What evidence does an auditor or the regulator ask for under NDIS Practice Standards Core 16A.1 to Core 16A.9?

Register of participants and the supports critical to their safety, health and wellbeing; Individual emergency plans for participants with critical supports; Records from a past emergency or exercise showing critical supports maintained; Emergency and disaster management plan with sections on preparation, response, support changes and communication; Communication templates and contact trees for workers, participants and support networks; Records showing support changes were communicated during an event; Emergency and disaster management plans approved by the governing body; Records of consulta

Rules / NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators

Practice StandardsNDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicatorsndis-practice-standards--core-emergency-and-disaster

Requirement

Core module: Emergency and disaster

The Core module outcome emergency and disaster: every quality indicator the NDIS Practice Standards set for it (Core 16A.1 to Core 16A.9), what an auditor asks to see under each, the common gaps, and a free worksheet to fill in.

Clause

NDIS Practice Standards Core 16A.1 to Core 16A.9

Regulator

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

Edition held

Rules Schedules 1 to 8, Compilation No. 6 (F2026C00527) and Quality Indicators Guidelines Compilation No. 3 (F2026C00528), in force 1 July 2026

Checked current

6 October 2026, Federal Register: both compilations are the latest version on 6 October 2026

Who it applies to

Registered NDIS providers audited by certification: registered for early childhood supports, specialist behaviour support, implementing behaviour support plans or regulated restrictive practices, or specialised support coordination. An individual or partnership whose only certification requirement is early childhood supports meets only Core clause 7 (freedom from abuse) and Module 3 (Rules s 20(4) and (5)).

Every clause in the standards library

NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators on the standards library

Under review, not in force

The NDIS Commission's review of the Practice Standards (a proposed quality framework and changes to the standards and how they are assessed) is still being considered; nothing from it is in force.

Core 16A.1Emergency and disaster: continuity of critical supports before, during and aftersource

Requirement, our statement of the clause

Measures are in place so supports that are critical to each participant's safety, health and wellbeing continue before, during and after an emergency or disaster.

Evidence that typically shows this

Register of participants and the supports critical to their safety, health and wellbeing
Individual emergency plans for participants with critical supports
Records from a past emergency or exercise showing critical supports maintained

Common gap to check

No list of which participants rely on critical supports
Individual emergency plans not prepared with participants

Core 16A.2Emergency and disaster: planning covers preparation, changes, adaptation and communicationsource

Requirement, our statement of the clause

The emergency measures plan for each of: preparing for and responding to the emergency or disaster; changing participant supports; adapting and responding quickly to changes in supports and other interruptions; and communicating changes to workers, participants and their support networks.

Evidence that typically shows this

Emergency and disaster management plan with sections on preparation, response, support changes and communication
Communication templates and contact trees for workers, participants and support networks
Records showing support changes were communicated during an event

Common gap to check

Plan covers fire evacuation only and not wider disasters
No method to tell support networks about changes

Core 16A.3Emergency and disaster: governing body develops plans with participant consultationsource

Requirement, our statement of the clause

The governing body develops emergency and disaster management plans, consults participants and their support networks about them, and puts them in place.

Evidence that typically shows this

Emergency and disaster management plans approved by the governing body
Records of consultation with participants and support networks on the plans
Board or owner minutes adopting the plans

Common gap to check

Plans written by staff with no governing body approval
No participant consultation recorded

Core 16A.4Emergency and disaster: plans guide the governing body's response and oversightsource

Requirement, our statement of the clause

The emergency plans explain and guide how the governing body will respond to an emergency or disaster and oversee the response.

Evidence that typically shows this

Emergency governance section naming decision-makers, escalation and reporting lines
Emergency meeting records or incident command logs from an event or exercise
Reporting templates to the governing body during an emergency

Common gap to check

Plans silent on who decides during an emergency
Governing body not informed during a past event

Core 16A.5Emergency and disaster: plans actively tested and adjustedsource

Requirement, our statement of the clause

The governing body has mechanisms to actively test the plans and to adjust them for a particular kind of emergency or disaster.

Evidence that typically shows this

Exercise or drill schedule covering different emergency types
Exercise reports with lessons learned
Version history showing plan changes after testing

Common gap to check

Plans never tested
Only fire drills run, no tests for outbreaks, floods or heatwaves

Core 16A.6Emergency and disaster: periodic review points during an eventsource

Requirement, our statement of the clause

The plans include periodic review points so the governing body can respond as an emergency or disaster changes.

Evidence that typically shows this

Plan section defining review intervals or triggers during an event
Records of reviews held during a past event and decisions taken
Situation reports used at each review point

Common gap to check

No mechanism to revisit decisions during a prolonged event
Review points defined but not used

Core 16A.7Emergency and disaster: regular plan review with participant consultationsource

Requirement, our statement of the clause

The governing body regularly reviews the plans and consults participants and their support networks about those reviews.

Evidence that typically shows this

Plan review records with dates and approvals
Consultation records with participants and support networks during each review
Change log of plan versions

Common gap to check

Plans past their review date
Reviews carried out without participant input

Core 16A.8Emergency and disaster: plans communicated to workers, participants and networkssource

Requirement, our statement of the clause

The governing body communicates the plans to workers, participants and their support networks.

Evidence that typically shows this

Distribution records or acknowledgements for workers
Participant-friendly summaries of the plans and records of who received them
Newsletters or meetings where plans were explained to support networks

Common gap to check

Workers unaware the plan exists
Participants given no accessible version of the plan

Core 16A.9Emergency and disaster: each worker trained to implement the planssource

Requirement, our statement of the clause

Each worker is trained in implementing the emergency and disaster management plans.

Evidence that typically shows this

Training records on the emergency and disaster management plans for every worker
Drill participation records
Induction content covering the plans

Common gap to check

Casual and agency workers not trained in the plans
Training records show only fire safety, not the plans

Worksheet: what your practice holds, and where

Ref	Held (yes, partly, no, not applicable)	Where it is kept	Owner	Last reviewed	Next review
Core 16A.1
Core 16A.2
Core 16A.3
Core 16A.4
Core 16A.5
Core 16A.6
Core 16A.7
Core 16A.8
Core 16A.9

Download the worksheet (CSV)Print the worksheet (A4)

Completing this worksheet records what your practice holds and where. It does not make a practice compliant or ready for audit, and it is not legal advice.

Related requirements

NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators

Core 16.1 to Core 16.5Core module: Continuity of supports
Core 18.1, Core 18.2, Core 18.3Core module: Access to supports
Core 15.1 to Core 15.10Core module: Human resources
Core 19.1 to Core 19.9Core module: Support planning
Core 14.1 to Core 14.4Core module: Incident management
Core 20.1 to Core 20.5Core module: Service agreements
Core 13.1 to Core 13.4Core module: Complaints
Core 21.1 to Core 21.4Core module: Responsive supports
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See every requirement for your practice See the specimen practice