What’s the difference between registered and unregistered NDIS providers?

The key difference between registered and unregistered NDIS providers is that registered providers are required to meet and maintain strict quality and safety standards as stipulated by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (QSC). Unregistered providers are not subject to these same standards, and have no proactive oversight from the QSC.

NDIS registered providers

For registered providers like Hireup, this means meeting all of the registered provider obligations including:

• Demonstrated compliance with the NDIS practice standards.
• Maintain an in-house incident management system and notify the NDIS Commission should a reportable incident, or alleged reportable incident occur.
• Maintain an in-house complaints management and resolution system and support NDIS participants to make complaints and reach resolutions.
• Meet behavior support requirements, including reporting the use of any restrictive practices to the NDIS Commission.
• Pass quality, verification and certification audits to maintain registration.
• Ensure all of their workforce has a current NDIS Worker Screening Check.

To maintain registration status, providers are accountable to meet these obligations, which helps ensure safe and quality support. Meeting these obligations means that registered providers must work closely with participants and the NDIS QSC to mitigate risk and achieve positive outcomes.

Unregistered NDIS providers

Unregistered NDIS providers can deliver NDIS funded services to participants who are self or plan managed. If your funding is NDIA managed then you can only use NDIS registered providers. Unregistered providers are not accountable to QSC practice standards and reporting obligations.

Unregistered Providers must only comply with the following minimum obligations required of all NDIS providers:

• Compliance with the NDIS Code of Conduct
• Complaints management

Recently, Hireup’s founder and co-CEO Laura O’Reilly appeared at the Disability Royal Commission heating on service providers. The DRC inquired into some of the key differences between disability service providers and the implications of provider registration for NDIS clients and support workers. Laura spoke to the role of registration in making service providers accountable for the safety and quality of clients’ supports. Hireup’s NDIS registration and our employment model are two core parts of the Hireup difference.