Guide to managing emergencies; DART Program update; new Code of Conduct video; and more
No images? Click here
In this month's edition
- Message from the Commissioner and Associate Commissioner
- Guide to managing emergencies – flooding and petrol shortages
- Data and Regulatory Transformation (DART) Program update
- New Code of Conduct video – individual rights
- NDIS Commission’s Indigenous & Remote Operations team
- Lithium batteries safety alert
- New position statements: supporting participants with behaviour support
- Behaviour Support Plan Quality Snapshot 2025
- Findings from Support Coordination campaign
- Disability worker jailed for fraud
Message from the Commissioner and Associate Commissioner
Welcome to the March edition of our Provider Newsletter.
We’ve recently published our latest Quarterly Performance Report. The report reflects our commitment to measuring outcomes for NDIS participants and assessing the impact of our regulatory work. The report also provides information on our performance, including specific regulatory actions to enforce standards and keep NDIS participants safe whilst also reflecting market trends and themes.
This latest report provides an overview of the NDIS Commission’s performance and regulatory operations from 1 October – 31 December 2025.
Key statistics from this report include:
- a 5% increase in behaviour support practitioners considered suitable to deliver behaviour support services
- 117 providers' registration were revoked, 95 banning orders and 179 compliance notices were issued
- the number of approved registered providers increased by 5% to 26,282, and active providers increased by 4% to 17,464.
We welcome providers who’ve registered in the last quarter.
We’ve also published a series of new position statements for specialist behaviour support providers and implementing providers. The new resources support registered NDIS providers to meet their requirements. They also help NDIS participants and those supporting them to understand their rights and provider responsibilities. There’s more information in the article below. The documents are available on the Behaviour support resources page of our website.
Included in this month’s newsletter is important information about the role of the NDIS Commission’s Indigenous and Remote Operations team and the work it’s doing in the Northern Territory and elsewhere. The team plays a vital role in raising awareness of the NDIS Commission in remote First Nations communities, including the support we can provide NDIS participants in these areas. They also carry out vital compliance monitoring of providers and workers.
Remember you can forward this email to anyone you know who would benefit from it, and encourage them to sign up online.
Louise Glanville and Natalie Wade
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner and Associate Commissioner
Guide to managing emergencies – flooding and petrol shortages
Australia has seen significant weather events in recent months, including the flooding in Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory. Global events are also impacting fuel supply chains across the world, including here in Australia.
Providers must have plans in place to protect participants and ensure continuity of your service in the case of an emergency.
The Emergency Management Provider Alert on our website can support you in preparing for emergencies such as natural disasters like floods, bushfires and cyclones.
The provider alert helps providers:
- plan and account for participants’ individual needs in emergencies
- train and prepare staff for confident and effective responses
- keep critical supports and services running, even during disruptions.
We urge you to download and use this provider alert to prepare for emergencies.
NDIS-registered providers are required to have documented, tested business continuity arrangements that ensure critical supports to people with disability continue during disruptions, such as disasters, emergencies, staff shortages, system failures or public health events.
These requirements sit primarily under the Emergency and Disaster Management Practice Standard, within the Governance and Operational Management module, and are assessed during registration, audits and compliance activities.
Further, all NDIS providers are required to comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct. This includes providing supports and services in a safe and competent manner, with care and skill. This requirement extends to meeting continuity of support requirements for NDIS participants.
The Resources for NDIS Emergency and Disaster Management (R4NED) website is also a valuable resource for preparing for emergencies.
Key takeaway
The Emergency Management Provider Alert on our website can support providers in preparing for emergencies such as natural disasters like floods, bushfires and cyclones.
Data and Regulatory Transformation (DART) Program update
In the February 2026 newsletter, we updated you about the improvements we’re making to our data, systems and online tools.
As part of this, in mid-2026, we’ll be releasing a new Provider Portal that can be used for provider registrations, behaviour support, practitioner suitability, and reportable incidents.
The design of the Provider Portal has been informed by consultation undertaken with providers. Consultation included a survey in late 2025 and 9 recent workshops. Providers told us:
- our processes involve too much paperwork
- our system has inconsistent data field entries, resulting in additional requests for information
- it's important we respond clearly and in a timely manner to allow providers to take appropriate action and understand our decisions
- our system does not make it easy for providers to understand their own data and identify trends.
The new Provider Portal will:
- streamline your interactions with us
- reduce administrative burden
- provide better data insights to support your practice
- better support providers to meet your regulatory requirements.
