Every term, abbreviation, rule, and obscure-NDIS-Commission-phrase that providers actually run into. Searchable. Defined by operators, not by the NDIA.
Australian Business Number. The unique 11-digit identifier issued by the Australian Government to every business. Required to register for NDIS provider status.
Health services delivered by non-medical practitioners, OT, physio, speech, podiatry, exercise physiology, psychology. Major NDIS service category.
What the NDIS Commission charges to lodge a registration application. Around $1,000–$1,500 plus separate auditor fees.
An auditor approved by the NDIS Commission to conduct provider audits. You can choose any AQA on the official list.
Equipment that helps participants live more independently, wheelchairs, communication devices, home modifications.
The written report the auditor delivers 2–4 weeks after your audit. Lists any non-conformities and required corrective actions.
The chronological record of how decisions were made and actions taken. The Commission expects an audit trail for incidents, complaints, and significant client decisions.
The 13 principles in the Privacy Act 1988 that govern how Australian businesses handle personal information. NDIS providers must comply.
A formal NDIS Commission order that prohibits a person or provider from working in the NDIS. The most serious regulatory penalty.
A documented plan addressing a participant's behaviours of concern, written by a registered Behaviour Support Practitioner.
An NDIS-registered professional who writes behaviour support plans and authorises restrictive practices.
SCHADS Award payment to workers whose shift is split by an unpaid gap. Affects rostering and cost calculations.
NDIS-funded supports that build a participant's independence and skills (vs Core Supports which fund daily activities).
NDIS-funded one-off purchases, assistive technology, home modifications, vehicle modifications.
The full NDIS audit including a site visit. Required for higher-risk service types like SIL, behaviour support, complex care.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. The independent regulator that registers providers, sets practice standards, and handles complaints.
The most flexible NDIS budget, covers daily activities, consumables, social participation, and transport.
The plan you submit to close non-conformities raised in an audit. Must be in the Commission's preferred format.
NDIS service delivered at a fixed venue, typically group activities. Has specific registration requirements.
The 2019–2023 federal inquiry into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability. Drove the July 2027 mandatory registration reform.
NDIS funding for children under 9 with developmental delay or disability. Delivered through the Early Childhood Approach.
A new tier of supports being introduced under the NDIS Review reforms, delivered outside the individual-budget NDIS.
A structured assessment by an OT or other allied health professional of what a participant can and can't do. Used to support plan reviews.
Goods and Services Tax. NDIS supports are typically GST-free, but you must still know when GST applies (e.g. some allied health, plan management fees).
Two large NDIS platform marketplaces that connect participants directly with support workers. Both face mandatory registration from July 2027.
The Commission expects a structured incident management process, categorisation, investigation, corrective action, reporting where required.
A sole-trader support worker, operates under their own ABN, no employer. Must register under the July 2027 mandatory rules.
NDIS Price Guide codes used in invoices, every service has a specific line code that drives billing rate, cancellation rules, and reporting.
The NDIS reform that requires all providers in scope to be registered with the Commission by 1 July 2027. Phased rollout already underway.
NDIS Practice Standards core module covering rights and responsibilities. Required for every registered provider.
Provider Governance and Operational Management. Risk, complaints, incidents, HR, continuous improvement. Required for every registered provider.
Provision of Supports. The service-delivery module, assessment, planning, support delivery, transitions.
National Disability Insurance Agency. The Australian government agency that funds the NDIS scheme and approves participant plans.
The mandatory background check every NDIS worker must hold before delivering supports. State-based application, valid 5 years.
A plan where the NDIA pays your invoices directly. Only available to registered providers, the biggest reason to register.
A gap identified during an audit between what you do and what the Practice Standards require. Minor or major.
The NDIS term for a person receiving NDIS-funded supports. Equivalent to "client" in other industries.
The lifetime revenue value of a single signed participant. Average ~$30,000 across NDIS providers (varies by service type).
A registered NDIS provider that pays invoices on behalf of plan-managed participants. Participants choose their own providers.
A plan where a Plan Manager handles invoice payments. Unregistered providers can deliver supports to plan-managed participants.
The four-module national quality framework every registered NDIS provider must meet. Audited every 3 years.
An NDIS provider that has passed an audit and is listed on the official NDIS Provider Register. Can take NDIA-managed participants.
The specific service categories your registration covers. Adding new scope requires a re-audit.
Any practice that restricts a participant's rights or freedom of movement, physical, mechanical, chemical, environmental, or seclusion. Must be authorised.
Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award. Sets minimum wages and conditions for most NDIS support workers.
A plan where the participant (or nominee) pays invoices directly. Unregistered providers can deliver to self-managed participants.
The contract between you and your participant. NDIS-specific clauses required. Must be in plain language.
NDIS-funded shared accommodation where support workers help participants with daily living. Requires Module 3 + certification audit.
A self-employed support worker operating under their own ABN, no employer. Must register under July 2027 mandatory rules.
The time between an enquiry arriving and your first response. The biggest lever in NDIS marketing, <2-min response converts at 60%; >1-hour at 12%.
The desk audit, auditor reviews your documents only. Less intensive than Stage 2.
The site visit audit, staff interviews, evidence review, participant feedback. Full-day or multi-day.
An NDIS-funded role that helps participants understand and use their plan. The biggest single referral source for most providers.
An interim audit between the 3-yearly full audits. Lighter scope. Confirms you're still compliant.
An NDIS region where supply of providers is genuinely short, typically rural and remote. Different funding rules apply.
A provider not on the NDIS register, can only deliver to plan-managed and self-managed participants. Must register by 1 July 2027.
The simpler of the two NDIS audits, a desk audit checking documents only. Required for low-risk service types like sole traders.
State-based background check required for any worker delivering supports to under-18 participants. Separate from the NDIS Worker Check.
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