Ministry of Social Development

ADVANCED NOTICE - Disability Care and Support Workers Safeguarding Training Package and Implementation

Disability Care and Support Workers Safeguarding Training Package and Implementation

Agency: Disability Support Services (DSS), Ministry of Social Development

Overview:

Safeguarding training for care and support workers caring for disabled adults receiving services from DSS funded providers.

DSS is providing advance notice of an upcoming procurement opportunity to co-develop and support delivery of a national safeguarding training programme for disability care and support workers, providing care for disabled adults.

This programme forms part of the Government response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. This is a specific agency initiative, aiming to strengthen safeguarding capability across high-risk disability support settings.

Scope:
• Co-develop and test a safeguarding training package with the disability sector and subject matter experts.
• Delivery of a training package to be accessible via multiple channels, with an ability to be adapted across other care settings, in time, as required.
• Support training to approximately 22,000 disability care and support workers who deliver DSS funded support in community residential settings (community group homes, and in people’s homes).
• Develop implementation approaches that support long-term sector safeguarding capability improvements.

Key Outcomes:
• Improved prevention, identification, response, and reporting of abuse and neglect.
• Workforce safeguarding capability improvement across home and community-based disability support services, through achievement of standardised learning outcomes.
• Increased participation in the safeguarding capability training programme by care and support workers, and providers who engage them.
• Improved safeguarding capability and competency across the care system.

Indicative Timeline:
• Procurement release: September 2026
• Contract commencement: November/December2026

Indicative Value:
• Up to approximately NZD $9 million across 3 years

Supplier Action:
• No response is required at this stage.
• If you are interested, please subscribe to this Advance Notice to receive updates. When the Request for Proposal is released, it will be linked to this notice and will include further information.