NDIS Commission Provider Newsletter - August 2024

Welcome to the NDIS Commission's Provider Newsletter

New guides for a better understanding of the
NDIS Code of Conduct

As you are aware, all NDIS providers and workers must comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct, which now includes rules to stop overcharging of participants.

The NDIS Commission has developed new guides including posters and fact sheets to help providers and workers better understand their responsibilities under the NDIS Code of Conduct.

Providers can display the posters and provide the fact sheets to staff.

You can find a link to the new guides here.

Grants available for providers

The NDIS Commission will distribute $5 million in grants to providers for projects that support the rights of people with disability.

The Support for NDIS Providers Grants Program funds activities that support NDIS providers to increase quality and safeguarding in the NDIS.

Grants will be delivered to activities that address:

knowledge and skill development
quality and safeguarding
regulation and compliance.

You can access more information here.

New scam targeting providers

The Commission is urging you to be vigilant about scams being conducted using your provider details.

We are aware of a scam where provider registration details including name and contact details are being published on a portal listing registered providers.

This portal appears at the top of search engine results pages when people are searching the Internet for providers.

The operator of this portal then hides providers’ details and demands they pay a subscription fee to “claim” their business and have their contact details displayed on the portal.

This is a scam and if you have been impacted please report it to the Federal Government’s anti-scam centre, Scamwatch: Report a scam | Scamwatch

We want to hear from you

The NDIS Commission will be in Hobart this week hearing from providers who deliver in-home supports.

We are consulting on a range of issues arising from the Commission’s Own Motion Inquiry into Aspects of Supported Accommodation including:

Review of the NDIS Practice Standards
Development of NDIS Practice Standards for in-home supports delivered in a group arrangement (IHGSA)
The separation of supported independent living (SIL) and specialist disability accommodation (SDA).

Group consultation sessions will also be held in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. You can find out more information here.

NDIS Commission's legal action against providers

A disability support provider has been fined almost $2 million over the death of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant.

LiveBetter Services Limited (LiveBetter) was fined $1.8 million in April 2024 in relation to the death of NSW NDIS participant Ms Kyah Lucas, who died in February 2022 from complications associated with burns she sustained while receiving personal care supports. The supports were provided in the participant's home by support workers employed by LiveBetter.

Survey of providers - what you told us

The NDIS Commission recently surveyed providers to understand how you access our information so we can make it easier for you.

Some of the things you told us were:

You use the Commission website, the NDIA website and call our Contact Centre to find information.
You seek information on the rules that apply to providers, you apply for or manage your registration and access the worker screening database.
You would like our website to have better navigation and user experience.

This information will guide us in improving our delivery of key information to you.

Thanks to all providers who responded to the survey.

Coming up...

NDIS Commission's regulatory priorities

Shortly we will be releasing our Regulatory Priorities 2024-25 and we will keep you updated on that, with key information posted on our website and in our next newsletter.