I’m not a disability service provider and never have been. But I do have an Economics degree, a postgraduate Marketing diploma and nearly 14 years’ experience working with disability organisations. And, I’ve got to say, the new NDIS National Workforce Plan, while impressive on some points, fails to address the economic and social impacts of the NDIA’s price limits on the sector’s ability to offer a decent living wage for frontline support workers and, you know, actually build a stable, qualified workforce. Am I missing something? Let's be realistic: Given the current pay rates (and shorter shifts) how will the sector possibly attract the additional 83,000 workers needed by 2024, while at the same time eliminate the current high staff turnover rates of between 17-25%? Regardless of the possible new entry pathways, training and development, the economic reality is that many disability support workers are juggling shorter shifts across multiple employers just to earn a living. This is not just an economic issue, it is also a culture issue. It becomes increasingly difficult for an organisation to build a values based culture with hidden poverty in the ranks of its workforce. The National Workforce Plan does not address the frontline reality of disability. And let’s face it, in disability, the frontline IS the business. #workforcedevelopment #ndis #workplaceculture