What’s next
We have more provider consultations planned. These include the Chief Information Officer’s technical workshops and registration and behaviour support workshops. They’ll provide awareness about upcoming changes, including the Provider Portal, and gather more feedback to improve our systems and tools.
If you'd like to take part in future consultations, please register your interest.
You can also keep up to date with these changes by visiting our website and social media:
Key takeaway
We’ll soon be releasing a new Provider Portal that will be used for provider registrations, behaviour support, practitioner suitability, and reportable incidents.
New Code of Conduct video – individual rights
The NDIS Commission has released a new short video that's part of an educational series that will help providers better understand the NDIS Code of Conduct. It covers individual rights – one of 8 elements under the Code.
Providers are required to act with respect for individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making. People with disability have the right to make choices and should be consulted on matters involving their support needs. They also have the right to express concerns or make complaints without fear of reprisal.
Providers should:
- respect the rights of people with disability to have choice and control over how their supports and services are delivered
- encourage and support NDIS participants with opportunities to make their own informed decisions
- ensure workers follow the Code of Conduct.
As an NDIS provider, meeting your obligations as outlined in the Code of Conduct is essential as we all work to support the rights of people with disability.
The video shows what this means for providers through a real-world scenario that illustrates how the Code works in practice and emphasises it is essential for you to meet your obligations under the Code of Conduct.
Visit the Code of Conduct videos web page to watch the series.
Key takeaway
Please take a moment to watch a new short video on the Code of Conduct element – individual rights.
NDIS Commission’s Indigenous & Remote Operations team
As mentioned in the last edition, the NDIS Commission has for some time now, together with the NDIA, been taking coordinated action to safeguard people with disability in regional and remote communities, and to hold providers and workers to account. This work is carried out by the NDIS Commission’s Indigenous & Remote Operations (IRO) team, which was stood up in August 2023.
The IRO team was formed to improve the NDIS Commission’s visibility in First Nations communities, increase understanding of our purpose, and to provide accessible and clear information on the NDIS Code of Conduct and Practice Standards. They also carry out compliance monitoring of providers and workers.
In 2026, the IRO team is focusing on 5 key regions:
Northern Territory
- Alice Springs
- Central Desert
- East Arnhem
Queensland
- Mareeba
Western Australia
- Wyndham East Kimberley
Look out for NDIS Commission staff on the ground in these communities in coming months.
More information about how to contact us, our regulatory engagement events, future regions and campaign dates and can be found on the Regulatory engagement events page of the NDIS Commission website and on our social media:
Key takeaway
The NDIS Commission’s Indigenous and Remote Operations staff are visiting remote areas in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia in the coming months. Details on our website.
Lithium batteries safety alert
We’ve published a Provider Alert about lithium batteries on our website. This is because:
- urgent safety warnings have been issued, as lithium battery fires from appliances such as e-bikes, e-scooters and other rechargeable devices have increased
- lithium-ion batteries can be very flammable. If they’re not correctly manufactured, handled, stored or disposed of, they can catch fire, explode or vent toxic gas
- people with disability are at greater risk from fires in their homes.
What providers should do
Be aware of the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries.
Buy products that contain lithium-ion batteries from a reputable supplier.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Follow product safety guidelines:
- the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s Lithium-ion batteries guide
- safety guidance is available from your state or territory fire department.
Report any unsafe products to the ACCC.
People with disability are at greater risk from fires and other emergencies in their homes. Providers should familiarise themselves with the NDIS Commission Fire Safety practice alert on our website.
Please see the Provider Alert for more information.
Key takeaway
Please take a moment to review the Provider Alert relating to lithium batteries on our website.
New position statements: supporting participants with behaviour support
The NDIS Commission has published a series of new position statements developed for specialist behaviour support providers and implementing providers.
The new position statements explain:
- interim and comprehensive behaviour
support plan workflow
- engaging contractors when using restrictive practices
- engaging contractors when developing behaviour support plans
- using artificial intelligence in the development of behaviour support plans.
The new resources support registered NDIS providers to meet their requirements. They also help NDIS participants and those supporting them to understand their rights and provider responsibilities.
The position statements can be found on the Behaviour support resources page.
Key takeaway
We’ve published new guidance material for NDIS providers who support participants with behaviour support.
Behaviour Support Plan Quality Snapshot 2025
We’ve published our 2025 snapshot on Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) quality.
