and administrative strain providers are under, recommendations should be properly funded and timed. We made a similar plea to the Quality and Safeguards Commission Own Motion Enquiry into SIL. We said better training was the key to safe practices, but the cost of training for providers must be accounted for.

Similarly, proper funding of training and other non-wage-related elements was part of our submission to the 2023–24 Pricing Review, however the Review decided to only recognise wage-related cost increases. We’ll continue to call for independent pricing.

Our 2022 State of the Disability Sector Report reflected all these pricing issues for members, plus major challenges in recruiting and retaining their workforce and meeting their regulatory obligations. Yet we detected a silver lining in the cloud, with many providers buoyed by the start of NDIS Review and early commitments to reform from a new Federal Government.

As part of our revamped structure, we moved to a more inclusive model for our national forums, with members circulating ideas and knowledge through our Communities of Practice. Meetings such as these were part of our constant engagement with our members, which included surveys, conferences, Hot Topics events, training webinars and resources, bulletins from inquiries and a steady stream of news.

This year’s annual report features an NDS Impact infographic summing up the amazing range of activities that we did together to support our members and the sector. Thank you to all our members who volunteer time to NDS, and our diligent staff for their contributions over 2022-23.

Finally, 2022–23 was the year that NDS Board responded to a changing sector and proposed steps to expand our membership to better reflect the diversity of our sector. Through the year, the Board have consulted with members and responded to member feedback to strengthen our governance and update our policies. A refined proposal reflecting member views will be voted on at the AGM on 24 November.

The full Annual Report 2023 is on our website.