NDIS funding is financial support allocated to eligible individuals with disabilities to help them access necessary services and support. The funding was created as a means to promote independence, improve quality of life, and ensure participants can achieve their goals.

NDIS funding covers various support categories, including:

Core Supports: Assistance with daily living, transportation, and community participation.

Capacity Building Supports: Services aimed at skill development, therapy, and employment assistance.

Capital Supports: Funding for assistive technology, home modifications, and mobility aids.

NDIS providers can only provide such support through an appropriate workforce, and without the right skills, the delivery of such critical support services could put NDIS participants at risk.

A Federal Government NDIS Review (Review)[1] found that many support workers “felt burnt out and that they were not sure they want to stay in the disability sector”. Furthermore, the findings also highlighted the difficulty in those with disabilities “to find good skilled workers that meet their need’s”. Since that Review, there has been no specific migration strategy that has been undertaken by the Federal Government to increase the number of skilled workers in the Disabilities and Welfare Worker sectors.

[1] Recommendations and Actions | NDIS Review

There are several occupations on the new immigration Core List, which gives NDIS providers the opportunity to sponsor workers under programs such as the Skills in Demand (SID) visa.

RSG has supported the NDIS sector through the SID visa program by assisting NDIS providers to sponsor overseas workers in occupations such as:

411711 Community Worker
411712 Disabilities Services Officer
411713 Family Support Worker
411714 Parole or Probation Officer
411715 Residential Care Officer
411716 Youth Worker

The above-mentioned occupations are on the Core List under the SID program, and the codes mentioned above refer to the ANZSCO classification. The Core List can be found here: The Core Skills Occupation List

NDIS providers must appreciate that the right skills in their organisation will bring better outcomes for those accessing the NDIS scheme and, in turn, better commercial outcomes for their respective organisations.

It is RSG’s experience overwhelmingly across the group that the SID visa program has not been used effectively by the NDIS industry. A number of NDIS providers that have engaged RSG are unaware that sponsorship is a viable option for skills retention and acquisition. Through RSG’s expertise in immigration and skill acquisition, we have been able to assist providers in finding and retaining Disability and Welfare Support Workers.

Should you be interested in the migration pathways available for the NDIS sector, please contact our office using the details listed below.