Author: NGOAdminWebsite Website

Today I had the pleasure of attending the Aged Care and Disability Expo in Bendigo, VIC – a vibrant, full-day event of connection held from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Red Energy Arena.

It was wonderful to see such a diverse array of providers come together, each doing their part to ensure that individuals accessing aged care and disability support receive the care and respect they deserve. The energy across the room reflected exactly what these events are about: empowerment, education and community.

Connecting with our customers

A real highlight of my day was the chance to meet face-to-face with our customers, Your Care and Empire South, and to see firsthand the wonderful work they are doing in the community. Conversations like these are a reminder of the genuine impact happening on the ground every day.

I also took the opportunity to gather feedback and insights from across the sector, listening closely to providers’ approaches, the challenges they are navigating, the opportunities ahead, and the barriers emerging from the recent reforms to both aged care and disability support. These perspectives are invaluable as we continue to learn alongside the people and organisations we work with.

More than an expo

The day offered far more than a chance to browse the latest products, services and technologies designed to enhance the lives of individuals with disability and those accessing aged care. Informative seminars and interactive workshops created space to learn, engage and celebrate the diverse abilities within our community.

The Aged and Disability Expo is dedicated to connecting individuals, families and carers with the right resources and support networks. With a wide variety of exhibitors and engaging activities, these expos foster a welcoming environment where everyone can find solutions tailored to their unique needs. A big thank you to the organisers, exhibitors and everyone who made today such a meaningful occasion. I left informed, inspired and more connected to the community I am proud to serve.

–

Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

Meet one of the experts behind our Aged Care suite: Thirty years of nursing, leadership and dementia care expertise, built into every course.

Behind every great training course is someone who has lived the work. For our Aged Care Suite, that person is Lusie Glogovac, a Registered Nurse with more than 30 years of experience in the Aged Care sector and the Subject Matter Expert behind our courses.

Lusie’s career spans nearly every corner of aged care: nursing in residential facilities, quality improvement projects, clinical care and operational management. She understands the pressures care staff face mid-shift, as well as the compliance obligations on a manager’s desk. That dual perspective makes her course content practical and aligned with what providers are accountable for.

Lusie is passionate about ensuring people living with dementia can live the best life they can. Her approach starts with seeing the person, not the diagnosis. She empowers and mentors staff to focus on the individual and support them in whatever they wish to do, putting choice, dignity and identity at the centre of care. That thinking runs through the entire Aged Care Suite.

As an independent consultant, Lusie was recently involved in the roll-out and implementation of the new Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. She knows what the Standards ask of providers because she has helped organisations put them into practice. Your teams’ training reflects the sector as it is today.

Courses Shaped by Lusie’s Expertise:

Training only changes practice when it is grounded in reality. With Lusie as Subject Matter Expert, providers can be confident their teams are learning from someone who has done the work, led the work and helped shape the standards that now govern it.

Connect with Lusie: Lusie Glogovac, Registered Nurse, Aged Care Consultant at L.Glogovac Consulting Service

Learn more about all our brilliant Subject Matter Experts on our About Us page.

June is Pride Month, and it is a moment worth pausing on.

This is the month we remember the birth of the global movement for LGBTIQASB+ equality, and the Pride marches that grew out of the 1969 Stonewall riots. Around the world, events like the Sydney Pride Festival now run throughout June to lift up voices, celebrate culture, and protect the human rights of LGBTIQASB+ communities. It is a time to raise awareness and to remember the pioneers who fought for equality, even when doing so put their own safety and freedom at real risk.

It also feels like the right time to talk about care, because the people who built that movement are ageing, and many of them rely on disability and aged care services today.

So, we want to share two courses we are proud of.

For disability support professionals

Our disability course teaches you how to provide person-centred, gender-affirming support for LGBTIQASB+ participants. You will discover what the term LGBTIQASB+ represents, where the acronym comes from, and why language and specific terminology matter so much. Using the Genderbread Unicorn analogy, we break down gender identity and expression, along with related ideas like sex assigned at birth and attraction. We also explore intersectionality and how it shapes the way LGBTIQASB+ participants access important social and medical supports. Finally, you will learn how Disability Support Professionals can help participants connect and feel included within both their LGBTIQASB+ and their disability communities.

We were lucky enough to work with Daniel Witthaus, Founder and CEO of Rural Pride Australia, to build this course, and we are very glad we did.

