Page 4407 - Week 11 - Thursday, 25 October 2018
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(2) How does this meet the ACT Government’s commitment to reducing red tape.
Ms Stephen-Smith: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) The ACT Government is not prioritising regulatory oversight of disability services over other aspects of the human services sector. The Human Services Registrar provides oversight of service delivery to vulnerable people through registration and ongoing compliance review in relation to housing providers (under the National Regulatory System for Community Housing), specialist disability service providers, and community care and protection providers. Priority is given to areas of greatest risk of harm, regardless of sector.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Quality Assurance and Safeguards Working Arrangements between the ACT Government and the Commonwealth detail the responsibilities of the ACT and the NDIS for disability services until transition to full scheme on 1 July 2019. At full scheme regulatory oversight of NDIS services will be transitioned to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (the Commission). The ACT will have continuing obligations for nationally consistent work under the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework.
The appointment of a Senior Practitioner in July 2018, and the subsequent enactment of the Senior Practitioner Act 2018 will assist in meeting these national obligations.
Work is also currently underway to ensure the ACT’s Working with Vulnerable People Scheme aligns with the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework, as well as with the ACT Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The broad remit of the Senior Practitioner’s role also aims to ensure that ACT leads on developing appropriate safeguards and protections for individuals in affected human services sectors.
Following the transition to NDIS full scheme, the ACT Government will retain responsibility through a variety of regulatory and oversight mechanisms, including the Human Services Registrar, the Human Rights Commission and the Official Visitor program, for other specialist non-NDIS human services delivery areas, including disability service providers.
(2) The ACT Government’s overall approach is to ensure that regulation is proportionate, flexible, targeted, appropriate, accountable and focussed on the needs, rights and relevant protections for vulnerable people. Commitments to reducing red tape are not designed to adversely reduce the level of relevant regulatory protections. Based on this approach, the Human Services Registrar seeks to minimise the regulatory burden on providers based on an assessment of risk. Information is gathered on the basis of collect once, use often, which particularly assists providers operating in multiple sectors.
Gaming—problem gambling assistance fund
(Question No 1752)
Ms Le Couteur asked the Minister for Business and Regulatory Services, upon notice, on 21 September 2018:
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