NDS Australian Disability Workforce Report
The Australian Disability Workforce Report tracks six successive quarters of workforce data from NDS benchmarking tools, such as Workforce Wizard, and the carecareers job board. It presents the aggregate results for over 35,000 front line disability workers. The report paints a picture of a sector growing rapidly and experimenting with work arrangements and recruitment approaches.
A trend toward more casual employment is visible. The data suggests moderate skill shortages reflect a healthy sector growing strongly.
Below are some of the key findings:
The report finds that the most common form of employment for disability support workers in the March 2017 quarter was part-time permanent employment (43 per cent of all workers), closely followed by casual employment (41 per cent). Full-time permanent staff made up only 12 per cent of the disability support workforce.
Our data shows that organisations, on average, grew their disability support workforces by 3.6 per cent over that quarter. This has been overwhelmingly driven by a growth in the casual workforce.
Indicators such as labour turnover show relative stability, with casual turnover rates much higher and less predictable than those for permanent workers.
The average organisational permanent turnover rate has been relatively stable over time, sitting between 4.2 per cent and 4.7 per cent. Conversely, the average organisational casual turnover rate has been somewhat more variable since December 2015, and in the March
2017 quarter sits at 8.5 per cent, nearly twice the permanent rate.
Despite the benefits that flexibility gives organisations, data from Workforce Wizard shows
that it comes at the price of higher turnover.
Average working hours are recorded in Workforce Wizard as low, at 22 hours per week for support workers, and possibly reducing - suggesting poor utilisation of the existing workforce.
In the March 2017 quarter, organisations employed their disability support workers for an average of nearly 22 hours per week for each direct support worker, with a headcount to FTE ratio of 1.97 staff per FTE.
Women make up 70 per cent, on average, of the organisational workforce. In terms of age distribution, the average organisation has one-fifth (21 per cent) of its 5 workforce aged 55 years and older. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of the disability workforce is between 45 and 54 years, compared with around 21 per cent for the Australian allindustry employed workforce.
Allied health professionals in the disability sector were most likely to be employed as fulltime or part-time permanent workers (both 36 per cent in March 2017). Casual employment was considerably less common among allied health professionals than disability support workers (7 per cent compared with 41 per cent for support workers). However fixed termemployment appears to be growing quickly.
The allied health workforce is a much younger workforce than disability support. For the average organisation in March 2017, 64 per cent of their allied health workforce was aged 25 to 45 years old. This workforce also had 89 per cent female staff.
Displaying a more gender and age-balanced profile and contrasting work arrangements, the disability workforce appears to be moving in a different direction to aged care.
jobs, and 2 out of the 16 per cent of these are in disability.
Providers are successfully recruiting in high numbers, while also experiencing challenges as they adopt more person-centred approaches.
There were approximately eleven times as many positions filled as unfilled during the March 2017 quarter.
A common difficulty faced by providers appears to be the increasing specificity of job requirements for disability support positions, a result of providers tailoring jobs to clients
under the NDIS.
The carecareers job board shows a clear growth trend in part-time and particularly casual roles, compared with uneven growth in full-time roles.
Go to the NDS website to download the full report.
A trend toward more casual employment is visible. The data suggests moderate skill shortages reflect a healthy sector growing strongly.
Below are some of the key findings:
Type of employment
The report finds that the most common form of employment for disability support workers in the March 2017 quarter was part-time permanent employment (43 per cent of all workers), closely followed by casual employment (41 per cent). Full-time permanent staff made up only 12 per cent of the disability support workforce.
Our data shows that organisations, on average, grew their disability support workforces by 3.6 per cent over that quarter. This has been overwhelmingly driven by a growth in the casual workforce.
Workforce turnover
Indicators such as labour turnover show relative stability, with casual turnover rates much higher and less predictable than those for permanent workers.
The average organisational permanent turnover rate has been relatively stable over time, sitting between 4.2 per cent and 4.7 per cent. Conversely, the average organisational casual turnover rate has been somewhat more variable since December 2015, and in the March
2017 quarter sits at 8.5 per cent, nearly twice the permanent rate.
Despite the benefits that flexibility gives organisations, data from Workforce Wizard shows
that it comes at the price of higher turnover.
Hours
Average working hours are recorded in Workforce Wizard as low, at 22 hours per week for support workers, and possibly reducing - suggesting poor utilisation of the existing workforce.
In the March 2017 quarter, organisations employed their disability support workers for an average of nearly 22 hours per week for each direct support worker, with a headcount to FTE ratio of 1.97 staff per FTE.
Age and gender distribution
Women make up 70 per cent, on average, of the organisational workforce. In terms of age distribution, the average organisation has one-fifth (21 per cent) of its 5 workforce aged 55 years and older. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of the disability workforce is between 45 and 54 years, compared with around 21 per cent for the Australian allindustry employed workforce.
Allied health
Allied health professionals in the disability sector were most likely to be employed as fulltime or part-time permanent workers (both 36 per cent in March 2017). Casual employment was considerably less common among allied health professionals than disability support workers (7 per cent compared with 41 per cent for support workers). However fixed termemployment appears to be growing quickly.
The allied health workforce is a much younger workforce than disability support. For the average organisation in March 2017, 64 per cent of their allied health workforce was aged 25 to 45 years old. This workforce also had 89 per cent female staff.
Disability vs. aged care workforce
Displaying a more gender and age-balanced profile and contrasting work arrangements, the disability workforce appears to be moving in a different direction to aged care.
- In the March 2017 quarter, 47 per cent of disability support workers were employed as a casual or on contract, compared to 10 per cent in aged care residential, and 14 per cent in aged community care.
- Some 30 per cent of disability support workers are men, compared to 10 to 11 per
cent of direct care workers in aged care. - 11 per cent of disability support workers are aged 16 to 24 years, compared to less
than 3 per cent for aged community care.
jobs, and 2 out of the 16 per cent of these are in disability.
Recruitment
Providers are successfully recruiting in high numbers, while also experiencing challenges as they adopt more person-centred approaches.
There were approximately eleven times as many positions filled as unfilled during the March 2017 quarter.
A common difficulty faced by providers appears to be the increasing specificity of job requirements for disability support positions, a result of providers tailoring jobs to clients
under the NDIS.
carecareers
The carecareers job board shows a clear growth trend in part-time and particularly casual roles, compared with uneven growth in full-time roles.
Go to the NDS website to download the full report.