Daniel has spent 28 years challenging homophobia and growing LGBTIQA+ inclusion one cuppa at a time, in schools, rural communities, and occasionally in countries like Poland, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. His work spans Kids Helpline, VicHealth, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, and No to Violence, a national men’s family violence organisation. For the last eight years, Rural Pride Australia has partnered with the Victorian State Government and its Commissioners for LGBTIQ+ Communities to deliver the LGBTIQ+ Equality Roadshow, Regional Communities of Practice, and the Rainbow Ready Roadmap across 29 regional and rural Victorian communities. We feel privileged to have such a knowledgeable human as our subject matter expert.

For aged care staff

Our aged care course was crafted by Brooke Dunn, a Perth-based educator and advocate working at the intersection of peer support and inclusive training. Brooke works part-time in Education and Peer Support with Queer and Diverse Pathways Pty Ltd, and serves as a Training Facilitator with TransFolk of WA, where she delivers training on gender diversity. Through both roles, she is committed to building understanding, inclusion, and safer spaces for LGBTIQA+ communities.

The course gives aged care staff the language, knowledge, and practical skills to provide genuinely inclusive care. It builds the foundations of inclusive language and terminology, unpacks the difference between sex, gender and sexual orientation along with common myths, and explores the lived experiences of ageing LGBTIQASB+ people, from identity harm and social isolation to discrimination, health concerns and trauma. By understanding how histories of stigma, criminalisation and exclusion have eroded trust in aged care, staff learn why compassion, cultural safety, and awareness matter so much. The course then finishes with concrete strategies for delivering inclusive, trauma-informed, rights-based care. The result is a team that feels more confident, and a service where every older person feels they belong.

This course will be released very soon! Stay tuned!

Make this Pride Month count!

This June, you can gain the understanding, awareness, and allyship to better support the people in your care. Use the buttons above to access our courses, and see further resources below:

🌈 Support and peer resources

• QLife: Call 1800 184 527 (3:00 PM to 9:00 PM daily) for anonymous, free, Australia-wide LGBTIQ+ peer support and referral.
• Queerspace: Specialised LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing services, plus family support. Visit the website.
• Lifeline: Available 24/7. Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14, or visit www.lifeline.org.au for online chat and self-management resources.

⚖️ Advocacy

Equality Australia: For information, resources, and to support community protections and legislative advocacy, visit Equality Australia.

–

Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

There’s a lot happening in the world right now. Oil prices are volatile, global supply chains are under pressure, and uncertainty from the Middle East is making every business owner think harder about where their money goes and how resilient their operation really is.

Smart leaders in the disability sector are responding the same way smart leaders always do in uncertain times: they double down on their people.

Turn Training Costs into Tax Wins

When economic conditions get choppy, the organisations that come out ahead are the ones that use every available advantage. Right now, one of the clearest advantages available to you is sitting right there in the tax calendar.

Investing in NGO Training Centre’s NDIS-compliant and My Aged Care-compliant online courses before June 30th isn’t just good workforce development; it’s a legitimate, ATO-recognised business expense that reduces your tax bill. Instead of surrendering extra dollars at the end of a financially uncertain year, you could be channelling that money into the one thing no global crisis can take from you: a skilled, confident team. Chat with your accountant to make sure you’re ticking all the right boxes.

Built for Uncertain Times

Here’s the thing about unpredictable environments: they expose weak foundations fast. Audits don’t pause because the world is distracted, and spot checks are only becoming more frequent. The “we’ll deal with it later” approach to compliance training is a gamble no provider should be taking right now.

NGO Training Centre’s platform offers more than 100 courses meticulously aligned with the NDIS Practice Standards and Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. When auditors come knocking, you’ll have comprehensive training records, confident staff, and zero scrambling. That kind of readiness isn’t luck. It’s a choice you make before the pressure hits.

Flexibility That Works in the Real World

Nobody has time to waste right now. Support workers are busy, margins are tighter, and every hour counts. That’s exactly why online microlearning makes sense. 30-minute modules your team can complete between clients, on their phones, on their own schedule.

No travel costs. No venue hire. No catering bills. The platform has already saved organisations thousands of hours and dollars, and in a year where every dollar and every hour matters more than usual, that’s a huge boost.

