The NDIS Commission has recently communicated three new NDIS Practice Standards and new and amended Quality Indicators relating to Mealtime management, Severe Dysphagia management and Emergency and Disaster management. Whilst some of the new standards and indicators are not applicable to all service providers, the Emergency and Disaster management standard will apply to all registered NDIS Providers from 24 January 2022.
In a nutshell, the new Emergency and Disaster management standard and associated risk management indicators strengthen guidance to NDIS Providers on complying with their obligations to ensure the health, wellbeing, and safety of the NDIS participants they support during COVID-19 and/or future emergencies or disasters.
We can help you address these new compulsory requirements. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Business Continuity planning was one of TechAbility’s key services. We have worked with a number of clients, from sole traders to organisations with more than 200 staff, to develop and implement Emergency and Disaster management plans. We combine our intimate understanding of the NDIS landscape with Anita’s significant prior experience in Business Continuity and Disaster management from both the corporate and NFP sectors.
The new Emergency and Disaster management Standard
This new standard is intended to address the planning required by NDIS Providers to prepare, prevent, manage and respond to emergency and disaster situations whilst mitigating risks to and ensuring continuity of supports that are critical to the health, safety and wellbeing of NDIS participants. It will appear in Schedule 1 – Core Module, Part 3 – Provider governance and operational management, of the NDIS Practice Standards and will apply to registered Providers from Monday 24 January 2022.
Additional amendments have also been made to Quality Indicators across a range of existing NDIS Practice Standards that are relevant to emergency and disaster management, such as those related to support planning and service agreements. These amendments consolidate the advice issued by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner throughout the pandemic and provide stronger guidance about what NDIS providers should have in place to prepare, prevent, manage and respond to emergency and disaster situations.
What do NDIS Providers need to do?
At a high level, the new Quality Indicators requires governing bodies to develop an emergency and disaster management plan which explains and guides how the governing body will respond to, and oversee the response to, an emergency or disaster. The governing body must consult with participants and their support networks about the plans and put the plans in place.
How can we help?
Prior to founding TechAbility, Anita had many years of experience in Business Continuity, Emergency, Disaster and Crisis Management in the corporate and NFP sectors. In the last few years, TechAbility has worked with several NDIS Providers to develop and implement Emergency and Disaster Management plans. These Providers ranged from Sole Traders to an organisation with over 200 staff. With our specialist subject matter expertise and NDIS sector knowledge, we can help you to identify your critical processes and develop a robust plan.
If you would prefer to address these new requirements yourself, there are several excellent systems which support the creation of plans and storage of information in the event of an emergency:
- Parachute360 – Parachute360 have a Small Business Edition which allows organisations to securely organise business critical information and prepare for emergencies and unforeseen events, and it is completely free!
- iluminr – iluminr is a platform that enables your organisation to detect threats, communicate with your people and resolve critical events faster. You can develop your emergency plans and actions in ilumnr and use them real-time during an event. ilumnr is suitable for all size of organisations from small businesses to multi-national organisations, and has a range of pricing brackets starting with a free version.
Need further support?
Contact us to discuss how we can support you to meet your requirements regarding Emergency and Disaster Management – we are happy to have an obligation free conversation.
You can read more about the new Practice Standards and Quality Indicators here.
Please get in touch if you think we can help you.
I am a support coordinator (on ABN for 6 weeks prior to starting with a registered Provider) – Do I need to have a Emergency, Disaster and Management Plan for my clients (or is this just for registration? And if I do need it where can I get it from?
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for your question. Yes all registered providers must have an Emergency and Disaster plan as part of their policies and procedures, and this must be maintained along with all other policies and procedures. We can assist you with creating your Emergency and Disaster plan – feel free to book in a free 15 minute consultation to discuss your needs – https://techability.net.au/book-a-call/.
Anita and the TechAbility team