NDIS watchdog bans more disability carers from working in South Australia

Disability carers have been banned from working in South Australia – some permanently – but authorities aren’t saying why.

Five disability support workers have been banned from providing services in South Australia – but the national watchdog will not reveal why.

An online register shows three workers are under bans imposed by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission in 2020, including two barred permanently, while another two bans were made in 2019.

The Advertiser reported this week that former Integrity Care SA worker Rosa Maria Maione had been prevented from providing services to NDIS clients for five years.

Maione, of Hectorville, is yet to plead to one count of manslaughter over the April death of Annie Smith, who had cerebral palsy.

The commission was set up in 2018 to oversee the burgeoning National Disability Insurance Scheme amid concerns unskilled operators would take advantage of government money flowing to clients.

When asked about the bans, a commission spokeswoman said it “does not publish details of the events that led to a ban”.

The commission’s online register shows one worker, Naushad Rayani, registered in Modbury Heights, was initially banned for two years in August 2019. That ban was made permanent in March 2020.

Michael Edgar Feast, registered in Magill, was first barred for one month in October 2020 but that was extended to two years on December 16.

Lisa Suwarni Towill, registered in Hectorville, was banned for 12 months from September 2020.

David Murray Robinson, registered in Mount Gambier, completed a year-long exclusion on December 17. A 12-month ban on Sha-Nin Cheong, registered in Findon, expired on July 17, 2020.

While the reasons for the bans have not been made public, The Advertiser does not suggest the workers were abusive, neglectful or violent.

Integrity Care SA, which employed Maione, was shut down in August.

The NDIS watchdog has issued compliance notices “to take certain action” to two other providers.

A notice was issued to Minda in January 2020 “to address non-compliances”.

CARA received a notice in October “to address possible non-compliance”.

Spokeswomen for each organisation did not directly answer questions about the issues of concern or what actions had been taken.

A Minda spokeswoman said it had “been focused on working closely with the commission to address areas noted for improvement”.

A CARA spokeswoman said it had made a submission to the commission that was “under consideration”, so she could not comment further.