Train Smarter, Not Longer: Introducing NGO Xpress

Here’s where the value proposition of training with NGO Training Centre gets even stronger. The newly launched NGO Xpress suite uses adaptive learning technology to assess what your experienced staff already know, and fast-tracks them past it. Most seasoned support workers complete their compliance modules in just 5 to 10 minutes, rather than the standard 45 minutes, without any reduction in compliance outcomes, certificate validity, or audit readiness. For an organisation with 10 experienced staff completing 10 Xpress courses each, that translates to over $2,000 in recovered labour costs. Savings that compound every single compliance cycle, year after year, with no additional investment required. NGO Xpress courses are already included across all NGO Training Centre Disability Support, Aged Care, and Combined Sector training packages at no extra cost.

You can learn more about how NGO Xpress can save your business thousands of dollars here.

Your People Are Your Most Stable Asset

When global markets are rattled, and economic forecasts are murky, one investment consistently holds its value: your team. NGO Training Centre’s 93% engagement rate and 90% completion rate across over 50,000 learners tells you something important. People respond when they feel genuinely invested in.

Lower turnover, better service delivery, higher job satisfaction. In a sector where great staff are genuinely hard to find, building a culture of learning is one of the smartest things you can do. Regardless of what’s happening on the world stage.

As Zig Ziglar put it: “You don’t build a business; you build people, and then people build the business.”

The Window Is Open. Don’t Wait for It to Close.

June 30th is approaching, and the financial year waits for no one. Once that date passes, you’ll be waiting another 12 months for this tax advantage. In a year already marked by uncertainty and rising costs, that is not a delay you can afford.

The organisations that come through uncertain periods strongest are not the ones that froze. They are the ones that invested wisely, built capable teams, and made decisions with clarity while others hesitated.

This is your window. The tax savings are real. The compliance protection is real. The cost advantages of online, flexible training are real, and in 2026, more relevant than ever.

Don’t spend another financial year wondering “what if.” Make this the year you turn training expenses into tax savings, compliance exposure into audit confidence, and global uncertainty into a reason to build the strongest team you’ve ever had.

Click here to request a demo or a free trial, or call our friendly Customer Relationship team on 1300 990 995.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. While we highlight potential tax benefits of investing in training, you should consult with a qualified accountant or tax professional to ensure any decisions align with your specific financial circumstances and comply with Australian Taxation Office (ATO) regulations.

–

Author: Matthew Crawford, PGCert(Bus)

Matt has over a decade of experience in B2B sales and business development and with a passion for human services, is deeply committed to driving meaningful solutions within the disability and aged care sectors. His commitment to improving service quality and his deep understanding of client needs make him a trusted partner in advancing the capabilities of organisations that support ageing individuals and people with disability across Australia.

If you deliver NDIS supports, change is coming, and for one group of providers, it’s coming fast.

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is reforming the NDIS Practice Standards: the quality and safety benchmarks every registered provider must meet. At their heart, these standards exist so participants can shape how safe, quality supports are delivered to them. The reform is being driven by two parallel projects: a brand-new set of Practice Standards for supported independent living (SIL), and a broader review of the Practice Standards as a whole.

Here’s what each means for your organisation.

The headline: new SIL Practice Standards and mandatory registration

If you provide SIL supports, this is the part to read carefully.

In December 2025, the Minister for the NDIS announced that SIL providers must register from 1^st July 2026 and comply with new NDIS Practice Standards for supported independent living. With that date now just weeks away, the window to prepare is short.

The reform didn’t appear from nowhere. Recent reviews and the NDIS Commission’s Own Motion Inquiry into Aspects of Supported Accommodation (OMI) surfaced real risks in supported independent living. Those risks were raised by participants, their supporters, advocates and the Commission itself.

Importantly, the new standards were co-designed. The Commission worked with Inclusion Australia and people with disability to develop them, so participant voices sit at the core of the new module rather than being added on afterwards.

What’s actually changing for SIL providers

A few practical points:

• From 1^st July 2026, providers of supported independent living supports will need to comply with the new SIL Practice Standards.
• The new standards focus on quality and safety in shared accommodation with daily supports; and on giving clearer, more usable guidance to frontline workers.
• The Commission has released the draft supported independent living Practice Standards module so you can see what’s proposed.
• There’s also an Easy Read factsheet — “Supported independent living: New rules for good and safe support” to help participants and supporters understand the changes.

