A major provider of disability services prioritised growth and finances over client safety and service quality, a royal commission inquiry report has found.

March 21, 2023

A nationwide disability service provider has been chastised for prioritising revenue over the health and safety of people in its care.

The Australian Foundation for Disability, also known as Afford, also failed to meaningfully engage with or apologise in writing to clients abused while in its care, the Disability Royal Commission found.

The commission’s report on its public hearing into the NDIS-registered service provider identified serious shortcomings regarding actions taken by Afford in its response to the abuse.

The 2022 hearing focused on a Sydney-based day program in Mount Druitt, where two clients living with disability were abused by Afford support worker Daniel Nuumaalii in 2019.

The commissioners made 29 findings including that Afford’s management did not act upon a number of issues raised by staff and clients’ families about the safety of day centre premises.

The inquiry found Afford significantly increased the number of people enrolled in its day programs between 2016 and 2021, but it focused on growth and financial matters at the expense of the safety and quality of client services.

The report said Afford did not have adequate systems in place for families to receive regular information about their loved one’s activities, be notified of any issues or to give feedback for service improvements.

It said Afford’s service agreements were complex and not set out in a way that allowed participants and their families to easily understand what they would be charged.

Afford’s board and executive management were not in a position to promote the provision of safe, high-quality disability services in a rights-informed manner, the royal commission also found.

At the time of the hearing, Afford operated 44 day programs across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA and SA.

In a statement, Afford said it accepted the findings and recognised it didn’t have the right practices and policies in place to provide clients with quality service and safety.

“We are sorry for those failings and have expressed this personally to the clients and families impacted,” a spokeswoman said.

“We must and will do better.”

In February, Afford gave further evidence to the inquiry and announced the resignation of three board directors.

The Australian Foundation for Disability is one of Australia’s largest disability service providers.

It provides disability accommodation and housing, community connection, disability supports and employment services to people living with disability.