An NDIS worker is anyone who is employed or otherwise engaged to provide supports and services to NDIS participants.
Workers can be employees, self-employed, contractors, consultants, volunteers or in any other form of engagement for the provision of services.
NDIS overview
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is administered by the Commonwealth Government. The aim of the scheme is to give people with disability access to the personalised supports and services they need to achieve their life goals.
People with disability who meet the NDIS access requirements are referred to as NDIS participants. NDIS participants have choice and control over the services they need and the providers that deliver them.
The National Disability Insurance Agency is responsible for administering the NDIS. They determine people’s access to the NDIS and provide funding for reasonable and necessary supports and services.
NDIS providers are the employers and can include small to large organisations or sole traders. They have a duty of care to ensure their workers are not acting or behaving in any way that puts people with disability at risk.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is an independent agency established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services. The Commission works with providers, workers, participants, and the community. Its functions include:
- registering and regulating NDIS providers, and overseeing provider quality, including a Code of Conduct
- receiving and dealing with complaints and reportable incidents
- setting and overseeing the required practice competencies of providers and workers
- working with states and territories on NDIS worker screening.
NDIS worker screening
The Commonwealth and state and territory governments are working together to implement NDIS worker screening. NDIS worker screening aims to minimise the risk of harm to NDIS participants from the people who work closely with them.
The primary responsibility for recruiting and providing a safe environment for NDIS participants rests with employers. Worker screening supports employers in fulfilling this responsibility.
State and territory governments perform the screening of workers.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission operates the NDIS Worker Screening Database. The database records personal information about applicants and the outcomes of their applications. NDIS employers can verify applications and view the outcome of NDIS worker screening applications via the database.
More information about the Commonwealth’s NDIS worker screening requirements for providers and workers can be found on the following pages:
NDIS worker screening – sole traders and self-managing participants
Sole traders
If you're a sole trader, you are an employer and an employee for the purpose of NDIS worker screening.
You can obtain advice about your role as an employer in relation to worker screening from the NDIS Commission website.
As an employee, you can apply for an NDISWC via this website.
Self-managing participants
If you're a self-managing NDIS participant, you may require the workers that provide you with supports and services to have an NDIS worker screening clearance.
This means you are able to act like an employer for the purpose of NDIS worker screening. You can verify applications for an NDIS Worker Check and check a worker’s screening status.
You can obtain advice about your role as an employer in relation to worker screening from the NDIS Commission website.
NDISWC
In NSW, NDIS worker screening is called the NDIS Worker Check (NDISWC). You can use your NDISWC in any state or territory.
NDISWC applications and their outcomes (clearance, exclusion, interim bar, and suspensions) are uploaded to the NDIS Worker Screening Database.
The NDISWC operates under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Worker Checks) Act 2018 (NSW). It is administered by a screening agency, established within the Office of the Children’s Guardian (NSW Government).
The NDISWC is separate to other checks such as working with children and vulnerable persons checks. Under the Commonwealth's NDIS registration requirements, there is no worker screening exemption if you already have another check.
This means if you're working with children with disability you may require both a Working With Children Check and an NDISWC.