Top call centre questions

Training and qualifications: What’s required to deliver supports or services?

Unregistered providers: The NDIS Commission does not mandate training or qualifications for unregistered providers.

Registered providers: Qualification requirements for certain registration groups are in the NDIS Practice Standards Qualification and Professional Associations Required Documentation Guide. Professions that are not listed in that module need to comply with the NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators. Registered providers also need to include the NDIS Commission’s Worker orientation module in their induction process.

Workers: Providers (registered and unregistered) are responsible for engaging appropriately skilled workers to deliver services. The Workforce Capability Framework: Framework Levels is an online tool that can help providers recruit the right workers.
 

Registered versus unregistered providers: What’s the difference?

Registered providers have applied for registration with the NDIS Commission and been issued a certificate of registration.

You must be registered to provide certain supports, such as: 

• specialist disability accommodation (SDA)
• specialist behaviour support services:
  • developing behaviour support plans
  • implementing regulated restrictive practices, or a likely need to implement them
• plan management services.
• supports or services to NDIS participants with NDIA-managed funding
• residential aged care to NDIS participants living in your facility.

Learn more about registration.

Unregistered providers can deliver supports and services to participants, except for those listed above. Only participants who self-manage or plan-manage their NDIS funding can choose to get supports and services from unregistered providers.
 

Complaints: Who can I complain about?

The NDIS Commission takes complaints about people and organisations involved in the delivery of supports or services to people with disability. This includes:

• NDIS providers
• Government agencies (other than the National Disability Insurance Agency) that provide services to NDIS participants and receive payment using NDIS funds
• NDIS workers
• anyone receiving payment using NDIS funding
• Disability Support for Older Australians (DSOA) support coordinators
• companies operating under the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Program.

We cannot take complaints about:

• the National Disability Insurance Agency, which provides access to NDIS funding and makes decisions about participant plans
• informal supports (such as family members)
• the general public
• companies that are not providers of NDIS supports receiving NDIS funding.

Learn more about making a complaint.
 

Conflict of interest: How can I tell if a provider or worker has a conflict of interest?

A conflict of interest is when an NDIS provider or worker puts their own benefits or interests ahead of the interests of the participant.

Conflicts of interest can also be potential (it might happen) or perceived (likely to happen or likely to have happened already).

Providers should declare and avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest.

 Examples of conflicts of interest are:

• An NDIS provider pressures a participant to choose supports or services because of the financial benefit to the provider.
• A provider says a participant can only use a specific support or service that benefits the provider. For example, saying a participant can only access supports if they use a specific plan manager.
• When a provider acts as a nominee who makes decisions about supports, then chooses supports that benefit themselves.

You can report a conflict of interest the same as other complaints. You can:

• raise the issue with your provider
• try to resolve or manage the conflict with the provider
• get help from family, friends, an advocate or your National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) planner
• report the conflict to us at Make a complaint.

The NDIA has rules about when friends or family members can be paid to provide supports or services to a participant.

You can read more in Section 11.1 of the NDIA document Including Specific Types of Supports in Plans [link to document].

Learn more:

• Participant guide to managing a conflict of interest
• Conflicts of interest in the NDIS provider market

Provider registration: How long does it take to get approved?

Timeframes can be impacted by:

• the size and scale of the organisation
• the complexity and range of supports and services being delivered
• the need for communication between you and/or the auditor if information in the application or audit report is missing.

Learn more about registration and the steps involved in applying for registration.

NDIS Commission portals: I need help.

Go to our Portal Quick Reference Guides for step-by-step instructions on how to use our portals.

Becoming a provider: What do I need to do?

If you want to be an unregistered provider, there are no additional requirements outside of the usual processes required to run a business.

We cannot advise you on whether you should be registered or not. However, registration is mandatory if you want to provide the following:

• specialist disability accommodation (SDA)
• specialist behaviour support services
• supports or services to NDIS participants with NDIA-managed funding, and
• plan management services.

Learn more about registration and how to apply for registration.
 

Provider numbers: How do I get my provider number?

The NDIA issues provider numbers. To find your NDIS provider number, log in to my NDIS provider portal.  If you can’t find it online, you can call the NDIA Provider Contact Centre at 1300 311 675 for help.

Subcontracting: Can I subcontract as a registered provider?

Registered NDIS providers can engage sub-contractors. They must meet the same obligations that apply to you, the registered provider. 

This includes (but is not limited to): 

• Worker screening requirements
• NDIS Practice Standards 
• NDIS Code of Conduct

Unpaid invoices: I'm a provider and my invoices haven’t been paid.

The NDIS Commission is not involved in NDIS payments.

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has more information on getting paid.

If the self-managed participant or plan manager is not responding to your enquiries, you can contact the NDIA.

Worker screening: How do I apply for a worker screening check?

Go to the worker screening unit in your state or territory:

• Australian Capital Territory: Access Canberra
• New South Wales: Service NSW
• Northern Territory: SAFE NT
• Queensland: Disability Worker Screening
• South Australia: Department of Human Services Screening Unit
• Tasmania: Consumer, Building and Occupational Services
• Victoria: Department of Justice and Community Safety
• Western Australia: Department of Communities

This applies to sole traders who are in risk-assessed roles.

Worker screening: Who needs a worker screening check?

An NDIS Worker Screening Clearance is mandatory for workers of registered NDIS providers in risk-assessed roles.

It is the registered provider’s responsibility to:

• identify risk-assessed roles, and 
• make sure all workers in these roles have a clearance.

Workers of unregistered providers are not required to do a worker screening check. However, a provider or participant can ask workers to get a clearance before engaging them.
 

Worker screening: I can’t find my worker screening number.

The NDIS Commission cannot provide these details. Contact worker screening unit in the state or territory you applied for the check:

• Australian Capital Territory: Access Canberra
• New South Wales: Service NSW
• Northern Territory: SAFE NT
• Queensland: Disability Worker Screening
• South Australia: Department of Human Services Screening Unit
• Tasmania: Consumer, Building and Occupational Services
• Victoria: Department of Justice and Community Safety
• Western Australia: Department of Communities

Types of supports: What can I provide?

We cannot advise on the types of supports you can provide.

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) approves plans, which include the types of supports participants can get.

The NDIA also manages the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, which has line items that providers can claim for reasonable and necessary supports.

COVID-19 and infection control: Do I need to report a case of COVID-19?

Providers no longer need to report positive cases of COVID-19 to the NDIS Commission. See What to do if you test positive.

Infection control training

Providers need to have appropriate infection control practices. You can find infection control training options at Infection prevention and control.

Infection control for registered providers

Registered providers need to meet the NDIS Practice Standards that apply to their registration type:

• Core module: Provision of supports environment – Safe environment
• Verification module: Human resource management
• Verification module: Risk management.

Getting business: I’m a new provider, how do I engage participants?

We cannot advise you on how to get new business. However, you must comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct when engaging with participants.

If you are a registered provider, you can add your business details to the NDIS Commission: Find a Provider and NDIA: Provider Finder which is used by some self-managed participants.

Behaviour support practitioner application: I want an update

If you’ve applied to be considered suitable to be an NDIS behaviour support practitioner, please note your application will take around 4 to 6 weeks to process. Make sure your application includes all the necessary documentation and a valid NDIS worker screening clearance number to avoid further delays. 

Employment and pay: My employer (an NDIS provider) hasn’t paid me, can you help?

We cannot advise on employment matters or conditions. You can find information about payment disputes and report a workplace issue at Fair Work Ombudsman.