The first Senior Practitioner report to reflect substantive transition to the NDIS and reporting on the new of function of authorisation has been released to the public.

Dr Frank Lambrick, Victorian Senior Practitioner, Office of Professional Practice, Community Services Operations Division of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing published the following statement:

For the past 13 years we have monitored, evaluated and researched the use of restrictive practices and compulsory treatment reported by disability services. In the 2019-20 financial year 1,546 people were subject to a restrictive practice at some point during this period for in-kind services and there were a further 569 applications for authorisation of restrictive practices for a total of 450 individuals who were approved for NDIS registered services. The decrease for 2019-20 in comparison to previous years is due to the number of people who were transferred to NDIS services and for whom services did not seek authorisation for the use of restrictive practices. Forty two people were subject to compulsory treatment which was the same number as the previous year.

For the in-kind services who reported restrictive practices the majority of the trends were similar to previous years. Most people who were subject to a restrictive practice were subject to chemical restraint (96 per cent). Our research shows that people with some individual characteristics (such as autism and communication difficulties) are at greater risk of being subject to antipsychotic medications than people without these characteristics. We have continued to work with services to decrease the unnecessary use of restrictive practices over what was an extremely challenging period for us all.

To read the report please click on the below links:

• Victorian Senior Practitioner Report 2019 - 2020
• Victorian Senior Practitioner Report 2019 - 2020 - Plain English Version