Key points

  • Registered providers are audited against the NDIS Practice Standards. Unregistered providers are not, though they must still follow the NDIS Code of Conduct.
  • Agency-managed participants must use registered providers. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can use unregistered providers for most supports, but not for supported independent living or platform services since 1 July 2026.
  • Every worker should hold an NDIS Worker Screening Check, and a Working With Children Check for children.
  • From around 20 November 2026 it is a criminal offence for a provider to offer you an inducement to sign. Walk away from gifts.
  • Quality shows up in small things: itemised invoices, a service agreement you understand, consistent workers and a real complaints process.

Choosing a provider is a decision about who comes into your home, your family's safety and whether your plan actually achieves anything. The market has grown to tens of thousands of providers, and 2026 has brought both new protections and a reminder, through the Fraud Fusion Taskforce's prosecutions, that not every provider deserves your trust. This guide is written for participants and families, with the questions we would ask if we were on the other side of the table.

Registered or unregistered?

Registration with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission means a provider has been independently audited against the Practice Standards, has a complaints and incident management system, screens its workers, and is subject to the Commission's compliance powers. It is a baseline, not a guarantee, but it is a meaningful one.

The rules changed on 1 July 2026: providers of supported independent living and digital platforms matching participants with workers must be registered regardless of how you manage your plan. Registration for support coordination has been paused because that service will be commissioned by the NDIA from 2028. The Annual Pricing Review has also recommended lower price limits for unregistered community participation providers from January 2027, so the gap between the two may widen.

You can check any provider on the NDIS Provider Register.

Worker screening is non-negotiable

The NDIS Worker Screening Check is a national check that looks at criminal history, disciplinary records and misconduct findings. Registered providers must ensure every worker in a risk-assessed role has one. The first five-year clearances, issued in February 2021, are now expiring, and a lapsed clearance means the worker cannot deliver supports. For children, a Working With Children Check is also required in NSW. Ask to see both. A good provider will not be offended.

Red flags

Walk away if a provider…

  • Offers cash, gift cards, phones or holidays to sign up or switch. From late November 2026 this is a criminal offence under the new Act.
  • Asks for your my NDIS login or wants to become your nominee without a clear reason.
  • Will not give you a written service agreement, or pressures you to sign on the spot.
  • Cannot show registration (where required), insurance or worker screening.
  • Suggests claiming for supports you did not receive to "use up" your budget.
  • Delivers support coordination or plan management and steers you to its own services without discussing alternatives.
  • Has consistently poor or missing reviews, or a name that changes frequently.

Fifteen questions to ask before you sign

  1. Are you registered with the NDIS Commission, and for which registration groups?
  2. Can I see current worker screening and Working With Children Checks for the people who will support me?
  3. How do you match workers to participants, and what happens if we are not a good fit?
  4. How many different workers will I see in a typical month?
  5. What training do your workers have in my specific needs (for example autism, epilepsy, PEG feeding, behaviour support)?
  6. What are your prices compared with the NDIS Pricing Schedule, and do you charge for travel, cancellations or reports?
  7. What is your cancellation policy, in plain language?
  8. How will you report on my goals, and how often?
  9. How do you handle incidents, and how will I be told?
  10. How do I make a complaint, and who outside the organisation can I go to?
  11. How do you support participants to make their own decisions, including about risk?
  12. What happens if my plan changes or my funding reduces?
  13. Do you use restrictive practices, and under what authorisation?
  14. Can I speak to a current participant or family (with their consent)?
  15. Can I have a trial shift or visit before committing?

Reading a service agreement

A service agreement should name the supports, prices, how and when they are delivered, the notice period for cancellations and ending the agreement, and how disputes are handled. It should be in a format you can understand, including Easy Read or your language if you need it. Under the NDIS Code of Conduct you cannot be locked into unreasonable terms. If you are unsure, ask your support coordinator, plan manager or an advocacy organisation to review it.

Signs of genuine quality

  • Itemised invoices that match your roster, with travel and cancellations shown separately as the 2026-27 Pricing Schedule now requires.
  • Workers who arrive on time, know your plan, and write a brief note after each shift.
  • Progress reports that are useful at your plan reassessment.
  • Management who return calls and act on feedback.
  • A culture where the participant's preferences, not the roster, come first.

About us

Nurture and Care Solutions is a registered NDIS provider based in Rouse Hill in Sydney's north-west, supporting participants across Sydney and NSW. We are happy to answer every question on this list. Ask us anything.

Sources

General information current at September 2026. Registration requirements for additional provider types may be introduced; check the Commission's website.