No images? Click here
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Provider Newsletter
December 2022
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.
Update from the NDIS Commissioner
Welcome to the December edition of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s (NDIS Commission) Provider newsletter.
This month we observe International Day of People with Disabilities on 3 December.
This day looks to challenge the way we think about disability, and increase public awareness and acceptance, to develop a more inclusive society. This year’s theme is: Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world.
Here at the NDIS Commission, our ambition is to be a contemporary, purpose-centred regulator who keeps people with disability at the heart of what we do and every decision we make. We outlined the key focus areas that will support us in our journey to achieving this goal in our Strategic Plan 2022-2027, and we recognise the important role of innovation in achieving our goals.
The NDIS Commission recently carried out engagement and education activities in the Cairns area. We engaged with more than 120 providers from across the region at two provider forums, chatted to providers and workers about their obligations and our expectations of them, and discussed the NDIS Commission's Reportable Incidents and Complaints functions.
We held a separate forum for participants, who joined us for in-depth conversation about their experiences and how the NDIS Commission can help if they have a concern. A shout out to the participants I met during these forums. These face-to-face and on-the-ground visits are one way we’re putting proactive regulation into action and working together to make the necessary changes for thriving and diverse markets so NDIS participants can choose services that are safe and of good quality.
We’ve recently released new tools to promote choice and control for NDIS participants. Now a participant can find a suitable Behaviour Support Practitioner online. We have also issued a range of practice alerts to remind providers and workers of their obligations, including a timely reminder to be prepared for natural disasters and the summer storm season, as well as the current surge in COVID-19 cases.
Thanks for reading this edition of the Provider newsletter. I trust this information is helpful as you gear up to support participants throughout the busy festive period and summer months, and I encourage you to share these resources with your networks. I wish you all the best for the holiday season.
- Tracy Mackey
Get the facts on Behaviour Support practitioners
A searchable list of NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioners is now available on our website, to help participants find safe and quality supports.
An NDIS behaviour support practitioner is someone considered suitable by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner. NDIS providers who deliver behaviour support must use NDIS behaviour support practitioners.
Some practitioners have asked not to be included in the new tool. If a practitioner is not in the list, you can confirm their suitability by emailing NDIS Practitioners or asking the practitioner for a copy of their suitability outcome letter.
Questions about the Behaviour Support Practitioner List, including whether a practitioner is considered suitable, can be emailed to NDIS Practitioners.
To further empower participants in choosing suitable supports, we’ve created five fact sheets written with and for NDIS participants using Plain English:
New practice alerts for supporting participants
Two new practice alerts provide guidance on best-practice support for people with disability. The new alerts are:
- Summer safety
- Pain management.
Practice alerts are short, evidence-based summaries outlining best practice support of NDIS participants most at risk of preventable harm and death.
All of our Practice Alerts are available on our website, including our new Summer Safety and Pain Management alerts. Many of these alerts are also available in alternative formats, including as animations, Easy Reads and Quick Reference Guides.
Residential aged care audits and Code of Conduct
From 1 December, a new Code of Conduct for Aged Care (Aged Care Code) will be introduced.
All providers delivering NDIS supports to NDIS participants have been required to comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct (NDIS Code) since 1 July 2018. This requirement is not changing.
Providers and workers delivering both aged care services and NDIS supports will be required to comply with both the Aged Care Code and the NDIS Code. However, as the Aged Care Code is based on the NDIS Code, with slight differences in language and definitions that are specific to each sector, the obligations are largely the same.
Information about the Aged Care Code is available on the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission website:
Residential Aged Care facilities that support NDIS participants may also be asked to undertake an NDIS audit for registration purposes. We’ve developed tools and resources to support you in this process, which are available on our website.
Positive Behaviour Support resources
The NDIS Commission has resources available for providers to better understand positive behaviour support and restrictive practices. These include:
The Self-Assessment Resource Guide provides a toolkit of resources that behaviour support practitioners can use to self-assess their capabilities against the PBS Capability Framework and develop a Portfolio of Evidence.
The Regulated Restrictive Practices Guide explains what a restrictive practice is, including the five types of regulated restrictive practices, and provides best practice advice.
