Amergin THE NDIS PROVIDER GUIDE Find out what you need to do to become a registered NDIS provider.
Becoming a Registered NDIS Provider The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) presents some big opportunities for Australian businesses. With over 460,000 people expected to enter the Scheme, the NDIS needs providers that can deliver high quality, innovative and diverse services and supports to people with disability. Becoming a Registered NDIS Provider can be an overwhelming task, requiring a lot of preparation and planning. This guide steps you through the key things you need to consider before applying to deliver services to NDIS participants. Please note that the information in this guide is of a general nature, due to the differences and complexities involved with meeting specific state and territory government requirements. For more detailed information, read the NDIS Provider Toolkit. 1. Do your values align with those of the NDIS? The NDIS places people with disability at the centre of their service delivery. Providers must be willing and able to promote their clients independence, community participation, choice and control and decision making in all aspects of service delivery, as well as the inclusion of their families, carers and other significant people. 2. Are you a new or existing provider? Existing providers must be already approved and compliant with their state or territory s requirements to deliver specialist disability, community care or Home and Community Care services. New providers, or existing providers wishing to expand to delivering NDIS services, will need to apply to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to become a registered provider. Depending on the services you want to provide, you may also need to fulfill professional requirements and/or state government requirements for the delivery of specialist disability services. In both cases, you are required to comply with the NDIS Terms of Business and NDIS Guide to Suitability.
3. What services will you deliver? The many supports that participants can access through the NDIS are grouped into Registration Groups, where the quality and safeguard requirements to provide the supports in that group are similar. Most registration groups have specific professional requirements and expertise expectations associated with them. For instance, supports that fall into the Professional Registration Group require you to have specific professional qualifications and experience to deliver them. To deliver supports in the Specialist Disability Registration Group, in addition to professional requirements and expertise, you must also meet and comply with ongoing, state-specific quality and safeguarding arrangements. 4. Who will you deliver services to? NDIS participants can manage their plan in different ways. Different options can be chosen for different supports and the types of providers that can deliver supports for each type of plan varies. Plans can be: Agency managed: The NDIA manages the funding in a participant s plan. Managed by a Plan Management Provider: A registered Plan Management Provider manages the funding in the participant s plan. Self-managed: A participant is responsible for managing the funding for their supports and the NDIS pays participants directly for these supports. It is necessary to become a NDIS Registered Provider to provide supports to participants whose plans are managed by the NDIA. To provide services to participants who are self-managing their plans or using Plan Management services, it is not mandatory to become a Registered Provider. However, in the competitive marketplace created by the NDIS, meeting these quality and safeguarding requirements will provide your clients assurance that you can deliver services to the standard they expect. In addition, to deliver some supports, such as Plan Management and Support Coordination, you must be a Registered Provider regardless of what type of participants you are supporting.
5. What State are you in? Until a national Quality and Safeguarding system takes effect from July 2019, NDIS providers delivering specialist disability supports are required to adhere to quality and safeguarding arrangements specific to the state or territory they operate in. This generally requires an assessment against state-specific or national disability standards, which at the very least require you to have your business establishment, planning and policies and procedures completed. In states where this requirement does not apply, you will still have to demonstrate compliance with an approved quality assurance system and provide evidence to the state government that you have the planning, policies and procedures in place to operate an effective disability service. All providers of specialist disability supports will need to apply to their state government and the NDIA to become Registered NDIS Providers. Depending on the state you intend to provide services in, you may need to apply to the NDIA before or after you have applied to the relevant state government: NORTHERN TERRITORY WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1) Submit an application to register and prequalify to be on the WA Disability Services Provider Panel (DSPP). 2) Demonstrate compliance with the NT Quality and Safeguarding Framework. SOUTH AUSTRALIA QUEENSLAND 2) Obtain certification against Queensland s Human Services Quality Framework. 2) Apply to SA Government to meet the requirements for the Disability Service Provider Panel (DSPP). NEW SOUTH WALES 2) Undertake third party verification (TPV) against the NSW Disability Services Standards. AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY VICTORIA 2) Apply to the State Government to become a Victorian approved NDIS Provider. 2) Be assessed for compliance against the ACT s safeguard and quality assurance frameworks. TASMANIA 2) Undergo a Due Diligence process against the Tasmanian Quality and Safety Framework for DHHS Funded Community Sector.
A note about planning and pricing A sound Business Plan should underpin your intended operations from the get-go, and be reviewed regularly. At the very least, this should include: your business Vision, Mission, Values, goals and objectives, and how you will achieve these; what you intend to provide, how, where and to who; how you are going to define yourself in the market to your intended clients; and your financial position and objectives, including what you intend to charge your clients. The NDIA has price controls in place for many support items. For these items, prices charged to participants must not exceed the price level prescribed for that support, though less may be charged. No other charges are to be added to the cost of supports, including credit card surcharges or any additional fees including any gap fees, late payment fees or cancellation fees. To price your services so that your business is viable, you must have a good understanding of your costs (e.g. rent, vehicles, staffing, etc.) so that you can recoup these costs and with the prices you set. Need help? Applying to become a NDIS Provider requires careful consideration and effort. The quality and safeguarding requirements in place are there to protect people with disability and ensure service providers are delivering quality and effective services to the standard expected. It is essential that you have a thorough understanding of these requirements and the ability to comply with them when providing NDIS services. The Amergin Team has the expertise and experience to guide you through the entire process. We ll help you get your business registered as a Registered NDIS Provider as well as provide the strategic, operational and financial guidance to establish and grow your business. Need more help with Policies and Procedures, Self-Assessments, Accreditation Against Standards, Business Plans, Marketing Plans or end-to-end support? Book your FREE consultation with one of Amergin s friendly team. BOOK NOW
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