Updated June 2024
Do you want to become an NDIS provider? There are still opportunities to make a difference in your life and your community. With so many types of NDIS supports to deliver, there’s got to be something to suit your qualifications and experience. You can operate as a sole-trader, pool resources in a partnership, or start a registered company hiring expertise as it’s needed. Whichever you choose, don’t skimp on the business planning. This article makes sure you’re asking the right questions and helps you answer them.
IS IT WORTH BECOMING AN NDIS PROVIDER?
The NDIS continues to grow rapidly. Yes, it’s slowed down a lot from the 35% expansion only a few years ago (2019). Now there’s about 15% more participant plans approved each year. That’s a much more manageable rate.
In the NDIS marketplace, there’s plenty of data published to make business planning easier. The NDIS Quarterly Reports provide a broad image of the scheme and participant perceptions. The research centre gives a valuable overview, and the interactive NDIS Demand Map provides information about demand for specific supports in specific service areas.
Registering as a provider adds costs and compliance obligations. But you’ll have obligations whether you register as a provider or not. Every business needs to manage safety, risk, and customer relations. Make sure you understand your obligations before you start providing services. And do factor compliance costs into your business planning. (These vary widely depending on the supports and the size of the organisation. Check the lists below to see which audits would apply).
The NDIS Quality requirements are likely to change… sometime soonish. Until those requirements come into force, unregistered providers are limited to providing supports to NDIS participants who manage their own plans.
Businesses that want to access the larger NDIS marketplace must register with the NDIS. That’s over 400 000 participants Australia-wide. You must register if you want to:
- deliver services and supports to NDIS participants who have their plan managed by the NDIA
- deliver specialist disability accommodation, use restrictive practices, or develop behaviour support plans
Under the proposed changes, all providers will need some level of NDIS registration. There will probably be no cost associated with the lowest level of registration — ‘enrolment’. Smaller providers will have proportionately easier compliance burdens — or none at all, depending on the supports they provide. While the transition period might be uncomfortable, overall, the proposed system won’t be unmanageable. And we believe there’ll be advantages for those who register before the changes come in.
Ultimately, it all depends on what ‘success’ means to you. According to our clients, ‘success’ can mean a lot of things: high growth rates, the satisfaction of making a difference in people’s lives, of managing their own business, of proving that their business idea can work, or of building their capabilities. Whatever success looks like to you, the NDIS might fit the bill. But don’t neglect your business planning!
WHAT’S THE NDIS PROVIDER APPLICATION PROCESS?
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Essentially, the application process has two stages. Firstly, the online application including an organisational self-assessment against the NDIS Practice Standards. Secondly, an audit to check that your business’ Quality Management System complies with the relevant Standards.
TIP: The NDIS Practice Standards is the main document used to assess compliance. It’s not a how-to manual. If you haven’t got expertise in community sector Quality Management, contact a reliable NDIS Quality Management professional. Get an idea of what you need to know and do, the costs involved in managing compliance and Quality, and the best way build your capability in this essential area.
Online Application
- Start your application through the NDIS Commission website. At each step, follow the links from the registration webpage.
- The application form contains questions about your key personnel (who are they), where you provide services, and what registration groups you wish to be approved for.
TIP: Tick only the registration groups you intend to deliver within the next 12 months and your active service delivery sites. The number of registration groups and sites does affect how large your audit may be and the cost! If you plan to expand your services, or service delivery sites, you can add these later. - The application will highlight the NDIS Practice Standards ‘Modules’ relevant to the registration groups you selected. Provide a response to each relevant standard based on your policies and processes. It is important that you enter correct and factual information — you risk your application being rejected if you supply false or misleading information!
TIP: Our publication The NDIS Audit Guide: Practice Standards Core Modulewill help you understand your Quality System and how to answer the self-assessment questions.
TIP: If you don’t have policies in place, now is the time! Get in contact with PQplus. - In the final step, the application asks for attachments.
TIP: Attach your policies here.
TIP: Make sure to press submit! - Once submitted, you will automatically receive a ‘Scope of Audit’ letter.
TIP: Errors sometimes occur, so check the details. You’ll need the letter, so keep a copy where you can easily find it. - The approved auditing companies are listed on the Commission’s website. Send one or more companies your ‘Scope of Audit’ letter to obtain a quote.
TIP: You are establishing a working relationship. Don’t just consider the auditors’ fees. That said, prices may vary widely.
WHAT TYPE OF AUDIT DO I NEED?
The type of audit depends on the type of support provided.
Low Risk NDIS Supports.
Providers require a Verification Audit if they deliver ‘low risk’ supports:
- Accommodation/Tenancy Assistance
- Assistive Products for Personal Care and Safety
- Personal Mobility Equipment
- Assistance with Travel/Transport Arrangements
- Vehicle Modifications
- Home Modification Design and Construction
- Assistive Equipment for Recreation
- Vision Equipment
- Community Nursing Care
- Innovative Community Participation
- Specialised Hearing Services
- Household Tasks
- Interpreting and Translation
- Hearing Equipment
- Assistive Products in Household Tasks
- Communication and Information Equipment
- Management of Funding for Supports
- Therapeutic Supports
- Specialised Driver Training
- Assistance Animals
- Hearing Services
- Custom Prostheses and Orthoses
- Exercise Physiology and Personal Well-being Activities
Verification Audits are “light touch” audits conducted offsite. The auditor reviews policies, procedures and other organisational documentation against the Verification Module of the NDIS Practice Standards — covering Risk Management, Incident Management, Complaints Management and Human Resources. They provide a report and then make their recommendation to the NDIS Commission.
High Risk NDIS Supports:
Providers require a Certification Audit if they deliver ‘high risk’ supports:
- Assistance to Access and Maintain Employment or Higher Education [Assist Access/Maintain Employ]
- High Intensity Daily Personal Activities
- Assistance in Coordinating or Managing Life Stages, Transitions and Supports [Life Stage, Transition]
- Daily Personal Activities
- Specialist Positive Behaviour Support
- Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in a Group or Shared Living Arrangement [Daily Tasks/Shared Living]
- Development of Daily Living and Life Skills [Development-Life Skills]
- Early Intervention Supports for Early Childhood
- Participation in Community, Social, and Civil Activities [Participate Community]
- Specialist Disability Accommodation [Specialist Accom]
- Support Coordination
- Specialised Supported Employment
- Group and Centre-Based Activities [Group/Centre Activities]
Certification Audits assess providers against the NDIS Practice Standards: Core Module (and any relevant Supplementary Module). They are conducted in two stages:
Stage 1: Audits will review your policies, self-assessment and other documents submitted during the registration application. Issues identified in Stage 1 audits should be addressed before the Stage 2 audit commences.
Stage 2 audits evaluate how the relevant Standards are implemented in practice. They are conducted on site, including home-based offices. The auditor will provide a schedule so that providers can prepare documentation and personnel effectively.
For more information about what to expect in a Certification Audit, check out our Audit FAQs page and watch our YouTube video here.
CONCLUSION
Whatever ‘success’ means to you, you’ll need to develop strategies for business management and compliance management. You don’t need to have all the skills or all the answers, so long as you’ve got appropriate support. If you have compliance questions that you can’t answer, we can. And we offer a free 15-minute consultation. You’ve got our number.
We wish you every success! – the PQplus team.
