The quality of the disability support workforce has a major impact on the quality of life for disabled people requiring specialised support. Government is undertaking actions to help ensure there are sufficient support workers to meet the demand for them; there is a continuity of the service provided, especially through reducing the turnover of staff; and the workforce is skilled and empowered to deliver quality support.

In 2008/2009, two new qualifications were introduced to meet the Ministry of Health’s need for a qualification pathway for Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination workers. The Ministry has had close involvement with the independent industry training organisation Careerforce in the development of the National Certificate in Disability Support Assessment, Planning and Co-ordination. The Graduate Diploma in Education – Disability Support Specialisation was initiated by the Ministry and is offered through the University of Auckland.

In September 2008, the Ministry of Health released “Let’s Get Real: Real Skills for people working in mental health and addiction,” a competency and capability framework being phased in from 2009 to 2011. This framework aims to guide workforce development activities in the mental health and addiction centre. Its first phase has been the development of guides, tools and other resources to support the use and application of the framework.

The Ministry of Health's Disability Support Services Workforce Action Plan is the basis for all new funding and planning for the disability support workforce funded by the Ministry from 2009 to 2014. There are three major new initiatives for 2009/2010:

• A National Training Co-ordination Service is to be established to prepare an annual training plan and implement this by administering disability support services training grants. These training grants will be used by the Ministry as incentives for employers to increase the number of their workers who are qualified to provide disability support services. This work is to begin in early 2010.
• Funding for Disability Support – Leadership Initiatives for 2010 will create leadership development opportunities for consumers of disability support services and emerging leaders within the paid workforce. The fund was established in 2008 but has been modified to include initiatives that will improve health outcomes for people with a disability and their carers.
• A project is being funded through the Health Workforce Information Programme within District Health Boards New Zealand to gather comprehensive data on the disability support services workforce. This project, which is now under way, will ensure more efficient and effective workforce planning from 2011.

Other planned actions include:

• the support of professional development for Pacific providers of services for Pacific disabled people, through the continued implementation of the Lu’i Ola programme: 2009 – 2014 (Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and Ministry of Health)
• research by the Donald Beasley Institute, funded through the Health Research Council, on the high turnover of frontline support staff in residential services for people with intellectual disability; this will inform policy and practice to improve staff retention in intellectual disability services in New Zealand (Ministry of Research, Science and Technology).