Message from the Commissioners

It has been a busy first half of the year at the NDIS Commission, with important work underway to strengthen the quality and safety of supports and services for NDIS participants.

We will soon publish our Regulatory Priorities for 2025–26, an annual process where we identify key areas of risk and prioritise our regulatory action accordingly. These priorities help us focus our regulatory efforts where they can have the greatest impact on improving outcomes for people with disability and strengthening the sector. We will share more information on our regulatory priorities in the July newsletter.

Over the past few months, we’ve attended a number of important forums and stakeholder events. These conversations are a vital part of our work, giving us another avenue for insight into the experience of providers, participants and advocates. We have heard that many providers are operating in an increasingly challenging environment – including pressure from pricing changes and uncertainty around future reforms. We want to acknowledge those pressures and assure you that we are committed to sharing information as early and clearly as possible to support your planning and preparedness.

Finally, we also want to thank the thousands of providers, participants and workers who recently completed our annual stakeholder survey. Hearing directly from our stakeholders helps us understand what we are doing well and where we can improve, especially when there is so much change in the sector. The results are now being analysed by ORIMA, the external organisation that conducted the survey on our behalf. We will incorporate the learnings from the survey into our work moving forward and will publish key findings in our annual report later this year.

In this newsletter, you'll find:

more information on our risk-based approach
a step-by-step guide to mid-term audit compliance
updated participant and provider packs
new guidance on behaviour support assessments
updated resources on person-centred practices
reflection on ACCC regulatory action taken against an NDIS platform provider

Louise Glanville and Natalie Wade
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner and Associate Commissioner

Progressing our risk-based approach

In our May newsletter, we shared information about the development of an organisation-wide risk-based approach to managing complaints, incidents and enquiries. This new approach strengthens our ability to identify and respond to the most serious risks to NDIS participants, enabling a more consistent and targeted regulatory response.

We are now entering into the next phase of testing and refining the model. While these changes will not affect how participants or providers submit information to us, they will support faster and more proportionate responses where risks to participants are greatest.

One of the key benefits of the risk-based model is it will allow us to assess matters more consistently and respond more quickly, including letting people know sooner when a matter falls outside of the NDIS Commission’s area of responsibility or is assessed as lower risk. This is part of our broader commitment to become a more responsive, risk-based regulator, focused on where our actions can make the greatest difference.

We are looking forward to learning from the results of our testing to inform further improvements, with the aim of full implementation by the end of the year. We’ll continue to share updates with you as the rollout progresses.

Step-by-step guide to mid-term audit compliance

If you are a registered NDIS provider required to complete a mid-term audit, it’s important to start planning early and have a good understanding of what you need to do.

Not all registered providers need to complete this process, so check your registration to confirm if you do.

Step 1: Engage an Approved Quality Auditor 12 months into your registration to give yourself time to prepare.
Step 2: Review the NDIS Practice Standards to ensure you are compliant in areas like provider governance and operational management.
Step 3: Gather the documents and policies that will form your evidence for review.
Step 4: Finalise your mid-term audit, ensuring your auditor submits their report before the 18-month deadline. Address any feedback promptly.
Step 5: Plan your audit renewal 2 years post-registration to ensure compliance and avoid last-minute stress.

Failing to meet your audit obligations could impact your registration and interrupt the vital services you provide to participants.

For more information visit The quality audit process | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Participant and provider welcome packs updated

You may already be familiar with our participant and provider welcome packs, which outline the role of the NDIS Commission for new participants and providers joining the Scheme.

We have recently updated these packs to include the latest information, with new resources such as our updated NDIS Code of Conduct video, and a refreshed design to ensure they remain clear, welcoming and accessible.

The welcome packs explain how we regulate, register and support NDIS providers, and uphold the rights of NDIS participants. They also provide an overview of provider and worker obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct.

We encourage providers to share these packs with participants they support, as well as workers and other interested stakeholders. You can order free print copies to make available to participants and employees, or PDF and online versions are also available. The Participant Pack is also available in Braille and Easy Read.

Visit Provider and Participant Packs | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to place an order. or for more information.

New policy guidance: Behaviour support assessments, including functional behaviour assessments

We have published a new resource to help specialist behaviour support providers and NDIS behaviour support practitioners develop behaviour support assessments that drive positive outcomes.

High-quality behaviour support plans start with thorough, well-informed behaviour support assessments, including functional behaviour assessments (FBAs).

Our new policy guidance outlines the expectations of specialist behaviour support providers and NDIS behaviour support practitioners when undertaking a behaviour support assessment, including FBAs.

The new policy guidance will help specialist behaviour support providers and NDIS behaviour support practitioners to:

understand what is expected under the NDIS Act and Rules
align your practice with quality standards.

Download the policy guidance at Rules for behaviour support and restrictive practices | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

New resource: Person-centred practice evidence summary

We have published new resources on understanding person-centred practice including an evidence review, evidence summary, and person-centred practice resource map.

These resources aim to support providers and workers to implement person-centred practice to enhance the safety and wellbeing of people with disability. The resources provide an evidence-informed understanding of what it means to be person-centred in everyday practice. They also contain practical information to help you implement person-centred practice when working with people with disability.

The evidence summary and resource map support providers and workers to:

understand what matters to people with disability, including their psychological, social, spiritual and cultural needs
enable people with disability to make informed choices and take part in life in ways that are meaningful to them
promote wellbeing and quality of life.

People with disability, their families and supporters may also find these resources useful in understanding person-centred practice and identifying tools that work for them.

Learn more about evidence-informed practice and download the person-centred practice resources at Quality practice | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Mable amends contract terms after investigation by ACCC

Online platform provider, Mable Technologies Pty Ltd (Mable), has admitted to breaching Australian Consumer Law by using unfair contract terms when connecting people seeking care support to independent support workers, after an investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The ACCC has accepted an undertaking that prohibits Mable from entering into particular terms with its clients and support workers, and to clearly and prominently communicate significant terms to clients and support workers.

This action was driven in part by some of the findings of the NDIS Commission’s Own Motion Inquiry (OMI) into Platform Providers, which identified improvements are required in the safety and quality of services secured through platform providers, to ensure the human rights of people with disability are protected. The investigation was enabled by the NDIS (Fair Price and Australian Consumer Law) Taskforce, which sees the ACCC work collaboratively with the NDIS Commission and National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) as part of broader efforts to address concerning practices in the NDIS market.

It serves as an important reminder for all NDIS providers to ensure their contracts and terms are fair to participants and workers, with the ACCC continuing to monitor the disability and aged care sector.

Illustrations of four people using mobile devices

Key resources to help you

Our website has a range of key resources to support you in delivering safe and quality services and complying with your registration.

Find the links here:

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 Monday to Friday 9am - 5:30pm AEST, excluding public holidays.

To provide feedback, contact the NDIS Commission by emailing
contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au.

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You can find past issues of the NDIS Commission provider newsletter on our website.