NDIS provider accused of compromising safety of people with disability in quest for growth
7.30 / By Pat McGrath and John Stewart, ABC Investigations
The National Disability Insurance Scheme has been a cash splash for big players in the sector, and few have benefited quite like the Australian Foundation for Disability – otherwise known as Afford.
Key points:
- Founded in 1951 to help polio victims, Afford has grown rapidly in recent years, fuelled by NDIS funding
- Clients and their families have accused the organisation of compromising safety in its pursuit of higher profits
- A disability advocate says Afford’s spending on hospitality for staff is not appropriate for a charity
Since the launch of the NDIS in 2013, Afford has more than doubled its clients to more than 4,000 and increased its annual revenue from less than $50 million in 2015 to almost $120 million last financial year.
But beneath the glossy corporate veneer there is trouble at this western Sydney-based charity.
ABC Investigations has discovered Afford’s phenomenal growth has been accompanied by serious concerns from some staff and families about client safety, lavish spending by executives on alcohol and entertainment, and a creeping corporate culture that critics say puts profit before everything else.
