In this month's edition

• Message from the Commissioner and Associate Commissioner
   
• NDIS Commission targets mealtime management
   
• We're improving our data, systems and online tools
   
• New research review into violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation 
   
• Guidance for providers supporting participants with lawful orders
   
• Regulatory Reform Roadmap updates
   
• ACCC’s consumer rights report
   
• NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee: share your thoughts on supports under review

Message from the Commissioner and Associate Commissioner

Welcome to the February Provider Newsletter. Our apologies that this edition is a little late.

You may have heard reports about provider conduct in the Northern Territory that is exploitative and unacceptable. We want to reassure you that for some time now, together with the NDIA, we've been taking coordinated action to safeguard people with disability, and hold providers and workers to account. This includes targeted site visits as well as direct engagement with First Nations participants, advocates and frontline workers. You’ll find more information about what we’re doing in the NT on our website.

The same forward-leaning regulatory posture underpins our national compliance work targeting NDIS providers that support people with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). Safe mealtime management for participants with dysphagia isn’t optional; it’s essential. While most providers are meeting the required standards, we are targeting regulatory action toward those who are not. You can read more about these campaigns in the article below.

We also encourage you to read the article below on the recent report into consumer rights concerns in the NDIS published by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The NDIS Commission works closely with the ACCC on the NDIS (Fair Price and Australian Consumer Law) Taskforce. The report highlights that providers should always be aware of their obligations under the Australian Consumer Law. For instance, providers should ensure that advertising is not misleading, contracts are clear and fair, and consumer guarantees are honoured.

We’re excited that improvements to our online tools and data-management systems are being rolled out this year. These include our Provider Portal and how people make complaints to the Commission. The article below goes into more detail, and we’ll keep you informed over coming months as to how these improvements might affect you.

Last week, we appeared before the Senate's Community Affairs Legislation Committee to give evidence in relation to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 to respond to stakeholder feedback on the Bill and share why it is so important to the regulatory work that we do. The Bill proposes a number of amendments to the NDIS Act, which will strengthen our regulatory powers to detect, prevent and respond to breaches of obligations under the NDIS Act. Further information, including easy read and accessible Bill Overviews are available on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website. Representatives from the disability sector also provided evidence and my impression from what I have read of their evidence is one of general positivity and strong support, which is good for the Commission and the work we do. 

Finally, we’ve just updated the NDIS Commission’s Regulatory Reform Roadmap, which shows activities planned to support the NDIS Commission’s regulatory reform priorities. The NDIS Commission Reform Hub has more information about these reforms, including a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document.

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   

NDIS Commission targets mealtime management

The NDIS Commission is now conducting a national compliance intervention targeting NDIS providers that support people with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

The current work follows a broader mealtime management campaign that took place between May and August 2025. Over 16 weeks, staff visited 98 registered and unregistered providers across the country, carrying out 184 site visits to check whether providers were meeting their obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct and relevant Practice Standards for mealtime and dysphagia.

Key findings from the mealtime management campaign

• Most participants we visited had up-to-date mealtime plans prepared by speech pathologists.
• Most staff were trained and able to provide meals in accordance with these plans.
• Six percent of providers were flagged for follow-up compliance action.

What’s next

We're continuing our focus on providers that provide supports for participants with dysphagia. We’re targeting providers with known or alleged non-compliance. We’ll take strong regulatory action where appropriate.

Learn more:

• Take a closer look at the campaign findings here: Mealtime Management Campaign: Supporting our regulatory priorities
• Review the NDIS Practice Standards for Mealtime Management and severe dysphagia management to ensure your supports meet regulatory requirements.
• Access our Dysphagia Practice Alert for practical guidance and resources to make mealtime practices safer.

Key takeaway

We’re continuing our focus on mealtime practices and supports to ensure providers proactively identify and manage high-risk health concerns.

We're improving our data, systems and online tools

We're upgrading our systems to make registration and reporting easier. From April 2026, the NDIS Commission will progressively roll out improvements to our online systems and tools. These upgrades are designed to make it easier for providers to register with us and to meet reporting obligations, including complaints, reportable incidents and behaviour support.

This work is part of our Data and Regulatory Transformation (DART) Program, which is modernising how we manage data and regulatory processes. Over time, this will support a more streamlined registration experience and improved online tools for providers.

The upgrades will also strengthen how we use data and intelligence to focus our regulatory effort where risk is highest. This helps us protect participants and maintain the integrity of the Scheme, while reducing regulatory burden.  

We'll share more detail about what to expect –including any changes that may affect providers – in upcoming editions of this newsletter.

Have your say on the Provider Portal

In early March, we're running online workshops to gather provider feedback on the Provider Portal, including how reportable incidents are lodged. Interest has been strong and current sessions are fully booked.

If you'd like to take part in future workshops or other feedback opportunities, please register your interest and we'll be in touch.

Key takeaway 

From April 2026, the NDIS Commission will progressively roll out improvements to our online systems and tools.

