This newsletter is sent to the email address associated with your registration, which means that if you unsubscribe from this email, you are unsubscribing from other important correspondence from the NDIS Commission, including renewal reminders. Notifying the NDIS Commission of changesOur provider alert of 31 March and April Provider Newsletter explained your obligation to notify us when significant impacts to the provision of support and service occur. You must continue to notify us of any event that significantly affects your ability to comply with any of your conditions of registration. If it is related to COVID-19 (such as a worker or participant’s confirmed COVID-19 infection), use the Notification of event – COVID-19 (registered provider) form. If the event is not related to COVID-19, you should use the NDIS Commission Portal to notify us. We may follow up with you by phone or email for more detail around impacts of service changes to your participants and workers. Recommencing services to NDIS participants Many states and territories are starting to ease restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note you do not need to submit a notification form to advise us when you recommence services in line with the lifting of state and territory health directions. Managing the safe recommencement of services and supports During the COVID-19 pandemic, many services delivered to NDIS participants, and the way this was done, changed due to social distancing guidelines, restrictions on group activities, and limitations on certain facilities and businesses. With the lifting of many state and territory public health orders now underway, we expect you to continue to follow sound business continuity planning principles when reinstating services. These include:
Reporting incidents and making complaints with the NDIS Commission The NDIS Code of Conduct promotes safe and ethical service delivery, by setting out expectations for the conduct of all NDIS providers and your workers. This includes the obligation to take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to all forms of violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse of a person with disability. Registered NDIS providers must notify us of all reportable incidents (including allegations), even when you have recorded and responded within your own incident management system. If a reportable incident raises a serious compliance issue, we have powers to take regulatory action. This action might include requiring you to undertake specified remedial action, carry out an internal investigation about the incident, or engage an independent expert to investigate and report on the incident. We can also conduct our own investigation and take appropriate enforcement action, such as issuing a compliance notice or asking a court to impose a civil penalty. If the reportable incident is an instance of an unauthorised use of restrictive practices, NDIS providers make all reasonable steps to engage an NDIS behaviour support practitioner to develop an interim behaviour support plan and obtain authorisation from the relevant state/territory authorising body. We encourage everyone – including members of the community – to complain to us about the quality or safety of NDIS supports and services, including raising concerns about the wellbeing of an NDIS participant. Western Australia transition to NDIS Commission on 1 December 2020 The Government of Western Australia has announced the deferral of Western Australia’s transition to the NDIS to allow providers to focus on critical support issues for people with disability during the COVID-19 recovery period. From 1 December 2020, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission will start managing quality and safeguards in Western Australia. We will run provider information sessions in the coming months, and will write to providers in Western Australia in October and November regarding their registration. If you operate in Western Australia, your current state requirements for quality and safeguards will continue to apply until 30 November 2020. NDIS residential aged care (RAC) exemption extended to 30 November 2020 Aged care providers supporting NDIS participants in residential aged care (RAC) facilities have been exempt from the requirement to be registered with the NDIS Commission. This exemption was due to end on 30 June 2020. However, with significant pressure on the aged care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic and focus of that sector on protecting residents from exposure to infection, the Minister has asked, and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner has agreed, to delay the commencement of mandatory NDIS registration for RAC providers supporting NDIS participants. It is expected that RAC providers will be required to be registered with the NDIS Commission from 1 December 2020. This will be confirmed once consultation has been finalised with state and territory ministers. This has been determined in consultation with stakeholders representing NDIS participants living in residential aged care, and industry representatives. We will put supports in place to assist all RAC providers with the NDIS registration obligations that will apply from 1 December 2020, and will communicate further details directly with RAC providers as they become available. Until then, RAC providers supporting NDIS participants continue to be subject to both aged care regulation and the NDIS Code of Conduct. NDIS participants in RAC can make complaints to the NDIS Commission. In handling complaints about RAC providers, we will work closely with Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and other regulatory bodies, as required. Changes to Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) rules The Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme has announced changes to the SDA rules to provide more flexibility and increased choice for participants to live with their families, friends and partners. The changes mean couples will be able to share a bedroom where they choose to do so, and children will be able to share a room with their parent or siblings. For more information, visit the NDIS website. Renewing your registration As a registered NDIS provider, you must apply to have your registration renewed if you wish to remain registered. You can start this process six months before your registration renewal date. If you do not submit an application to renew your registration before the renewal date on your certificate of registration, your registration will expire. Once a current registration expires, a new provider application is required to become