Overview

Do I need to be a registered NDIS provider?

The NDIS Commission has determined that AHPs providing services to any NDIA-managed participant need to be a registered NDIS provider.

Your choice to be a registered NDIS provider is based on your organisation’s business plan.

• If you plan to continue to see NDIA Managed participants, YES you will need to meet the NDIS Commission’s registration requirements.
• If you have a significant number of NDIA-managed participants the answer is likely to be YES you do need to be a registered provider, if you want to continue to see these clients.
• If you only have a few NDIA-managed participants but intend to expand this part of your business the answer again would most likely be YES.
• If you only have a handful of NDIA-managed participants and have no intention of expanding this part of your business you will need to consider whether the cost and time invested in the process is of value to you.

Currently the NDIS Commission does not require you to be a registered provider to provide supports to self-managed or plan-managed participants. However, there is a requirement for all providers to comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct and the NDIS Terms of Business.

In order to demonstrate you meet these requirements you need to establish a Quality Management System (QMS).

You may decide to complete the Verification Pathway but choose not to undertake the audit. By completing the Verification Pathway, you will have developed a Quality Management System that will enable you to demonstrate compliance with the NDIS and other regulatory requirements in areas such as privacy, mandatory reporting and workplace health and safety. Providers who have chosen to do this report great benefits to their business including better practices and less business stresses.

Regardless of whether you want to become a NDIS Registered Provider or just want to improve your business processes this website will be a very useful resource.

The information on this website is aimed at the types of businesses most AHPs run i.e. sole traders or small businesses. Many of the resources provided will be useful for larger businesses but it is anticipated they will need additional resources related to running larger organisations – particularly in the Governance and Operational Management Standard.

How does the NDIS Commission decide on registration requirements?

The Commission Rules set out what the Commission and providers are required to do. Importantly, they set the suitability requirements for providers and key personnel to become registered. Most of these requirements are listed in the Commission’s Conditions of Registration. A key condition is the need to comply with NDIS Practice Standards.

Which Practice Standards you must comply with are determined by the NDIS registration groups you deliver. These are more fully listed in the Commission document Registration Requirements by Supports and Services but summarised below.

Registration groups and level of risk

The Commission Rules have been developed in consideration of the level of risk involved in delivering a service or support. For higher risk supports (such as personal care, restrictive practice, providing services to very young children) there are more requirements.

• For lower risk registration groups, including therapeutic supports, you will likely only need to complete the Verification Pathway. Most services that AHPs provide are in low risk registration groups.
• For higher risk registration groups, usually referred to as ‘specialised supports’, you will need to complete more documentation.

Registration groups – low risk:

• Therapeutic supports
• Customised prosthesis and orthoses
• Home modifications design
• Exercise physiology and personal well-being
• Hearing services
• Specialised hearing services

Registration groups – high risk:

• Early intervention supports for early childhood
• Specialist positive behaviour support
• Specialised support coordination

Also high risk, primarily just for social workers:

• Assistance in coordinating or managing life stages, transitions and support
• Assistance to access or maintain employment or higher education
• Specialised supported employment
• Group and centre-based activities

The risk category determines:

• what and how much evidence of compliance you need to present to demonstrate you are suitable to provide NDIS services and supports
• how, where and how often you need to present this evidence.

In essence the registration groups determine:

• which NDIS Practice Standards you need to comply with
• the type of audit/s (or surveillance activities) you need to undergo.

These are both important because they determine what you have to prepare and what it will cost to become registered.

The term ‘evidence of compliance’ means you need to be able to demonstrate to auditors that you meet the stated requirements. Auditors will be wanting to see evidence of this to show you are doing what you say you are/have. But remember, this website is designed to help you gather that evidence and maintain it until the next audit.

How will this website help me with registration?

We have developed two major groups of resources to help AHPs become registered NDIS providers. We have called these Pathways. There are two Pathways:

1. The Verification Pathway. This is for those who have to complete an audit against the Verification Module. This is aimed at helping all those in Category 1 and 2.
2. The Certification Pathway. This is for those who have to complete an audit against the Core Module. This is aimed at helping all those in Category 3 and 4 and may help with any additional requirements for those in Category 2.
   Note: this pathway does not include any Specialised Support Modules.