31 March 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Supporting providers to respond

The information in this alert is to assist NDIS providers to stay up-to-date with current advice issued by the Australian Government and your state or territory authorities, and what this means for the services and supports you provide to NDIS participants.

Key points

• The NDIS Commission acknowledges the work of NDIS providers and workers during these uncertain times.
• Impact on participant activities: From 31 March 2020, new Orders issued by states and territories to impose limitations on public gatherings and the operation of certain businesses mean that the way that some supports are provided to NDIS participants must change.   
• Continue critical supports and services: NDIS providers should take all reasonable action to continue to provide NDIS supports or services that are critical to the ongoing health, wellbeing and safety of people with disability, while complying with state and territory Orders.
• Personal protective equipment: There is a new contact point for NDIS providers and self-managing participants who must use PPE and where the usual arrangements for access to PPE are no longer available.
• Behaviour support: We have produced guidance on supporting people with behaviour support needs while restrictions on community movement are in force.

• Our regulatory response: We are taking a proportionate regulatory approach that concentrates our efforts where they are needed most to support providers to meet their obligations to keep NDIS participants safe during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic

The NDIS Commission acknowledges the challenges and real complexity NDIS participants, providers and their workers are facing at this time.

NDIS providers and workers play a critical role in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people with disability across Australia every single day. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights how critical high quality, person-centred supports are in keeping people with disability safe, healthy and free from harm.

We are all conscious of our responsibilities in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of people with disability in this situation, and maintaining the supports that they need to remain physically and mentally well.

The current situation is rapidly evolving and has dramatically changed how we all live our daily lives. The introduction of practices such as two-person gatherings, self-isolation and social distancing will have a profound impact on the lives of many people with disability. This means the way in which supports are delivered to people must also change.

Many providers are advising us of the changes they are making to the supports and services they deliver, in response to COVID-19, and the restrictions that are in place in all states and territories. We will use this information to monitor changes in the sector, particularly those which create potential or actual risks for NDIS participants directly or indirectly.

We will also use this information to develop practical guidance and resources to support NDIS providers and workers in adjusting your work during these difficult times.

New guidance material

Australia needs NDIS providers to be able to continue to support people with disability where these are necessary to the health, wellbeing and safety of a person with disability.

New information is now on our website:

• Behaviour support and restrictive practices: Guidance to help you manage the implications of COVID-19 on behaviour support and restrictive practices.
• Personal protective equipment: When PPE should be used and, if needed, how NDIS providers and self-managing participants can access PPE.

We recognise that NDIS providers have and will continue to implement risk management strategies to keep the people you support and your workers safe, particularly where the NDIS participants you support have significant vulnerabilities.

We consider adjustments to supports and services to manage infection risk in this pandemic situation to be appropriate and consistent with NDIS provider obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct and NDIS Practice Standards to keep participants safe from harm.

Registered providers must notify us when significant impacts to support and service provision occur. For impacts relating to COVID-19, do this using the Notification of event – COVID-19 (registered provider) form on our website.

Non-essential service restrictions due to COVID-19

The Australian Government Department of Business website contains information on the restrictions on non-essential services. 

State and territory governments have issued Orders which set out what can or cannot be done in respect to community access, isolation and social distancing. These can be found on the business.gov.au website.

Our regulatory approach during this period

The NDIS Commission recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the delivery of supports and services to people with disability across Australia.

The obligations of all NDIS providers, registered and unregistered, do not change with the pandemic. We all remain focused on protecting and preventing people with disability from experiencing harm arising from poor quality or unsafe supports, abuse, neglect and exploitation, or poorly managed changes to supports.

The NDIS Commission is taking a proportionate regulatory approach, and will be concentrating on supporting providers to be agile and resourceful in meeting their obligations, and to continue to uphold the rights of NDIS participants and their need for continuity of supports and services to keep them safe and healthy.

We are targeting our compliance activities to respond to elevated risks to the safety and health of participants and adjusting those routine regulatory activities, such as registration processes, where possible, to avoid putting untimely demands on providers.

Our direct engagements with providers will be concentrated on matters that present the most critical level of risk to participants. To that end we will be monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on the NDIS market and collaborate with others to respond to changing market conditions.

We will continue to operate all NDIS Commission functions, including fulfilling our duty of care to our staff.

Further information and resources

Stay up to date with Department of Health recommendations on how to respond if a staff member or an NDIS participant displays symptoms.

The Department of Health website contains useful up to date information on COVID-19, including contact details.

Contact Us

• Call: 1800 035 544 (free call from landlines). Our contact centre is open 9.00am to 4.30pm in the NT, and 9.00am to 5.00pm in the ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, TAS and VIC Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
• Email: contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au
• Website: www.ndiscommission.gov.au

Links to previous COVID-19 provider alerts 

• 26 March 2020: Assistance for organisations
• 24 March 2020: Information for support workers and access to PPE
• 19 March 2020: Business continuity planning
• 17 March 2020: Online training module for support workers
• 9 March 2020: Provider obligations and COVID-19 health information
• 7 February 2020: Information about the novel coronavirus outbreak