For the registration detail, including what the transition looks like, you can start here:

• Mandatory registration
• Mandatory registration and transition pathways for supported independent living

The final SIL Practice Standards will be published on the NDIS Practice Standards page before 1^st July 2026, so it’s worth bookmarking that page now.

The bigger picture: the NDIS Practice Standards Review

Alongside the SIL work, the Commission ran a national consultation to support a wider review of the Practice Standards.

That consultation asked some foundational questions: whether current obligations are appropriate and genuinely focused on what matters, what an NDIS Quality Framework should look like, and how guidance can better support safe, high-quality, participant-centred supports. The Commission is now working through the feedback, insights and recommendations to shape the next steps.

This isn’t separate from the SIL changes; it directly informed them. The consultation led to the introduction of Expectation Statements, which set out the perspectives of participants, workers and providers, along with guidance material that spells out what “good” actually looks like in practice. Expect this approach: clearer expectations, plainer guidance to flow through future reform.

What providers should do now.

If you deliver SIL supports, treat 1^st July 2026 as a live deadline:

1. Read the draft module and map it against how you currently operate and identify the gaps now, not in July.
2. Confirm your registration pathway using the mandatory registration links above.
3. Brief your frontline teams early; much of the new standard is aimed squarely at day-to-day support quality.
4. Share the Easy Read factsheet with participants and their supporters so the change is understood on all sides.
5. Watch the Practice Standards page for the final version ahead of the deadline.

For providers outside SIL, the broader review signals the direction of travel: clearer expectations, stronger guidance, and standards that keep participants at the centre. Getting familiar with that thinking now will make whatever comes next far easier to absorb.

We’ll keep you updated on any changes. If you’re a new provider, pending renewal, or unregistered and need help to get registered, we’re here to support you.

We have a suite of courses to assist you with your Online NDIS Self-assessment, to get you started and to help you understand your requirements for application and audit.

We even offer a FREE Introductory course to kick off your registration journey.

–

Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

I am located on the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and the Taungurung Peoples of the Kulin Nation. They are the traditional custodians of this land. I would like to pay my respects to Elders, past, present, and emerging.

From 27 May to 3 June each year, Australians come together to recognise and reflect during National Reconciliation Week 2026. It is a significant time to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, while considering how we can all contribute to reconciliation in meaningful ways.

The 2026 theme, All In, is a powerful reminder that reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility. It calls on all Australians to move beyond awareness alone and actively contribute to positive change every day through our workplaces, communities, services and conversations. As highlighted by Reconciliation Australia, reconciliation is not a passive activity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have carried the emotional and cultural labour of advocating for equality and understanding for generations. The All In theme encourages all Australians to stand alongside First Nations peoples and commit to listening, learning and taking action together.

I have been on a steep learning journey since my professional career began in 2010. Without giving away my age, school and community education around First Nations Peoples was vastly different from what it is today. My eyes have been well and truly opened by education, seeking the truth, listening, and learning from incredible mentors along the way.

In my advocacy and support roles, including supporting the voices of First Nations People to be heard in the recent Disability Royal Commission, I had the privilege of working alongside a First Nations Elder who taught me so much about First Nations culture, unconscious bias, and the importance of cultural connection and culturally safe, respectful care. He shared his lived experience of being raised in an institution, and of racism and segregation. Ultimately, he guided me, but I took it upon myself to learn, research, and discover the truth about the history and the current barriers that First Nations Peoples still face today.

This is such an important part of reconciliation as it is not the sole responsibility of First Nations people to educate, explain and act; they have been doing this for far too long.

I wanted to share this knowledge and experience, so we engaged a subject matter expert and an Elder to share their lived and living experiences and to create an engaging and accessible course for all aged care staff supporting Elders. We are proud to offer our course ‘Supporting First Nations Elders‘ which is designed to educate disability and aged care workers in delivering compassionate, informed and culturally responsive care to First Nations Elders.

One of the most meaningful aspects of our aged care course is hearing directly from Elder, Monica, who currently resides in an Elder Facility in Shepparton, VIC. I had the privilege of being invited into Monica’s home, where she shared her story and the incredible impact she is having in the community through her support for cultural connection and her involvement in First Nations celebrations and activities across regional Victoria.

Monica generously shared parts of her personal story, experiences and reflections on growing up as a proud Aboriginal woman and what culturally respectful care looks like in our ‘Voice of Experience’ video segment in our aged care course. Her voice provides learners with valuable insight into the lived experiences, resilience, culture and identity of First Nations peoples.