The snapshot provides insight into the quality of BSPs in the NDIS sector. It reveals that:
- assessment scores have remained stable over the last 3 years, with minor improvements in the quality of BSPs
- the NDIS Commission’s v.3.0 Comprehensive BSP template was associated with higher quality assessment scores compared to plans written in other formats.
We've created resources to:
- support the
development of high quality BSPs for the reduction and elimination of restrictive practices
- meet legislative obligations, including consultation with participants about the intent to use restrictive practices in their BSP.
The BSP Quality Snapshot 2025 is available on the Behaviour support and restrictive practices page of the NDIS Commission website.
Key takeaway
We’ve published our 2025 snapshot on Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) quality.
Findings from Support Coordination campaign
The NDIS Commission undertook a regulatory campaign following our Own Motion Inquiry (OMI) into Support Coordination and Plan Management. Our staff conducted voluntary site visits with 51 providers (36 registered and 15 unregistered) across 5 states from March to June 2025 to assess the practices of support coordination providers for compliance, and adoption of best practice.
Provider compliance was assessed against sections of the NDIS Code of Conduct and multiple practice standards relevant to quality of support coordination services, conflict of interest management and participant independence and informed choice.
The insights from our campaign have reinforced that quality supports are important to uphold participant rights, choice and control. All support coordination providers are reminded to:
- communicate with participants in a way that meets their individual needs, ensuring they understand their options and can make decisions free from undue influence
- ensure participants receive clear, accessible information about your role, any conflicts of interest, and their right to choose providers freely and without pressure
- clearly document service options and accurately record decisions made by participants
- maintain internal policies and procedures to ensure conflict of interest is clearly defined, appropriately documented, and consistently managed.
Key takeaway
NDIS staff conducted a regulatory campaign that involved voluntary site visits with 51 support coordination providers across 5 states.
Disability worker jailed for fraud
An NDIA investigation has found that Kim Michael Schubert – an employee at a disability employment services company – abused his position by providing details of 90 NDIS participants to the operator of another, problematic NDIS provider. He also shared in more than $190,000 obtained through subsequent fraudulent claims.
Schubert has just been sentenced to 3 years’ jail with 9 months to be served. The court also ordered him to pay $40,000 in restitution.
The case was the 23rd successful conviction for crimes committed against the NDIS since the Australian Government established the multi-agency Fraud Fusion Taskforce in November 2022. Action taken by the Taskforce has seen convictions for NDIS fraud double.
During the investigation, the NDIA worked with the Australian Federal Police, Queensland Police Service and the NDIS Commission, which issued banning orders against the offenders and the provider business. The NDIA moved quickly to safeguard affected participants, ensuring their plans were restored and they could continue to access the supports they rely on.
The Fraud Fusion Taskforce's 24 member agencies working together to dramatically increase actions against criminals abusing the NDIS and other government payment programs. The NDIS Commission has banned almost 200 individuals and providers from the NDIS due to Fraud Fusion Taskforce operations.
“If you seek to abuse your position as a disability support worker to steal from the NDIS, we will find you and throw the book at you," said Minister for the NDIS, Jenny McAllister in a media release. “You will face jail time along with a court order to repay the money you stole from people with a disability."
Anyone with information about suspected fraud involving the NDIS should contact the NDIS fraud reporting and scams helpline on 1800 650 717. An interpreter service is available (13 14 50) as well as an online NDIS Fraud reporting form.
Key takeaway
Disability worker Kim Michael Schubert has just been sentenced to 3 years’ jail for fraud.
Resources for providers
Our website has a range of resources to support you deliver safe and quality services and comply with your registration:
- Provider registration
- Worker resources
- NDIS Code of Conduct
- Worker screening
- NDIS Practice Standards
- Reportable incidents
- Incident management
- Workforce Capability Framework
Resources for behaviour support practitioners
Connect with us
Stay in touch with the NDIS Commission on social media:
General enquiries
1800 035 544 (free call from landlines)
Our Contact Centre is open weekdays excluding public holidays.
You'll find our operating hours and other means of contacting us on the Contact us page of the NDIS Commission website.
To provide feedback, contact the NDIS Commission by emailing
feedbackandcomplaints@ndiscommission.gov.au.
Thanks for reading!
You can find past issues of the NDIS Commission provider newsletter on our website.
The NDIA also publishes various newsletters, including a provider newsletter.