Surveillance Technology Practice Guide offers detailed information on the use of surveillance devices. The guide clarifies what is considered ‘surveillance technology’ and assists in identifying circumstances where surveillance technology could be used as part of a regulated restrictive practice.
Emergency and disaster preparation
During the summer storm season, we face a range of hazards including bushfires, cyclones, floods, and severe storms – in addition to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Prevention and control of COVID-19 infection continues to be an important area of attention for providers where people with disability are at greater risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.
As part of your registration requirements, NDIS providers must have in place disaster preparedness and emergency plans, to ensure your organisation can maintain continuity of supports that are critical to the health, safety and wellbeing of participants before, during and after any emergency.
The NDIS Commission sent out a Provider Alert in November, to support you in your disaster preparedness.
Registered providers must notify the NDIS Commission of changes or events that affect your ability to deliver the supports and services you are registered to provide or to meet your conditions of registration. Notifications enable the NDIS Commission to monitor risks and facilitate additional support for participants where needed as well as monitoring provider obligations.
Use the NDIS Commission Portal to notify us of any changes or events that are not due to COVID-19 (for example, the evacuation of your premises or changes to support delivery due to weather events or other emergencies).
If the changes are due to COVID-19, please use the Notification of event form – COVID-19 (registered providers).
Free eLearning for NDIS workers
The NDIS Commission has a range of accessible, free eLearning resources available to support workers to understand their obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct, and to better support people with disability.
More than 700,000 people have completed our interactive elearning modules which have been co-designed by people with a disability and NDIS providers.
The short modules are available online to everyone, and include the following topics:
- Worker Orientation Module – Quality, Safety and You
- Supporting Safe and Enjoyable Meals (NEW)
- Supporting Effective Communication
Our elearning platform now has a new look, making it easier to access our modules and certificates.
Access the elearning modules and other resources via our website.
Empowering choice in assistive technology
People who use assistive technology have the right to make informed choices about the tools they need to support their goals.
They should receive information in a form they understand, and well-informed and ethical professional advice, without undue influence by suppliers, providers or health care advisors.
Allied Health Professions Australia, ARATA, and Assistive Technology Suppliers Australia (ATSA) have signed a joint statement on their websites about provision of assistive technology. This statement reminds stakeholders of their obligations to ensure high standards of honesty and integrity are met while providing assistive technology solutions.
All NDIS providers and workers are expected to comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct including acting with integrity, honesty and transparency.
Providers have an obligation to ensure each participant can make informed choices, which includes disclosing provider interests in other support and service options available to them.
If someone is concerned an NDIS provider may be coercing or unfairly influencing participant choice, these concerns should be raised with the NDIS Commission by lodging a complaint.
Reminder: check the NDIS Commission portal
Important information, including registration and worker screenings updates, are now sent to your inbox in the NDIS Commission Portal, so it is important to keep your details up-to-date.
The inbox uses details recorded in the Portal’s ‘Email preferences’ tab to automatically notify nominated people when a new message is in the inbox. These messages can include:
- registration renewals and expiration
- audit information
- worker verification requests, updates, reminders and expiries.
You can update your details in PRODA and the NDIS Commission Portal.
Importantly, we will still contact NDIS providers directly on matters including reportable incidents, complaints, behaviour support, compliance and investigations.
You can access the Inbox by logging onto the NDIS Commission Portal home page and selecting the ‘Inbox’ tile.
Stay up to date with changes to part-time employee and other entitlements under the Social, Community, Home care and Disability Services Industry (SCHADS) Award, including minimum payment rates – visit FairWork for information.
Inclusion Australia, funded by the NDIS Commission grants program, is hosting workshops and providing participant and provider resources through the ‘Your Service, Your Rights’ project. The project will build the capacity of people with intellectual disability to be change makers in increasing the quality of the services and supports they receive.
Learn more about our complaints processes by reading our Case Studies, which give realistic scenarios to help workers understand how their actions and regulations impact participants.
Do you know your obligations to keep participant data safe from cyber crime and data breaches? Read our practice alert on preventing data breaches for more information.
Connect with us
Stay in touch with the Commission on social media:
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
contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au.
Thanks for reading!
You can find past issues of the NDIS Commission provider newsletter on our website.
Our mailing address is: contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au