Founded in December 2022, Tee Care Agency, a trusted provider of disability support services in Victoria, has announced its withdrawal from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) sector. Founder, Ramneek Wayne, cited staff burnout and increasingly complex regulatory requirements as the primary reasons for the move.
“The NDIS Minister resigned; I’m just a provider,” Wayne reflected, highlighting the immense pressures in the sector. While Minister Shorten’s decision to step down was tied to a personal career shift toward the education sector, Wayne suggests that his resignation symbolises the broader challenges faced by those working in or around the NDIS.
Wayne further explained, “As a provider, I experience firsthand the immense pressures associated with roles within the NDIS. His departure only adds to the uncertainty in the industry following the recent changes. Personally, I find myself dealing with burnout, which is all too common in this field.”
“The 2021 National Disability Services State of the Sector report calls attention to staff burnout as one of the key drivers”
Established with a mission to “create a positive difference in the lives we touch” and to empower individuals with disabilities. The agency has grown from a small, community-focused provider assisting their first participant in January 2023 to a trusted name in the state, supporting participants in achieving their goals and fostering independence.
Highlights of Tee Care’s journey include exhibiting in their first expo in April 2023 with Wayne speaking at Konnectfest to hosting their first event in July 2023 at MicDrop with MOIRA, supporting over 50 families at this stage. MOIRA is a registered charity providing disability support.
Co-founder, Tee, also spoke as a panellist at Workforce Australia in October of the same year, was nominated as a finalist for the Yarra Inclusion and Diversity Award, and ended the year hosting the first large-scale disability expo at Collingwood Town Hall with MyIntegra.
Last April 2024, Tee Care underwent a visual rebranding to North Foundation as well as officially becoming a registered provider in June. They co-hosted the South Eastern Disability Expo at Springvale Town Hall with MOIRA in July of the same year.
Celebrating its second anniversary last December, Wayne states, “Burnout is a very real thing in the industry. I pick up the phone at 2 a.m. because we genuinely care about our participants. This, coupled with the changes, is why we are closing up shop.”
According to a July 2023 paper by Dickinson & Yates published on July 2023 titled: A decade on: The achievements and challenges of the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s implementation, states “many in the disability community were blindsided by the announcement of a cap on the scheme and also dismayed that changes to the scheme had been outlined prior to the report of the Independent Review (which is engaging extensively with NDIS participants and families) and seemingly lacking in terms of co-design.”
These changes are particularly significant for the Filipino community in Australia, where over 21,351 individuals provide unpaid assistance to people with disabilities, health conditions, or due to old age, and approximately 4,835 work in other social assistance services sector.
In a statement, Tee Care Agency said: “This is a decision we did not take lightly. But we need to prioritise the well-being of our team. Closing one chapter does not mean we are closing the doors to our community building and advocacy in the disability space. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey. We are still very much committed to helping the community and we are looking forward to sharing how we can best contribute moving forward.”
The agency is committed to ensuring a seamless transition for its clients and has started referring them to alternative providers who can provide the best fit for their personalised needs.
Tee Care leaves behind a legacy of compassion, innovation and dedication to the disability community in Victoria.
