Registered or unregistered NDIS provider: what changes for an allied health practice
An allied health practice can deliver most therapy supports to NDIS participants whether or not it is registered. The Rules require registration only for the supports they list, and a participant whose plan the Agency manages may use only a registered provider. A registered provider is then audited against the Practice Standards and bound by the Worker Screening, Incident and Complaints Rules; every provider, registered or not, follows the NDIS Code of Conduct.
A person must not provide a support under a participant's plan where the NDIS rules require registration for it and the person is not registered (s 73B(2)), nor hold themselves out as able to provide such a support (s 73B(3)). Rules s 7 requires registration for: specialist disability accommodation (s 7(1)); any class of supports where there is, or is likely to be, an interim or ongoing need to use a regulated restrictive practice (s 7(2)); specialist behaviour support that includes a behaviour support assessment or developing a behaviour support plan (s 7(3)); assistance with supported independent living (s 7(4) and (5)); and NDIS digital platform services (s 7(6)). Separately, supports to a participant whose funding is managed by the Agency may be provided only by a registered provider (Act ss 32D(7) and 33(6)). Contravention is a fault-based offence (up to 2 years' imprisonment or 120 penalty units), a strict liability offence and a civil penalty (up to 10,000 penalty units for a serious contravention by an NDIS provider).
The Practice Standards, the Worker Screening Rules, the Incident Management Rules and the Complaints Management and Resolution Rules bind registered NDIS providers. An unregistered provider is bound by the NDIS Code of Conduct, and the NDIS Commission encourages unregistered providers to use workers with an NDIS worker screening clearance.
- NDIS Code NDIS Code of Conduct8 pages
- Practice Standards NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators53 pages
- Worker screening NDIS Worker Screening Rules10 pages
- Incidents NDIS Incident Management and Reportable Incidents Rules21 pages
- Complaints NDIS Complaints Management and Resolution Rules19 pages
What applies to an unregistered provider. What a registered therapy practice is audited against.
See every requirement for your practiceSee the specimen practice