We’ve seen this before, haven’t we? We know how badly it can end, in Royal Commissions and worse.

But I’m worried.

The 2016 stats showed that only seven per cent of NDIS participants (i.e. individuals with allocated funding) choose to self-manage their funds. Thirty-five per cent combine self-management and agency management. Fifty-eight per cent are choosing to be fully managed by agencies.

We know that strong governance arrangements and provider controls do exist, informing the work of the National Disability Insurance Agency (charged with overseeing the implementation of the Scheme). But what I’m seeing with my own eyes is nothing short of a feeding frenzy, followed by some serious indigestion.

Sure, the market must grow, and it must be competitive. But with a flood of new providers comes an amount of chaos and uncertainty. Most mean well; many are naïve and inexperienced. Some I would call misguided, dangerous mavericks. As we wait for the onslaught to ease, will things that are already working well be inadvertently dismantled?

For example, Strong-arm tactics (dictating terms, threatening legal action) have no place in this field. If I’ve learned anything over the past three decades it’s this: employers will not be coerced. Satisfying, sustainable work placement is a two-way street (for anybody, not just those with disability). Employers must believe their worker is a good long-term investment. This takes time and expertise. In short, a lot of hard work.

There’s too much at stake here. Market forces are one thing; vulnerable lives are another.

– Martin Wren