The ACT economy will be boosted with 1000 new jobs and an extra $160 million a year due to the expansion of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, a new government report claims.
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But a private disability support provider who has enjoyed massive growth under the scheme said limited workforce options in Canberra and meagre pay rates would make the forecast 70 per cent job growth in three years difficult.
Minister for Social Services Christian Porter, said the market position statement for the ACT predicted a disability support sector worth $350 million a year by 2019, as the number of ACT participants rose to 6900.
"Most importantly, an additional 1800 local residents living with a permanent and significant disability will receive funded supports – a 35 per cent increase," he said.
The southern NSW region would also enjoy an increase of 750 full-time jobs as that sector doubled in value to $200 million a year, Mr Porter said.
Just Better Care Canberra general manager Rob Woolley said the company now supported 150 ACT participants in the NDIS scheme, gradually building since the ACT trial began in July 2014. Staff numbers had grown by about 50 per cent to 110 in that time, with about 95 of those working remotely in participants' homes, providing everything from clinical care to connections for employment, training and accommodation. Recruitment was constant.
"The biggest challenge for us is finding staff," he said.
"It's a challenge finding workers with the right attitude, skills, values and availability – this isn't nine to five work, it fits into clients' lives."
The result was having to say no to some participants, if the necessary high standard of care could not be delivered.
Improving rates of pay from the National Disability Insurance Agency to providers would be the quickest way to attract more staff from the competing aged care, health or hospitality sectors, he said.
"The NDIA want to provide bargain bucket prices and they want platinum services," he said.
The number of NDIS registered providers in the ACT has nearly doubled since the 2014 launch.
A spokesman for Mr Porter said the NDIA updated prices on at least an annual basis, taking account of market trends, changes in costs and wage rates. By law, a funded support must represent "value for money" in that the costs of the support are reasonable, relative to both the benefits achieved and the cost of alternative support, she said.
The ACT recently marked its 5000th NDIS participant plan. The scheme went national in July this year, operating in all jurisdictions and regions, despite major IT problems with the new MyPlace user portal.
