It’s a great privilege and very exciting to begin work as State Manager NSW. It is certainly going to be a year of many challenges and opportunities in the sector. I look forward to supporting NDS members and eventually meeting you all.  

With the state election on 25 March, we have a crucial opportunity to advocate for state government policies that strengthen the disability support sector and progress genuine inclusion for people with disability.  

We have released our election platform, which asks the candidates and political parties to commit to actions across four areas of most need: workforce, housing, support for people with a disability outside the NDIS framework, and employment and participation. You can read our election platform on our website. 

And while this organisation pushes parties and candidates for commitments, we would like our members to do what they can. You can support the NDS campaign by sharing the platform with your local candidates. To make this easier, we have produced a campaign resource kit that contains the details of the platform with templates for emails and social posts to let those standing for office know how important these issues are for the state.  
 
The Disability Royal Commission held Hearing 32 in Brisbane recently, where the focus returned to disability providers and what they were doing to lessen incidents of violence abuse, neglect and exploitation towards people with disability.  

NDS CEO Laurie Leigh gave evidence about NDS programs to increase safety for NDIS participants. She stressed the importance of education and training, pointing to NDS resources, such as the Zero Tolerance Initiative and the Human Rights and You e-learning unit, that help members put the right processes and procedures in place to reduce incidents.  

She went on to discuss the NDS positions on workforce, accommodation, incidence management and compliance issues that concern our members and how they may affect the quality and safety of services.  

Since I started a few weeks ago, my feet haven’t touched the ground, but I am hoping to get some breathing space soon, which will give me more time to meet you and get to know you.