Here is an insightful snippet of my conversation with Monica – the full version of Monica’s video is available in our ‘Supporting First Nations Elders‘ course:

Through our training, we aim to strengthen understanding and confidence for those providing care to First Nations Elders, and we provide learning outcomes such as:

• Discussing First Nations cultures, including the diversity of histories, languages and traditions across communities
• Understanding the historical background of First Nations peoples and the enduring impacts this has had on health and wellbeing
• Demonstrating culturally safe and respectful care practices for First Nations Elders, and
• Practising culturally safe communication that supports dignity, connection and trust. We also provide a broad range of additional learning resources to support ongoing education and reflection for workers across the aged care sector.

For many First Nations Elders, culture, Country, family and community are deeply connected to health and wellbeing. Delivering culturally safe care means recognising and respecting these connections while ensuring Elders feel heard, valued and understood.

National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on how we can contribute to a more inclusive and respectful Australia, not just during one week of the year, but every single day.

Join us to celebrate National Reconciliation Week.

Because reconciliation is not about standing on the sidelines.

It is about being All In.

–

Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

In the coming months, providers will face the reality that what was once a ‘nice to have’ is now being mandated by the NDIA Quality and Safeguards Commission following Mark Butler’s announcement on the 22^nd April 2026 at the National Press Club.

So, thanks to those providers who have done the wrong thing, everyone must now deal with the consequences of this fraudulent activity. It sounds like the military, right? I am far too familiar with this kind of collective punishment. Unfortunately, the government has decided that providers were given the opportunity to do the right thing, and some took full advantage of their flexibility.

I saw this coming. After leading the Disability Royal Commission advocacy services in regional Victoria in 2019-2023, I heard story after story of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability by services that they entrusted with their lives. You’ve heard it on the news and across the sector. It’s wrong, and it needed to change. This is certainly not the complete solution, we all know that, but it’s a step in the right direction. Another notch in the very long NDIS belt – Providing oversight and accountability.

We are still unsure of how this will actually look on the ground for smaller providers. I am very sure, though, that everyone will require some kind of registration. We saw this coming from the NDIS Review and the Disability Royal Commission recommendations, so no one is really that surprised by this announcement.

But it’s not all bad news, especially for those who are doing the right thing.

There are some significant advantages to becoming a registered provider. We will go through these first, then discuss some of the challenges that providers may face, and who knows… we might even have some solutions for you!

Being a registered NDIS provider has some real perks. For starters, it allows you to work with agency-managed participants, giving you access to a bigger and more diverse group of clients. It also boosts your credibility, increases your visibility on the NDIS Provider Finder, and ensures a steady income stream through direct payments from the NDIA.

Here are some key advantages of becoming registered:

• Access to more Participants: as a registered provider, you can work with participants regardless of the way their plan is managed. You can now access NDIS-managed participants, which you couldn’t do as an unregistered provider. You can also work with participants who require higher-risk supports, such as behavioural support and SDA.
• Increased Trust, Visibility and Credibility: As a registered provider, you are deemed to be in strict compliance with the NDIS Practice Standards and are audited regularly. This gives you opportunities to improve your services and ensure that you continue to do the right thing. Gotta love that continuous improvement cycle! (I did when I was a Quality Assurance Manager at a not-for-profit). You will also be listed as a registered provider with the NDIA, making it easier for participants to search and find you! Saves on that marketing bill, too, right?
• Direct payments and improved cash flow: No more waiting for payments long after a service has been delivered! You can claim payments directly through the provider portal, making the whole process a LOT easier and more efficient for your business.

These are just some of the advantages of being a registered provider.

Alas, we all know that with the pros come the cons.

I have heard a lot of noise since the announcement and witnessed much angst and fear, particularly among smaller providers in thin markets. In those small, remote towns, providers who are struggling to rub two pennies together now need to fork out thousands of dollars, slog through endless paperwork, and provide detailed evidence of the great work they are doing.

They need to be fully compliant with all the NDIS Practice Standards and ensure that their staff are trained accordingly. I don’t want to toot our own horn, but as I said earlier, we saw this coming. We know that providers cannot all afford to obtain specialised advice from boutique NDIS Consultants or to fund high-priced face-to-face training providers, let alone track their training compliance in preparation for their audits.

