NDIS Commission Provider Newsletter - March 2025

Message from the Commissioner

This month I have been out of action for a couple of weeks after having knee replacement surgery. Natalie Wade has done a tremendous job as Acting Commissioner in my absence, including giving evidence at Senate Estimates in Parliament House. It was a milestone moment to witness a woman leader with disability taking this stage, and something I hope we see more of.

Working collaboratively with Natalie as we lead the NDIS Commission is a new model, and we see it as a great example of how to build a strong and inclusive organisation and of the power of diverse leadership. We recently reflected on this, as well as the safety, rights and dignity of people with disability, during a joint interview with Dr George Taleporos on the Summer Foundation's podcast Reasonable & Necessary. We also recently spoke together at the VALiD conference in Geelong, and we’re pleased to share this short video that captures the event.

Recently, national media coverage has highlighted the need for everyone to remain vigilant to the ongoing abuse and neglect of people with disability. I shared my thoughts on LinkedIn about the behaviour of a taxi driver towards passengers with disability, and Natalie published a statement on our website on the disturbing coverage of group homes published earlier this month.

Survey submissions on the mandatory registration of platform providers, supported independent living (SIL) and support coordinators closed on 7 March 2025. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback during this phase of consultation. A summary report detailing the key findings from this consultation will be published on the Reform Hub of our website in June 2025.

In the newsletter, we share an important reminder about the consequences of operating in contravention of a banning order, information about how these matters are investigated, and a range of new resources to assist you to continue to provide quality and safe supports and services for people with disability.

Commissioner Louise Glanville

Permanent ban issued to Freedom Care Group

The NDIS Commission has permanently banned and revoked the registration of Freedom Care Group Pty Limited, preventing it from providing supports and services to people with disability in the NDIS.

A joint investigation between the NDIS Commission and the NDIA, enabled through the Fraud Fusion Taskforce, identified Freedom Care Group had claimed almost $340,000 for NDIS services and supports that it did not deliver to people who were incarcerated at the time. The investigation was enabled through the Fraud Fusion Taskforce (FFT).

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner Louise Glanville said the NDIS Commission is committed to protect and uphold the human rights of people with disability and ensure that quality disability supports and services are delivered in a safe manner.

“All NDIS providers – whether registered or unregistered – must adhere to the NDIS Code of Conduct, and we will take serious action against providers not fulfilling their duties to NDIS participants."

For more information read the Media Release on our website.

Compliance action for contravening banning orders

We use banning orders as a safeguarding tool to protect people with disability from being harmed by fraudulent, dishonest, and unsafe supports and services. Banning orders are very serious, and we will take strong action against businesses and individuals found to be operating in contravention of a banning order.

Providers identified as doing so can face significant consequences, with penalties of up to $330,000 for individuals and $1.6 million for companies.

We encourage anyone with information about NDIS providers or workers continuing to deliver NDIS supports and services after being issued with a banning order to contact us by phone on 1800 035 544 or via our online complaint form.

You can find out about banning orders, compliance notices or other compliance action we’ve taken against providers and workers in our online compliance register Compliance and enforcement actions search.

NDIS Commission making direct contact with workers

To fulfil our role as the regulator of the NDIS, our officers often need to meet with, talk to, or formally interview NDIS workers. In most cases we will liaise with the employer in the first instance, and ask to be connected to specific workers. While we know it can be important for you as an employer to offer support to your workers, in some cases it is not appropriate for us to involve the employer, and we may need to approach the worker directly. This may be when a worker has requested that we don’t involve their employer, or if we have concerns regarding the influence of the employer over the worker’s statements.

It is within our mandate as regulator of the NDIS to make direct contact with workers when required and we will continue to occasionally make these judgements based on the unique circumstances of each matter.

For more information about our Compliance and Enforcement Policy visit: Compliance and Enforcement policy.

Updated Practice Alert - Transitions of Care

We have recently updated the ‘Transitions of care between home and hospitals’ Practice Alert for providers and workers who are involved in this critical process.