New research review into violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation 

The NDIS Commission has recently concluded a review of the research into risk factors and prevention of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of people with disability. The purpose of the review was to:  

• inform people about the types of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation experienced by people with disability
• identify the factors that increase the risk of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation
• identify strategies that can reduce and prevent violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.  

We explored research that included people with all types of disability and of all ages. The research applied to residential group homes, disability services and schools.  

We found that people with disability face much higher rates of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation compared to the general population. These risks can be understood at 3 levels: 

• Individual level –factors about the person with disability 
• Service level – the way a service provider or service is run and managed 
• Systemic level – external conditions in society that affect an individual’s experience, and the way people behave or get help. 

Our review identified interventions at all 3 levels that can reduce and prevent violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. These include: 

Individual level 

• Accessible safeguarding resources 
• Program design for people with intellectual disability 
• Tailored training for children 
• Access to independent advocates 

Service level 

• Specialised workforce training 
• Workplace culture reform 
• Person-centred practice 
• Access to independent advocates 
• Regular audits and reviews 

Systemic level 

• Public campaigns and community education programs 
• Strengthening community connections 
• Regular audits and reviews 
• Capturing diversity data 

You can find more information on the Violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation page of our website where you will find the full evidence review along with a summary document. We continue to draw on emerging insights to guide and strengthen our work and inform best practice across the sector.

Key takeaway

Check out the NDIS Commission’s recently published research review to learn more about risk factors and prevention of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of people with disability. 

Guidance for providers supporting participants with lawful orders

The NDIS Commission has published a guide to the justice system and lawful orders. The guide is for NDIS providers supporting NDIS participants who are subject to lawful orders.  

Supporting NDIS participants with lawful orders in the community can be complex. The role of the NDIS provider is not to enforce the participant’s compliance with a lawful order.  

The guide helps clarify the distinction between lawful orders and regulated restricted practices. Any use of regulated restrictive practices by the provider must still comply with the NDIS Behaviour Support Rules. This guide should be read with the Regulated Restrictive Practices Guide.   

Both guides can be found on the Behaviour support and restrictive practices page of the NDIS Commission website.

Key takeaway

We’ve published a guide for NDIS providers who support participants who are subject to lawful orders.

Regulatory Reform Roadmap updates

We’ve just updated the NDIS Commission’s Regulatory Reform Roadmap, which shows activities planned to support the NDIS Commission’s regulatory reform priorities.

The mandatory registration of Supported Independent Living (SIL) and platform providers will begin from 1 July 2026. Providers currently delivering these services and supports in an unregistered capacity will not need to be registered as at 1 July 2026. However, they will need to take action during the transition period to remain in the NDIS market to deliver these services and supports.

In addition to the mandatory registration of SIL, we are implementing new SIL Practice Standards from 1 July 2026.

These reforms are a response to longstanding quality, safety and integrity issues. More information about these reforms, including a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document are available on the NDIS Commission website.  Check out the NDIS Commission Reform Hub and our Mandatory registration Platform Providers, Supported Independent Living (SIL) and SIL Practice Standards: reform pathway on the About the reform program page.

Key takeaway

Our Regulatory Reform Roadmap outlines the NDIS Commission regulatory reforms underway. To access our FAQ document and to keep up to date with these reforms please visit the NDIS Commission Reform Hub.

ACCC’s consumer rights report

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released a report about consumer rights concerns in the NDIS. The report has found some businesses may not be meeting their obligations under the Australian Consumer Law. This can put NDIS participants at risk.

Some of the issues include:

• misleading advertising
• unfair or unclear contracts
• providers not honouring consumer guarantees.

The report also raises concerns about:

• charging for services not provided
• misleading claims about Specialist Disability Accommodation
• scams
• the impact on First Nations participants.

You can read the full report (ACCC observations on consumer issues in the NDIS) on the ACCC website. Or for a summary of the report and key issues go to Consumer rights and the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Provider obligations under the National Disability Insurance Scheme for specific information.

Key takeaway

A report published by the ACCC has found some businesses may not be meeting their obligations under Australian Consumer Law. This can put NDIS participants at risk.

NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee: share your thoughts on supports under review

The NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee is reviewing a range of supports to make sure they are safe, suitable and cost-effective for people with disability. The committee wants input from the disability community to help inform their advice to government.

Consultation is open for the following supports that will be reviewed by the committee:

• early intensive behavioural interventions
• positive behaviour support for older children and adults
• robot-assisted gait training
• social skills training as a disability support for children and young people.

If you use or research these supports, or use other supports for similar goals, the committee wants to hear from you.

Your feedback will help inform the committee’s advice to government to improve outcomes for NDIS participants. Find out more on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's consultation page.

Public consultation is open until 11:59 pm AEDT on 29 March 2026.

Key takeaway

The NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee wants input from the disability community to help inform their advice to government.

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 

• Understanding behaviour support and restrictive practices - for providers
• Rules for behaviour support and restrictive practices

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.