This is where the NGO Training Centre comes in.

We took action. First, we joined forces with the compliance experts at Provider Institute Australia last year and created a series of short courses that provide step-by-step guidance to help providers complete the NDIS Online self-assessment application for each module of the NDIS Practice Standards.

If you’re not already in the loop, the NDIS online self-assessment is a mandatory part of registering or renewing your service provider registration. It’s a digital process that checks how well your policies align with NDIS Practice Standards. Basically, it helps you spot where you might need to improve and get you ready for registration and audits.

We hope to assist as many providers as possible to ensure that participants continue to access the vital supports they need to live the lives they deserve, because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.

Get the guidance you need to succeed.

Start today with our FREE NDIS Self-Assessment Introductory Course.

Then, complete the supplementary courses relevant to your registration, and you’ll be well on your way to NDIS Registration!

Not ONLY do we provide these great courses, but we also have over 100 disability-specific, fully NDIS-compliant microlearning courses you can access starting at only $29 per staff member per year. All providers, including Allied Health and Support Coordinators, can also access our bundles or pathways that can be purchased online if you need very specific training or to fill any gaps in your current training.

You can talk to us about all of your options by contacting our friendly and supportive team using the form below, or at 1300 990 995.

We want to ensure that you are not left behind when these changes are implemented. The disability community needs you!

–

Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

May the 17^th 2026 marks the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), a day that commemorates a turning point in history.

On this date in 1990, homosexuality was officially removed from the International Classification of Diseases by the World Health Organisation.

That was 36 years ago.

Since then, we’ve seen remarkable progress toward equality and acceptance.

Yet in 2026, it can feel like we’re moving backwards in many ways. Rights that once seemed secure are being challenged. Discrimination persists. For LGBTIQASB+ individuals, particularly those who are ageing or living with disability, the barriers to feeling safe, seen, and supported remain very real.

As a disability advocate, I often had participants come to me for support with difficult conversations involving disability and aged care staff, healthcare professionals, and even their own family and friends. Many of the people around them simply didn’t understand the challenges they faced or the importance of living their lives in a way that felt authentic to who they are.

Most of the time, it came down to a lack of education and understanding around the participant’s gender identity or sexuality, along with a failure to recognise their unique experiences and the barriers they faced in accessing affirming care.

The first step was often helping the individual feel safe enough to speak up and be heard. From there, connecting them with affirming supports and linking their families, friends, and support workers to education and learning opportunities often created the pathway toward more positive and supportive outcomes.

Only yesterday, I ran into a previous client down the street who had connected with our disability advocacy organisation a few years ago. At the time, they were really struggling. The people around them didn’t understand their gender identity, and they felt completely isolated from their own community and peers.

Their support workers had little understanding of their journey and would often dismiss or judge simple requests, such as wanting to wear clothing that aligned with their identity in public or to have their pronouns respected. To make things even harder, their family also struggled to support them, which left the participant feeling incredibly distressed and alone.

Over time, I supported them in self-advocating, connecting with their community, and accessing affirming supports. We also linked their support staff and family with education so they could better understand and support the participant’s journey.

The person I spoke to yesterday was completely different. They were happy, confident, and were proud to report that they were pursuing their goals and dreams while finally feeling comfortable in their own body and identity.

It honestly made my heart happy. It was such a powerful reminder that affirming, holistic support can completely change someone’s quality of life and sense of belonging.

You see, the intersection of people with disability who also identify as LGBTIQASB+ can experience multiple layers of discrimination, exclusion, or misunderstanding across healthcare, aged care, disability services, education, employment, and community settings, which is why education across the sector is greatly needed.

Creating Inclusion at Every Life Stage

When I first started at the NGO Training Centre, I knew this gap existed for many support workers and teams, so the first thing I did was connect with a subject-matter expert with deep knowledge, education and living experience to craft a course to help professionals meaningfully support the LGBTIQASB+ community.

LGBTIQASB+ people exist in every community, every age group, and every care setting. They deserve support that recognises their identity, respects their history, and honours their dignity. So, when we expanded into aged care, we created one specifically for ageing individuals to help recognise their unique experiences.

