What you need to know

• There is a new call centre set up by Service Victoria to help with NDIS checks.
• However, Victorian NDIS checks, and especially manual processing, continue to create long delays in recruitment and onboarding.
• Service Victoria will increase the fee for checks from 1 July and have produced a new manual form.
• There is a tip sheet to help with NDIS check applications.

There is a new inbound contact centre by Service Victoria to help with NDIS Worker Screening Checks. This follows extended advocacy by NDS for greater assistance to support applications.  

When applying for NDIS Checks, applicants can now get help through the “Vicky” chat function. Or they can call 1300 652 879 (9:00am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday). 

Service Victoria also announced that, from 1 July, the cost of the NDIS Worker Screening Check will increase to $128.20 and there will be a new form for manual applications. To get the new form, contact Service Victoria through “Vicky” . 

Since 1 February 2021, everyone in Victoria who works for a Registered NDIS Provider in “risk-assessed roles” must have a valid NDIS Worker Screening Check before they can start work. While the NDIS Worker Screening check is an important measure to ensure the safety of people with disability, NDS continues to hear of long delays in processing applications, slowing recruitment and worsening workforce shortages 

Early findings from the Independent Review of the NDIS, “Building a more responsive and supportive workforce” found that the median time to process applications was 11 days in Victoria. It takes even longer if you count the time workers take to lodge their application and have their identity verified. Manual applications often take more than five weeks, a major source of frustration for disability providers. 

In part due to NDS advocacy, several improvements have been made to the Service Victoria NDIS check system. Following a recent information session NDS held with government representatives, they have developed a Tip Sheet for NDIS Checks and FAQ Guide to NDIS Checks.

Article sourced from National Disability Services