Latest Resources
Zero Tolerance
What is Zero Tolerance?
Zero Tolerance is an initiative led by NDS in partnership with the disability sector. It assists disability service providers to understand, implement and improve practices which safeguard the rights of people they support. Built around a national evidence-based framework, Zero Tolerance is:
- a way for organisations to understand actions they can do to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect and violence of people with disability
- a clear message that abuse, neglect and violence are not okay
- a way of thinking about abuse as a human rights issue not a disability issue
- an organisational and personal commitment to act on:
- a collection of resources to educate and train staff at all levels to understand their responsibilities in preventing and responding to abuse
- a way of working collaboratively within and outside the disability sector to prevent and respond to abuse
The Zero Tolerance commitment is a commitment to recognise, raise and respond to any deviation from the human rights of people using disability services. It is a personal and organisational commitment to always have our eyes open and always be doing better to support rights.
Zero Tolerance Framework
Zero Tolerance Initiative Overview – Presentation with facilitator guide
The Zero Tolerance Initiative Overview presentation and facilitator guide have been developed to support people to provide an overview of the Zero Tolerance framework to their colleagues and others within their organisation. It is important that the user-friendly facilitator guide is used when speaking to the presentation to ensure a consistent message is delivered.
The presentation takes approximately 15 – 20 minutes to deliver.
Zero Tolerance Overview:
Zero Tolerance Overview Facilitator Guide:
Speaking Up About Safety
In 2014, NDS worked with advocacy organisations across Australia to ask people with disability about safety. The Speaking up about Safety reports reveal what practical actions people want from service providers in regard to safety. The message from people with disability was consistent and clear: we need to listen.
Summary Report
Full Report
- Preventing and Responding to Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with a Disability - Queensland Government
- SafeSpace: Child safe training for providers of services to children with disability - The Office of the Children's Guardian, July-September 2017
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Hub for resources that support you to understand the new NDIS Quality and Safeguards context for service provision.
For more information contact:
Mary Lou McPherson, National Practice Lead - Zero Tolerance Initiative, (03) 8341 4300, or Dave Relf, National Practice Lead – Zero Tolerance Initiative, (03) 8341 4300,
The NDS Zero Tolerance initiative is funded by the Victorian State Government.