Our Disability and Aged Care courses are designed to help staff:

• Understand the unique experiences of LGBTIQASB+ individuals across all life stages
• Recognise the barriers that can prevent people from accessing welcoming, affirming care
• Build practical skills for creating inclusive environments where everyone belongs
• Challenge assumptions or myths and expand their capacity for genuine allyship

Whether you’re supporting a young person with disability who is exploring their identity, or an ageing individual who may have lived through decades of discrimination, your approach matters. Education is a vital part of allyship.

How Will You Go Rainbow in May?

There are meaningful ways to mark IDAHOBIT in your workplace or service:

• Invite an LGBTIQASB+ guest speaker to share their living experience with your team or the people you support
• Engage in self-paced eLearning through our courses to deepen your understanding
• Start conversations about what inclusion looks like in your everyday practice
• Wear the rainbow and show your community that they are seen and valued

Because it’s more important than ever to stand up, speak out, and create SAFE and inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive.

Explore our ‘Supporting LGBTIQASB+ People‘ disability support course (plus, we have an Aged Care ‘Supporting LGBTI+ Individuals‘ course coming soon) and take the next step toward becoming a more inclusive practitioner.

Everyone can make a difference. What will you do?

–

Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

Dementia and palliative care are key in Australia’s aged care, with dementia affecting 446,500 people and projected to exceed 1 million cases by 2065. This growth strains services amid an ageing population. The Aged Care Act 2024 and Support at Home Program, effective November 2025, introduced rights-based frameworks and dedicated end-of-life care pathways.

The connection between dementia and palliative care is especially important. Many individuals with advanced dementia need compassionate care that emphasises comfort, dignity, symptom relief, and overall quality of life, rather than trying to cure. The recent reforms clearly acknowledge the right to excellent palliative and end-of-life care within aged care services.

Policy Reforms Supporting Dementia and Palliative Care

The Aged Care Act 2024 and the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards place ageing individuals at the centre, with a specific emphasis on:

• A Statement of Rights that includes access to palliative and end-of-life care, dignity, and supported decision-making (particularly important for those with cognitive impairment).
• Enhanced expectations for person-centred care, dementia-friendly environments, and culturally safe practices (including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders), and
• Mandatory attention to clinical care needs, including delirium prevention, pain management, and comprehensive end-of-life care.

The Support at Home program includes:

•  Higher funding levels for complex needs, such as advanced dementia, and
• A dedicated End-of-Life Pathway providing up to approximately $25,000 over 12–16 weeks for people with a life expectancy of three months or less who wish to remain at home.

The National Dementia Action Plan 2024–2034 calls for greater investment in brain health awareness, risk reduction, early diagnosis, post-diagnostic support, and better coordinated care.

The Shift Toward Home-Based Dementia and Palliative Care

A strong preference for ageing in place includes people with dementia and those needing palliative care. It has been found that up to 90% of Australians want to die at home with support. The End-of-Life Pathway under Support at Home provides more funding for in-home personal care, respite, and practical supports.

Home care for dementia emphasises reablement, behaviour support, assistive technology, home modifications, and respite care. Residential care is vital for severe Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia, with new facilities designed to be dementia-friendly, home-like, private, with outdoor access, and with less sensory overload.

Technology and Innovation in Dementia and Palliative Care

The adoption of technology is rising quickly to address workforce shortages and improve the quality of life. This includes:

• AI-enabled companion robots (such as Abi and Daisy) provide cognitive stimulation, music, exercise guidance, conversation, and companionship, particularly helpful in reducing loneliness among people with dementia.
• Predictive sensors, behaviour monitoring, fall detection, and pain-management apps support early intervention and symptom control, and
• Digital tools, including palliative care dashboards, support better coordination of end-of-life care.

Technology must supplement, not replace, human connection, with ongoing attention to privacy, ethics, and equitable access.

Workforce Challenges in Specialist Care

Dementia and palliative care are among the most demanding areas of aged care.

Key trends include:

• Growing need for staff with specialised skills in person-centred dementia care, behaviour management, and the creation of supportive environments.
• Increased demand for palliative and end-of-life expertise, including symptom management, emotional support for families, and advance care planning.
• Persistent overall workforce shortages, with specialised dementia and palliative care roles particularly hard to fill, especially in regional and remote areas.

Government initiatives include wage supplements for aged care nurses, and providers are also prioritising targeted training and retention strategies. Upskilling the broader workforce in palliative care and dementia care remains a national priority.

