Revised quality and safeguards for people with disability outside the NDIS have been announced, with the new Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023.
It replaces the Disability Services Act 1986, which is no longer meeting the needs of people with disability and introduces a mandatory code of conduct for all Commonwealth disability services, intended to deliver a safer and more responsive system that will hold service providers to account.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said community expectations have shifted significantly over the past 35 years and the previous Act embedded segregation into legislation. The new Act has a strong focus on inclusion and broadens the type of supports and services that governments can provide.
“The Act helps support the safeguarding of people with disability following the release of the Final Report into the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability,” the minister said.
It enables the government to deliver measures consistent with the vision of Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-31 and its five Targeted Action Plans.
“Boosting employment opportunities, shifting community attitudes and improving the safety of people with disability are all top priorities for the government,” she said.
More information is available at: www. dss.gov.au/dsi-act