Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 Outcomes Framework: First annual report

People with disability are more likely to experience violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, and fare worse in institutional contexts. They are also more likely to become victims of crime. Protecting people with disability from such harms is essential to maximising their safety and equality (Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031).

NDIS complaints abuse and neglect

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) is an independent agency established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services. One of its functions is to investigate, manage, conciliate and resolve complaints relating to the supports and services of NDIS providers. Anyone can make a complaint to the Commissioner about issues with supports and services from an NDIS provider (NDIS Commission 2022a).

Complaints made to the NDIS Commission are classified into 4 categories: provider practice, provider policies and procedures, worker conduct or capability, and alleged abuse and neglect. ‘Abuse and neglect’ include financial abuse. For the quarter April–June 2022, 1 in 5 (20%) of complaints related to alleged abuse and neglect (NDIS Commission 2022b).

The NDIS Commission deals with complaints through a range of actions, including helping complainants to resolve the issue themselves, asking the provider to resolve the complaint directly, holding conciliation meetings, or formally investigating the situation (NDIS Commission 2022c).

The desired key system outcome for this measure is that NDIS services are high quality and safe.

Results at baseline: 2021–22

• In 2021–22, there were 678 complaints related to abuse and neglect, a rate of 1.5 complaints per 1,000 NDIS participants.
• Data exclude Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) gateway clients, which, for the purposes of this analysis, equate to participants aged 0 to 6 as at 30 June 2022. This cohort has been excluded from the analysis.
• Results for 2021–22 are not comparable with available data for 2019–20 and 2020–21, which include ECEI gateway clients.
• In 2020–21, there were 1,478 complaints, including ECEI gateway clients related to abuse and neglect – a rate of 3.4 complaints per 1,000 NDIS participants.
• Between 2019–20 and 2020–21, the number of complaints rose from 854 to 1,478, and from 2.5 to 3.4 complaints per 1,000 NDIS participants, a rise of approximately 36%.
• The increase between 2019–20 and 2020–21 reflects that the NDIS Commission’s complaints service is still relatively new. The management of quality and safeguards in Western Australia only began on 1 December 2020, with no associated data for 2019–20. At the same time, the number of active NDIS participants increased between 2019–20 and 2020–21 from 338,959 to 432,613, an increase of 28%. With both the number of complaints and the number of active NDIS participants changing over time, more data are needed before a trend for this measure may emerge.

Latest results

Updated data are not yet available for this measure. NDIS Commission data for 2021–22 will be included in the 2023 annual report.

Things to consider when interpreting results

• Complaints made to the NDIS Commission relate specifically to concerns regarding NDIS supports or services.
• The measure does not capture the outcomes of the complaints, the reporting of which can be quite complex. Complaints may span more than one area and there are many ways in which they can be resolved. Complaints can also be re-opened.

For more information on this measure, including breakdowns of the data, see Australia’s Disability Strategy Outcomes Framework | NDIS complaints abuse/neglect.

Experience of violence

Acts of violence can affect anyone; however, people with disability may be especially vulnerable (AIHW 2022). For reporting against this measure, violence is defined according to the ABS PSS  as any incident involving the occurrence, attempt or threat of either physical or sexual assault experienced by a person (ABS 2017a). Emotional abuse is excluded.

The measure is intended to track the proportion of people with disability aged 15 and over who have experienced violence, compared with people without disability. Due to the nature of the available data, the measure is reported here as:

• proportion of adults with disability aged 18 and over who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability.

The desired population outcome for this measure is a reduction in the gap between safety for people with and without disability.

Results at baseline: 2016

• In 2016, close to half (47%) of people with disability aged 18 and over reported experiencing violence since age 15, compared with over a third (36%) of adults without disability – a difference of 11.1 percentage points.
• These proportions were lower in 2016 than in 2012 for both people with disability aged 18 and over (47% compared with 53%) and those without disability (36% compared with 41%). However, the difference between the proportions for people with and people without disability in 2016 (11.1 percentage points) was similar to that in 2012 (11.7 percentage points) (see Figure 4.1).
• In 2016, both males and females with disability were more likely to have experienced violence since age 15 than their counterparts without disability (for males: 48% compared with 39%; for females: 46% compared with 33%). However, there was no significant difference in the gap between males with and without disability and females with and without disability (8.7 and 13.5 percentage points, respectively).
• For people with disability, those aged 25–44 were most likely to report having experienced violence since age 15 (62%). This was 23 percentage points higher than those without disability (38%).
• There was no significant difference in the experience of violence since the age of 15 between people with severe or profound disability (49%) and those with other disability (47%).

Latest results

Updated data are not yet available for this measure. Data from the 2021–22 ABS PSS will be included in the 2023 annual report.

Things to consider when interpreting results

• The ABS PSS uses the ABS Short Disability Module to identify ‘disability or restrictive long-term health condition’.
• The ABS PSS collects disability status at the time of the survey. It does not indicate whether a person had disability at the time of the reported incident of violence.
• ABS PSS data exclude people living in institutional care settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, aged care hostels and other cared accommodation.
• Questions about experiences of violence are not asked during proxy interviews. This means that a small number of people with a profound or severe communication disability or from a non-English-speaking background that prevents them from responding to survey questions themselves are excluded from the sensitive component of the ABS PSS survey (ABS 2017b).

For more information on this measure, including breakdowns of the data, see Australia’s Disability Strategy Outcomes Framework | Experience of violence.