Emerging Focus Areas

Advance Care Planning and Supported Decision-Making: The new Act provides additional tools to help people with dementia share their preferences early on, ensuring their voices are heard.

Cultural Safety: There’s a stronger focus on delivering dementia and palliative care that respects and aligns with cultural needs.

Integrated Care: Efforts are underway to improve how aged care, specialist palliative services, primary care, and hospitals work together.

Prevention and Brain Health: Calls for a national brain health campaign.

Outlook for the Remainder of 2026 and Beyond

In 2026, the focus is on implementation and adaptation, with providers overseeing new funding, standards, and price caps while also expanding dementia-friendly and palliative care practices. The Federal Budget for May 2026 is anticipated to outline details regarding workforce and dementia funding.

Challenges remain, including long wait times for assessments and services, thin markets in regional areas, and the significant future increase in dementia cases. Overcoming these will require ongoing investment, creative use of technology, more specialised training, and real choices for consumers.

For ageing individuals with dementia, their families, and those near the end of life, trends will be more rights-based, home-focused, and compassionate. Skilled, empathetic care workers are essential, and training is vital to developing this workforce.

You can access courses from the NGO Training Centre in Dementia, Advance Care Planning (coming soon), Cultural Safety and Awareness (coming soon) and Palliative Care, which are crucial for improving workforce skills and ensuring that reforms lead to better, dignified care across Australia.

–

Author: Cathy Kerr BANurs, GDAET, Cert IV Training and Assessment.

Cathy brings over three decades of expertise to the field of nursing education, with a distinguished career as a registered nurse, educator, and now aged care consultant. Her extensive experience spans clinical practice, training, and consultancy, where she has dedicated herself to improving care standards and supporting both ageing individuals and healthcare professionals. With a deep understanding of the sector’s challenges and opportunities, Cathy combines her nursing background with a passion for education to drive positive outcomes in aged care.

POV: You want to start a business that makes a real difference in people’s lives. There’s so much red tape and administrative burden to become a registered provider that it all seems so overwhelming.

You are likely wanting to engage with an NDIS consultant because, after all, having them do all the groundwork for you sounds like a dream come true. But these can come at a great cost, and not just financially.

You are putting your ‘baby’ into the hands of a person or company and have faith that they will do the right thing by you, your team, and your future participants. Don’t get me wrong, there are some incredible consultants out there, but not all consultants are created equal and let’s face it, there are so many to choose from, who can you trust is going to have your best interests at heart?

Given the recent NDIS changes, becoming registered with the NDIS will be mandatory, as a result of the current lack of oversight in the sector, the level of fraud and ongoing incidents, and the strong recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review.

So, with this in mind, if you are an NDIS provider, you will need to become registered, and soon.

We spoke with the community, service providers, and the team at the Provider Institute about the challenges providers were facing in becoming registered providers, as well as the gaps organisations were experiencing.

We found out some interesting facts.

We discovered that NDIS providers registering for the first time usually have multiple questions about completing the online self-assessment and ask for help. Out of 22,000 applicants, over 10,000 were declined because the provider used the same answers as other applicants, which were usually generic and had been provided by a consultant. The self-assessment component is mandatory for applying for NDIS registration and NDIS renewal audits, making this even more important!

We also found out that the NDIS Commission has a strong focus on the quality of self-assessment questions. Providers cannot copy or use responses from another organisation, as this may delay their registration or result in the NDIS Commission rejecting the application.

The NGO Training Centre and the Provider Institute have combined their skills and knowledge to develop 9 courses based on responding to the NDIS Practice Standards, including the core module and several supplementary modules, including a FREE introductory course to help you understand which modules you will require for your business, and how to complete the online self-assessment.

Our courses are designed to explain the NDIS Self-Assessment and how to respond to the NDIS Practice Standards questions relevant to your organisation. The great thing is that by understanding the NDIS Practice Standards and how to answer the self-assessment questions, providers can have greater confidence in the NDIS registration process.

And even more importantly, the self-assessment questions are the same as those that the auditors will check during the audit process, so they also provide excellent preparation for your NDIS Audit.

So really, it’s a win-win!

Get the guidance you need to succeed. Start today with our FREE NDIS Self-Assessment Introductory Course and other NDIS Self-Assessment Preparation Courses. Then, complete the supplementary courses relevant to your registration, and you’ll be well on your way to NDIS Registration!

–

Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills.