Disability Royal Commission calls for input on best practice safeguards and quality services for people with disability

The Disability Royal Commission wants to hear about how people with disability experience safeguards, what promotes quality in services, and how these may prevent and reduce their exposure to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

It wants to hear from people with disability, representative organisations, advocates and the public about gaps in the area of safeguards and quality services.

This includes in provision of services like education, health, justice, transport, accommodation and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The call for information comes as the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability releases its ‘Safeguards and Quality Issues Paper’ on November 18.

The paper addresses informal safeguards including self-advocacy and trusted relationships, as well as formal safeguards including legislative and administrative processes, strong organisational culture and accessible complaint processes.

The NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework is also included as one framework providing formal safeguards for people with disability accessing NDIS. It aims to ensure high quality services and safe environments for NDIS participants while providing supports that promote their right to choice and control.

Quality services include those with a focus on providing positive outcomes for people who use them.

As a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Australia has agreed to ensure, promote and fulfil the rights described in the Convention “for all people without discrimination on the basis of disability”, the paper says.

The Royal Commission’s terms of reference require it to consider the multi-layered experiences of people with disability of different age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation and race.

In particular, it is examining the experiences of First Nations people with disability and culturally and linguistically diverse people with disability, as well as children and young people’s experience.

The Royal Commission is seeking to learn about the experience of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability from birth, through childhood, schooling and adolescence, and into adulthood and ageing.

It welcomes input from anyone wishing to respond to the Quality and Safeguards Issues Paper.