registered. As part of the registration renewal process, you must complete a self-assessment against the NDIS Practice Standards, and undergo an audit by an approved quality auditor. The Quick Reference Guide outlines the steps involved in applying for renewal of your registration in the NDIS Commission Portal. When applying for renewal, make sure your contact details are correct, including your email, physical and postal addresses, outlet details and key personnel details. This will ensure that you receive all important communications from the NDIS Commission, including your scope of audit and reminder emails when your registration is due for renewal. It will also ensure that your correct details are transferred to the NDIA’s myplace provider portal. It is also important to ensure your business details are correct. This includes Legal Name, Business Name, ABN and the entity type. See our Registration renewal process guide for transitioning providers. COVID-19 information for NDIS participants We have created an information pack for NDIS participants, which combines, in a single resource, the guidance we issued to help inform and support people with disability during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The pack explains how COVID-19 may affect some services and supports they receive, and what they can expect from you and their support workers. It also addresses several frequently asked questions, and contains links to a number of trusted sources of COVID-19 information and support. While the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak remains, we encourage you to share the resource with the NDIS participants you support, to help minimise any anxiety or confusion they may be experiencing. COVID-19 information pack for NDIS providers Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have continued to work with NDIS providers to ensure that people with disability are at the centre of everything we do.This has included issuing a number of provider alerts. We have developed a COVID-19 information pack for NDIS providers and workers, which consolidates much of the guidance and advice we issued during the pandemic to inform, educate and remind you of support available to help you meet your obligations to NDIS participants. This information remains current until the risk of COVID-19 no longer exists or a vaccine is developed. COVID-19 Outbreak preparation, prevention and management We have developed a fact sheet called COVID-19 outbreak preparedness, prevention and management. This resource contains practical guidance to support you to:
The fact sheet is for all registered providers of NDIS supports and services, including those providing in home supports, as well as disability accommodation settings. Despite the easing of restrictions in some states and territories, the risk of COVID-19 infection remains, so we encourage you to read and implement the guidance in this fact sheet to prepare for a potential future outbreak. COVID-19 compliance approach and case studies We have published a fact sheet which uses case studies to explain some key considerations to bear in mind to comply with your obligations to keep NDIS participants safe from harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case studies are drawn from a number of complaints we have received during the pandemic. Each one addresses an aspect of a provider’s failure to fulfil their obligations to the NDIS participants they support, and explains how the situation could have been handled in a more appropriate way. These scenarios are also a timely reminder of the importance of enabling people with disability to exercise choice and control in the planning and delivery of their supports, and to respect their right to the dignity of risk in decision-making. Management and operational plan for people with disability The Australian Government has released the Management and Operational Plan for COVID-19 for People with Disability (the Plan). The Plan identifies risk factors that may lead some people with disability to suffer more serious negative health outcomes if they contract COVID-19, and the roles and responsibilities for protecting the health of people with disability from COVID-19 infection. We released a provider alert on 20 April 2020 that outlined the objectives of the plan and how it is being implemented. We encourage you to read the Plan, and understand your role in protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of the NDIS participants you support. Guidance from the Australian Government Department of Health The Department of Health has published resources to assist NDIS participants and those who are supporting them during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Health’s COVID-19 advice for people with disability webpage explains how people with disability can protect themselves from COVID-19, including through good hygiene, physical distancing, avoiding public gatherings, isolating if they are sick, and finding safe and alternative ways to get the services they need. The webpage also links to ten new fact sheets to assist families of people with disability, as well as support workers and carers, health professionals and home care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage you to read and share the relevant resources with the NDIS participants you support, their families and your workers. Disability Information Helpline The Australian Government’s Disability Information Helpline is for people with disability who need help because of COVID-19. The helpline provides information and referrals, and can also assist families, carers, and support workers. The Helpline is available by calling 1800 643 787. (If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, you can also call the National Relay Service on 133 677.) It is available Monday to Friday (except national public holidays) from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm (AEST) and Saturday and Sunday 9.00 am to 7.00 pm (AEST). Subscribing to NDIS Commission updates Registered providers receive our provider newsletters and provider alerts at the organisation’s email address listed in the NDIS Commission Portal. Log into the NDIS Commission Portal to check the email address listed for your organisation. Anyone can receive NDIS Commission communications by completing the subscription form. General Enquiries 1800 035 544 (free call from landlines) Our contact centre is open 9am to 4.30pm in the NT 9.00am to 5.00pm in the ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, TAS and VIC. Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. To provide feedback, contact the NDIS Commission by emailing |