Regulatory priorities 2025-26

The reduction and elimination of regulated restrictive practices

• As a human rights regulator, we prioritise and promote safe, high-quality services that support dignity, inclusion and remove barriers to people with disability fully joining in society.
• The use of restrictive practices not only infringe on a person’s rights or freedom of movement, but can also be traumatic, dangerous and breach basic human rights.
• We will focus on making sure human rights are central to disability supports and services by working to reduce and eliminate the use of restrictive practices.

Strengthened oversight and regulation of unregistered NDIS providers and sole traders

• Being unregistered does not shield providers from obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct and the reach of the NDIS Commission. The community expects NDIS providers to meet high standards, registered or unregistered.
• We will focus on strengthening oversight and regulation of unregistered NDIS providers and sole traders. For example, we will take decisive action against unregistered providers for serious breaches the NDIS Code of Conduct that infringe on the human rights of people with disability and undermine the integrity and sustainability of the NDIS.

Provider obligations to support participants to proactively identify and manage high-risk health concerns

• Poor health outcomes and potentially avoidable deaths remain a significant issue in the disability sector.
• It is not acceptable that people with disability die or experience poor health outcomes where this can be prevented and proactively managed.
• We will monitor and take strong action against providers who are not meeting their obligations to support participants to proactively identify and manage high-risk health concerns, for example, through mealtime management, wound management and timely access to health services.

Provider obligations to support, train and monitor appropriately skilled and capable workers

• Being unregistered does not shield providers from obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct and the reach of the NDIS Commission. The community expects NDIS providers to meet high standards, registered or unregistered.
• We will focus on strengthening oversight and regulation of unregistered NDIS providers and sole traders. For example, we will take decisive action against unregistered providers for serious breaches the NDIS Code of Conduct that infringe on the human rights of people with disability and undermine the integrity and sustainability of the NDIS.

Update on actions from 2025-26 priorities

Mealtime Management Campaign: Supporting our regulatory priorities

We know many NDIS participants have a higher risk of choking and aspiration during meals. An NDIS Commission priority for 2025-26 is to improve how providers manage high-risk health issues such as choking and aspiration. The Mealtime Management targeted campaign helps us understand current risks and then guide practice improvements.
The campaign looked at planning, delivery and monitoring of mealtimes. It included 184 site visits across 98 providers. The insights from the campaign will:

• future regulatory action
• inform updates to practice guidance
• providers lift the quality and safety of mealtime supports.

Mealtime management campaign snapshot 

Support Coordination Campaign

Support coordination is an important part of capacity building for many NDIS participants. The Support Coordination Targeted Campaign:

• looked at current provider practices and compliance
• focussed on identified risk areas:  
  • quality of support coordination - skills and knowledge, complaints management, person-centred supports
  • conflict of interest
  • participant independence and informed choice.

This work supports the 2025-26 NDIS Commission regulatory priorities of:

• strengthening oversight and regulation of unregistered providers and sole traders
• providers having skilled and capable workers that are trained, supported and monitored.

The campaign included 51 voluntary site visits to providers across 5 states. These providers employed 988 support coordinators who support over 24,300 NDIS participants. The insights from the campaign will:

• inform clear guidance about conflict of interest
• continue our focus on quality support coordination including provider compliance with obligations.

Support coordination campaign snapshot