Hunter NDIS program to lose 29 jobs

Twenty nine specialist National Disability Insurance Scheme jobs will disappear from the Hunter, including a 16-strong dedicated indigenous team.

The job losses are the result of a switch in Local Area Coordination service providers from St Vincent de Paul to Uniting

St Vincent de Paul had employed 169 staff over the past three years to assist people with disabilities navigate the NDIS in the Hunter New England region.

Uniting, which recently won the contract to provide LAC services across a large area of NSW from July 1, will employ 140.

An Aboriginal Local Area Coordinator currently employed by St Vincent de Paul told the Newcastle Herald that the indigenous program had been highly effective in engaging with a hard to reach and high-needs cohort.

"There is a history of mistrust between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal services, especially mistrust of faith-based services which had a prominent role in the stolen generation," the worker who did not wish to be identified, said.

A Uniting spokeswoman said all staff currently employed by St Vincent de Paul, including those in the Aboriginal program, had been encouraged to apply for positions with Uniting.

"We intend to increase the number of Aboriginal LAC Staff in the program and strongly encourage all Aboriginal people in the Hunter New England District who are interested in the LAC Program to apply," the spokeswoman said.

"Uniting has had a long involvement in the Hunter New England district and a deep commitment to Aboriginal reconciliation, with commitments outlined in our reconciliation action plan."

The Australian Services Union, which represents disability support workers has called on Uniting, to employ the same number of people as St Vincent de Paul.

"The NDIS should be about connecting Australians with disabilities to the help they need. The last thing the Hunter needs, especially at this time, is for 29 hard working NDIS coordinators to be shown the door," ASU NSW Secretary Natalie Lang said.

"Uniting should be following St Vincent de Paul in engaging dedicated Aboriginal staff to deliver support to the Hunter and New England communities.

"If they don't the clear message we are getting from LACs is that people with a disability will disengage, fall through the cracks, and not receive the support they need."

NDIS shadow minister Bill Shorten said any job losses were of grave concern.

"There will be fears throughout NSW that more (cuts) like this will follow," he said.

"(Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert) needs to explain what has happened with his process that it has led to such a bad outcome for providers, workers and NDIS participants."

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon said she found it "unfathomable" that the government would enter into a tender process that would result in job losses in a program with a proven record of success.

"The NDIS is already in the top three federal agencies that people complain to me about in Newcastle. This is just going to make a service that is already seriously under-resourced even worse."

"I've reached out to talk directly with the executive director of Uniting about my concerns, but the government has effectively gagged them from talking to me, insisting that I must seek permission from the NDIS. The NDIS needs more transparency, not less.

A spokeswoman for the National Disability Insurance Agency, which funds the LAC program said total funding for LAC services in NSW had increased from last financial year and continued to increase each year within the new three year agreements.

"Grant agreements with successful LAC organisations contain the same or improved service requirements and therefore the NDIA does not expect any reduction in the level of service provided to NDIS participants," he said.

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