Living with Disability Research Centre Online Seminar

Our next seminar will feature two more presentations critiquing aspects of the recommendations of the recent Disability Royal Commission.

Dr Alan Hough, from Purpose at Work, will critique the Royal Commission’s recommendations regarding the regulation of disability service provision. Laura Hogan, from the Centre for Disability Services (CDS), will consider the Royal Commission’s approach to allied health for people with intellectual disabilities.

The April seminar continues on from our March seminar, which featured presentations from Professor Christine Bigby on the approach to group homes taken by the Disability Royal Commission, and Professor Teresa Iacono on its recommendations regarding educational pathways for students with intellectual disabilities.

The Disability Royal Commission and the regulation of disability service provision

Dr Alan Hough, Director, Purpose at Work, and Adjunct Professor, Living with Disability Research Centre

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability made important recommendations about regulating disability service provision. These recommendations included those about: complaints; provider and worker registration; enforcement; resourcing of the regulator; and, quality auditing.

This presentation will analyse the Royal Commission’s findings, recommendations and commentary and place them in the broader context of regulatory theory, research and practice. The presentation will explore the trade-offs inherent in regulatory resourcing and enforcement.

A critique of the Disability Royal Commission’s approach to allied health for people with intellectual disabilities

Laura Hogan, Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Disability Studies (CDS) and PhD Candidate, Living with Disability Research Centre

Many people with intellectual disabilities have complex health needs but find that the current healthcare system in Australia fails to meet these needs. The harm caused by this was explored through the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

The Commmission considered a diverse range of health professionals, including medical practitioners, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, and allied health professionals. Despite this diversity, most healthcare professionals who gave evidence were from medicine or nursing.

This presentation will critique the Commission's focus on only some parts of the health workforce and how this impacted recommendations, many of which seem designed for one professional group but are applied across the whole health workforce.

The implications for the allied health professions supporting people with intellectual disabilities will be discussed, and the risk that the simplistic approach the Commission took may not result in the much-needed change in health outcomes for this population.