NDIS Code of Conduct

It is your right to receive supports and services that are good quality and safe. The NDIS Code of Conduct is a set of rules about how your providers and workers should act when they are supporting you, and things they need to do to make sure you are safe.

If you don’t think someone is following these rules, you can complain to us.

Under the NDIS Code of Conduct, your providers and workers must:

• act with respect for individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination, and decision-making in accordance with relevant laws and conventions. This means you have the right to make your own decisions, to be free to live the life you choose, and to have the same rights and freedoms as any other member of the community.
• respect the privacy of people with disability. This means you have the right not to have your personal information shared with other people unless you have said that is okay.
• provide supports and services in a safe and competent manner with care and skill. This means the people who work with you should have the right skills to support you in a safe way.
• act with integrity, honesty, and transparency. This means your providers and workers should be honest with you about your NDIS services and supports, and provide the supports that meet your needs. 
• promptly take steps to raise and act on concerns about matters that might have an impact on the quality and safety of supports provided to people with disability. This means your provider should help people to feel safe to make a complaint or report problems, and they should manage these complaints effectively.
• take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to all forms of violence, exploitation, neglect, and abuse. This means your providers should take all reasonable steps to prevent violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, and respond quickly if these things happen.
• take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual misconduct. This means your providers and workers should know what appropriate behaviour is, and who to tell if you are not treated properly. 

Each future edition of SAFEGuard will focus on one of these parts of the NDIS Code of Conduct. This will help you understand more about the way your workers and providers should be supporting you, and how to know when things are not right.

How to make a complaint to us

If you feel unsafe or unhappy with your NDIS supports and services, or if you don’t think your provider or worker is following the rules, you can come to us.

Our ‘How to make a complaint’ brochure explains how to make a complaint to us.  

Our brochure called ‘How we deal with complaints’ explains what will happen when you make a complaint to us, and what actions we can take. 

NDIS Worker Screening Database

In the Autumn 2021 newsletter, we explained that self-managed NDIS participants can apply to use the NDIS Worker Screening Database to check whether your workers have been cleared to work with people with disability.

If you receive certain NDIS supports or services from a registered NDIS provider, your workers must have an acceptable check or an NDIS worker screening clearance. This is the law. You can ask your provider to confirm with you that the workers who are supporting you have a clearance.

If you manage all or part of your own plan, you have the right to ask unregistered NDIS providers and their workers to have an NDIS Worker Screening Check. They can apply for this through their state or territory’s worker screening unit. You will need to use the NDIS Worker Screening Database to confirm that the worker supports you. Apply to use the database on the NDIS Commission website.

You can use the database to check if a worker has an NDIS worker screening clearance. Ask the worker for their NDIS Worker Screening ID or application ID – this will help you find them on the database.

Our website has more information about worker screening, and resources to help you use the database.

NDIS Commission website

We are working on a project to make our website better. We want to make it easier for you to find and understand the information you are looking for.

We expect to launch the new website by the end of 2021.

To make sure our new website is as good as possible, over the next few months we are inviting people with disability, NDIS providers, workers and advocates to test and give us feedback on suggested improvements. 

If you are interested in helping us with this, please email communications@ndiscommission.gov.au to receive further information. 

Participant Information Pack

Our Participant Information Pack explains your rights, how to choose quality and safe supports, and how to make a complaint to us.

If you don’t already have a copy, you can download it from our website, or use our online order form to order a printed copy.

The pack is available in standard version, as well as Easy Read and Auslan formats. You can order Braille copies using our online order form.

We are working with an Aboriginal-owned company to create a standard version of the Participant Information Pack for First Nations NDIS participants. In the meantime, an Easy Read version of the pack, designed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, is available.

Supporting safe and enjoyable meals 

We are creating new e-learning training modules for NDIS workers. These short online courses will be on the topics of communication and mealtime management. Real voices, stories, and perspectives of people with disability are an important part of this training.

There are opportunities to feature in the 'Supporting safe and enjoyable meals' module. This module will explain the vital role of mealtime assistance for NDIS workers, and the risks and considerations when supporting someone with swallowing disability.

The producers of the module are looking for people with disability who have mealtime support needs and are willing to present, act in scenarios, and feature in the voice segments. You may be asked about your experiences with mealtimes that can be included in the training for NDIS workers.

If you want to be involved, please email education@ndiscommission.gov.au to receive further information. 

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