NDS has launched its Workforce Census for 2024, our chief data collection initiative on workforce in the disability sector. We urge providers to complete the survey by Thursday 28 March.  

The census comes as governments set the reform agenda in response to the NDIS Review and the Disability Royal Commission. Workforce is a key to many items on the agenda, shaping the discussion in quality and safeguards, pricing, and disability employment. Solving sector issues in workforce attraction and retention will go a long way to ensure a successful reform process.   

Through NDS, providers have a seat at the table, but to make our advocacy stronger, we need up-to-date information on the workforce challenges facing providers. We need your first-hand experience and perspectives. We need to know precisely where the problems lie and what the solutions may be.  

Since 2015, NDS workforce surveys have gathered data from member organisations across the country. 

It is one of the few workplace surveys that focuses in the disability sector, and its uniquely valuable data set is used by several government agencies.  

Good data drives better policy. As the years pass and the data set grows, we get deeper insights into workforce trends that affect everyone in the sector.  

The Workforce Census focuses on disability support workers, allied health professionals and allied health assistants only.  

This year our spotlight topic is behaviour support practitioners (BSPs). The Disability Royal Commission made a recommendation on BSPs, but there is little good data to illuminate reform. We are also asking some new questions on disability employment, another part of the sector going through transformation.  

So please complete the NDS Workforce Census from our webpage. It consists of a short set of questions that can be quickly and easily completed by your HR or finance team member. You will also find on webpage a copy of the questions (in Word and pdf) that you can download and view before entering your data. You can also download the definitions used in the census. 

The Workforce Census closes on Thursday 28 March at 5:00pm AWST. 

If you have any questions about the census or suggestions for improvement, please don't hesitate to contact Matthew Zammit, NDS Head of Workforce.