OPA welcomes the Australian Government’s commitment to exploring enhanced national consistency for Community Visitor Schemes (CVS), as recommended by the Disability Royal Commission. In its submission, OPA highlights the need for a national safeguarding framework to clarify the scope and goals of CVS and guide future models. 

OPA supports maintaining CVS’ focus on proactive outreach to ‘risky settings’ and recommends national consistency be achieved through shared principles, allowing flexibility for state and territory contexts. The submission also emphasises the importance of better information sharing with the NDIA and NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to strengthen CVS’ safeguarding role. 

OPA made seven key recommendations, including defining the safeguarding approach, retaining the focus on ‘risky settings’, establishing national principles, clarifying CVS’ role alongside regulators, improving NDIS safeguarding policy, enhancing information sharing, and ensuring CVS are properly resourced.