The ‘fragmented' and costly rules putting our most vulnerable at risk
Under a proposal from the Productivity Commission, businesses operating in the aged care, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, veterans' care and early childhood sectors would also face a single, national set of quality standards that would make it easier to track poor operators.
The federal government is already planning to create a national database of childcare workers after a Victorian man was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight children aged between five months and two years at a childcare centre in Melbourne.
But the commission, in its fifth report before next week's federal government roundtable, argues all areas in which people are required to care for others should be covered by a nationally consistent screening system.
More than 2 million people are employed in caring roles, and states and territories have differing regulations.
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Commissioner Martin Stokie said a single approach that covered both workers and businesses would help protect those in care and reduce red tape, which was hitting productivity in one of the fastest-growing parts of the economy.
'Fragmented regulation across the care sector reduces productivity, heightens the risk of harms, limits access to care and creates unnecessary burdens for care providers,' he said.
The commission found 'duplicative, fragmented and inefficient' red tape imposed a large cost on care workers, 79 per cent of whom were women. This can include separate screening processes across different sectors, such as aged care and childcare.
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The ‘fragmented' and costly rules putting our most vulnerable at risk
People caring for children, the elderly, veterans and the disabled would face a national screening system within three years under a plan to protect the country's most vulnerable while slashing expensive red tape that is preventing potential workers from moving into the care economy. Under a proposal from the Productivity Commission, businesses operating in the aged care, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, veterans' care and early childhood sectors would also face a single, national set of quality standards that would make it easier to track poor operators. The federal government is already planning to create a national database of childcare workers after a Victorian man was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight children aged between five months and two years at a childcare centre in Melbourne. But the commission, in its fifth report before next week's federal government roundtable, argues all areas in which people are required to care for others should be covered by a nationally consistent screening system. More than 2 million people are employed in caring roles, and states and territories have differing regulations. Loading Commissioner Martin Stokie said a single approach that covered both workers and businesses would help protect those in care and reduce red tape, which was hitting productivity in one of the fastest-growing parts of the economy. 'Fragmented regulation across the care sector reduces productivity, heightens the risk of harms, limits access to care and creates unnecessary burdens for care providers,' he said. The commission found 'duplicative, fragmented and inefficient' red tape imposed a large cost on care workers, 79 per cent of whom were women. This can include separate screening processes across different sectors, such as aged care and childcare.