‘Transitions of care’ refers to the movement of a person with disability between services providing care, such as when a person moves between their home and a hospital. This process must be managed carefully to maintain the person with disability’s dignity and ensure the safety of everyone involved, including providers and workers.

Please read and share the updated Practice Alert to ensure you are following the most up-to-date advice: Transitions of Care Practice Alert.

NEW Sleepover Shifts resource

We have recently published a new resource about sleepover shifts in the context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The resource contains information about how the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Award sets out pay and conditions for workers, and outlines obligations and good practice for sleepover shifts including:

Disruptions during a sleepover shift
Obligations for providers and workers under NDIS legislation
Work Health and Safety (WHS) obligations for NDIS providers including requirements in NDIS legislation
WHS obligations for workers
WHS for NDIS participants engaging their own workers.

The resource also provides a case study and links to a range of relevant resources.

If you are an NDIS provider delivering supports that include sleepover shifts, please familiarise yourself with the information in the Sleepover Shift resource.

Please also share this resource with workers who undertake sleepover shifts, as well as payroll staff and supervisors. NDIS participants who receive sleepover shift supports should also have access to relevant information in the resource.

NEW Implementing Provider checklist

We have published a new implementing provider checklist that outlines best practice for the implementation of behaviour support plans. It also explains the requirements for the use of regulated restrictive practices and conditions of registration that apply to implementing providers.

It provides a step-by-step process for providers and workers to follow when implementing behaviour support plans and using regulated restrictive practices. While the use of the checklist is optional, it is a useful resource to ensure good practice and compliance with legislative requirements. Implementing providers and workers are encouraged to use the checklist for their own practice review and continuous improvement.

The checklist is now available on the NDIS Commission website: Implementing Provider Checklist.

If you have any questions or feedback about the checklist, please contact behavioursupport@ndiscommission.gov.au.

An illustration of a row group of people all wearing purple or green. One is holding up a megaphone

Review of the Positive Behaviour Support Capability Framework

As mentioned in last month's newsletter, Flinders University is leading the review of the Positive Behaviour Support Capability Framework and suitability assessment process for NDIS behaviour support practitioners.

An online survey is being conducted to gain feedback from industry for behaviour support services that are provided to NDIS participants. The survey will take about 25 minutes to complete.

You are eligible to complete this survey if you are over 18 years of age and are:

currently or have been engaged as an NDIS behaviour support practitioner
currently or have provided clinical/practice supervision to NDIS behaviour support practitioners
currently or have been a manager/director of an organisation which employs NDIS behaviour support practitioners
currently or have been responsible for making policy decisions that concern NDIS behaviour support practices.

See survey link here: Industry survey

There is a separate survey to gain feedback from informal support providers (for example, a family member, friend, unpaid support person) of a NDIS participant who receives behaviour support services. This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

See survey link here: Informal supports survey

If you have any questions about the survey or the review, please contact Dr Irene Belperio from the research team on (08) 8201 5321 or via email at irene.belperio@flinders.edu.au.

Thank you for your time and being a part of this important research.

For information and resources about the Framework please visit The Positive Behaviour Support Capability Framework.

Solving problems in NDIS Housing

Summer Foundation, one of the successful recipients of our Support for NDIS Providers Grants Program, in collaboration with Housing Hub, has launched an online resource called Solving Problems in NDIS Housing, which aims to share information with participants and community members about Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and sharing supports.

The resource contains clear information about participant rights, who does what, and how to give feedback or raise a complaint, including a Roles and Responsibilities Knowledge Builder designed to check and build understanding.

Housing Hub have been hosting a series of webinars for people with disability, their families, and support workers. These sessions are focused on understanding the information included in the online resource and how it can be used to solve problems in NDIS housing.

Register for the 14 April webinar at this link: Solving problems in NDIS housing - Mon, 14 Apr, 11:00am - 12:00pm AEST.

For more information about our grants program please visit the Grants page on our website.

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 - 6:30pm AEDT, 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.