Allied Health NDIS Audit Checklist: worksheet
NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators. 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 on 6 October 2026 (Federal Register: both compilations are the latest version on 6 October 2026).
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.
Standards library: https://compliance.theartofservice.com/frameworks/australia-ndis-practice-standards-and-quality-indicators. Page: https://allied-health-ndis-audit-checklist.theartofservice.com/rules/ndis-practice-standards/core-mealtime-management/
| Ref | Requirement (our statement of the clause) | Evidence an auditor or the regulator asks for | Common gap to check | Held (yes, partly, no, not applicable) | Where it is kept | Owner | Last reviewed | Next review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core 26A.1 | The provider identifies each participant who requires mealtime management, so that their eating, drinking and swallowing needs can be assessed and planned for before meals are provided. Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text | Mealtime or swallowing screening at intake; Register of participants requiring mealtime management; Intake forms asking about swallowing, eating and drinking difficulties | Participants with choking history not on the register; No screening for mealtime risk | ☐ yes ☐ partly ☐ no ☐ n/a | ||||
| Core 26A.2 | Each participant needing mealtime management has their needs assessed by appropriately qualified health practitioners, who assess nutrition and swallowing comprehensively, assess seating and positioning for eating and drinking, provide mealtime management plans covering swallowing, eating and drinking, and review assessments and plans annually, as the practitioner advises, or sooner if needs change or difficulty is observed. Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text | Speech pathology and dietitian assessments in participant files; Occupational therapy seating and positioning assessments; Mealtime management plans signed by the practitioner with review dates; Referral records when new difficulty was observed | Plans older than a year with no practitioner review; Plans written by support staff rather than a qualified practitioner | ☐ yes ☐ partly ☐ no ☐ n/a | ||||
| Core 26A.3 | With consent, each participant needing mealtime management is involved in assessing their needs and developing their mealtime management plan. Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text | Consent for mealtime assessment; Plans recording the participant's preferences and input; Notes of family or advocate involvement where the participant chose it | Plan contains no participant preferences; Assessment done without consent recorded | ☐ yes ☐ partly ☐ no ☐ n/a | ||||
| Core 26A.4 | Every worker providing mealtime management understands the mealtime needs of the participants they support and what to do if a safety incident occurs during a meal, such as coughing or choking on food or fluids. Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text | Worker briefings or sign-off on each participant's mealtime plan; Choking response procedure and first aid training records; Incident records of mealtime events and the response given | Workers cannot describe the participant's texture requirements; No documented choking response steps | ☐ yes ☐ partly ☐ no ☐ n/a | ||||
| Core 26A.5 | Every worker providing mealtime management is trained to prepare and provide safe meals that participants would reasonably find enjoyable, to manage emerging and chronic health risks from mealtime difficulties proactively, and to know how to seek help with those risks. Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text | Mealtime management training records and course content; Competency assessments for safe meal preparation and assistance; Escalation contacts for mealtime health concerns | Training limited to food handling, not swallowing risk; Workers unsure when to seek practitioner help | ☐ yes ☐ partly ☐ no ☐ n/a | ||||
| Core 26A.6 | Mealtime management plans are available where mealtime support is given and are easy for the workers providing it to access. Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text | Plans displayed or filed at the point of meal service; Mobile access to plans for community-based supports; Spot checks confirming plans are present at mealtimes | Plans kept in the office rather than where meals are served; Out-of-date plan versions at the point of service | ☐ yes ☐ partly ☐ no ☐ n/a | ||||
| Core 26A.7 | Menus are planned with each participant needing mealtime management so they receive nutritious, enjoyable meals reflecting their preferences, informed choice and practitioner recommendations in the plan, and so chronic health risks such as swallowing difficulty, diabetes, anaphylaxis, food allergies, obesity or being underweight are managed proactively. Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text | Menus developed with participants and checked against plan recommendations; Allergy and dietary requirement registers; Weight monitoring or nutrition review records; Dietitian input on menus | Menus set by staff without participant choice; Allergies not reflected in menus | ☐ yes ☐ partly ☐ no ☐ n/a | ||||
| Core 26A.8 | Procedures let workers prepare and provide texture-modified foods and fluids according to each participant's mealtime management plan and check that meals are the correct texture identified in the plan. Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text | Texture modification procedures referencing the plan's texture levels; Texture testing or meal check records; Training records on preparing modified textures and thickened fluids | No texture check before serving; Thickener used inconsistently with the plan | ☐ yes ☐ partly ☐ no ☐ n/a | ||||
| Core 26A.9 | Meals for participants needing mealtime management are stored safely and in line with health standards, and can be easily identified as belonging to a particular participant and told apart from meals not intended for them. Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text | Food storage and labelling procedure; Fridge temperature logs; Labelled meal containers with participant name and texture level | Unlabelled pre-prepared meals in shared fridges; No temperature monitoring of stored meals | ☐ yes ☐ partly ☐ no ☐ n/a |
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.