We are excited to see the NDIS Practice Standards, a key piece of the Quality and Safeguarding Framework, have finally been released. Yep, some of us at DSC are quality nerds!
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Rules 2018 outline the registration requirements for providers under the NDIS. They also cover the new NDIS Practice Standards and the Quality Indicators that must be met in order to provide services.
There is a huge amount of detail in these Rules released by Commissioner Designate of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Mr Graeme Head and the Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Dan Tehan on Friday. In this article, we've broken it down to help you understand the key pieces of information in this massive announcement.
What are the New Practice Standards and Quality Indicators?
The NDIS Practice Standards aim to prevent abuse and conflict of interest as well as ensure quality outcomes for people with disability. The Quality Indicators are the way in which providers will be measured against these Standards.
The standards and indicators are underpinned by a rights based approach, choice and control and person centred practice. Yay! They also emphasise strong governance and risk management.
Organisations delivering support will need to develop these processes and systems, and for higher risk services, staff will be interviewed to ensure they are imbedded in the organisation. The good news for most existing providers is that many will already be familiar with a lot of the quality indicators as they already have to meet similar existing State based quality standards.
The big difference comes in the form of the specialist modules, which will impact those providers registered or wishing to register to provide these particular service types. The indicators provide very clear requirements about how providers can meet the requirements of these standards.
There are 4 core standards based on the National Disability Standards and they cover Rights and Responsibilities, Governance and Operational Management, Provision of Support and Support Provision Environment. Additionally, there are 5 Registration areas that have their own Modules to comply with, as outlined in the table below.
Part 9 also details the Qualitative Indicators that organisations must meet to be verified, covering the areas of Human Resource Management, Incident Management, Complaints Management and Risk Management.
Verification vs Certification
Editor’s note: a lot has changed in the Quality and Safeguarding space since this article was written. Bodies corporate now require certification regardless of registration group.
Under the new Q&SF, there will be two pathways to registration: Verification and Certification. Each registration group has now been nominated as to which pathway prospective providers will follow.
Verification requires a desktop audit by an Independent Quality Auditor against the Verification Requirements .
Certification requires a desktop audit plus additional requirements such as site visits, interviews with participants and workers by an Independent Quality Auditor.
Code |
Registration Group |
Verification or Certification |
Core Module Quality indicators 1 to 4 |
Modules |
101 |
Accommodation / Tenancy Assistance |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
102 |
Assist to access/Maintain employ/Ed (Assist Access/Maintain Employ) |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
|
103 |
Assistive products for personal care and safety |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
104 |
High Intensity Daily Personal Activities (Assist Integrate School/Ed) |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
Module 1 |
105 |
Personal Mobility Equipment |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
106 |
Assistance in coordinating or managing life stages, transitions and supports (Assist- Life Stage, Transition) |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
|
107 |
Daily Personal Activities (Assist Personal Activities) |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
|
108 |
Assistance with travel/transport arrangements |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
109 |
Vehicle Modifications |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
110 |
Behaviour Support |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
Module 2 and Module 2A |
111 |
Home modification design and construction |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
112 |
Assistive equipment for recreation |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
113 |
Vision Equipment |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
114 |
Community Nursing Care |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
115 |
Assistance with daily life tasks in a group or shared living arrangement [Daily Tasks/Shared Living] |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
|
116 |
Innovative Community Participation |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
117 |
Development of daily living and life skills |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
|
118 |
Early Intervention supports for early childhood |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
Module 3 |
119 |
Specialised Hearing Services (Equipment Special Assess Setup) |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
120 |
Household tasks |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
121 |
Interpreting and translation |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
122 |
Hearing Equipment |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
123 |
Assistive products for household tasks |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
124 |
Communication and information equipment |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
125 |
Participation in community, social and civic activities |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
|
126 |
Exercise Physiology and Physical Wellbeing activities (Physical Wellbeing) |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
127 |
Plan Management |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
128 |
Therapeutic Supports |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
129 |
Specialised Driver Training |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
130 |
Assistance Animals (Other Innovative Supports) |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
131 |
Specialised Disability Accommodation |
Certification |
|
Module 5 |
131* |
SDA and one or more other classes of support |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
Module 5 |
132 |
Support Coordination (Specialist) |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
Module 4 |
133 |
Specialised Supported Employment |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
|
134 |
Hearing Services |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
135 |
Customised Prosthetics |
Verification |
|
Part 9 |
136 |
Group and Centre Based Activities |
Certification |
Core Standards 1 to 4 |
|
What must you be registered for?
You must be registered to provide services under NDIS if :
You are providing services to Agency managed participants.
You are providing services to a person subject to interim or ongoing regulated restrictive interventions
You are providing specialist behavioural support
It is then decided whether you need to be Certified or Verified, and additional requirements are attached to this. Note: Regardless of registration group, you must be certified if you are a body corporate (a company incorporated under ASIC).
The rules also outline the suitability requirements of the provider plus key personnel and the types of checks that the Quality and Safety Commission will undertake to ensure suitable service providers.
Of interest is the fact that registered providers will need to notify the Commission within 28 days of a change of circumstances that materially affects the provider’s ability, or the ability of any of the provider’s key personnel, to provide the supports or services the provider is registered to provide.
Existing Providers transitioning: NSW and SA only
Existing Registered Providers will transition to new Quality and Safeguarding Framework from 1 July 2018. Unless notified in writing by the Commissioner, you will not need to change your registration requirements until your registration is due for renewal.
What's changing?
Despite the huge amount of detail in this announcement, there are still some unknowns about how the National Quality & Safeguarding Framework will look in practice. The table below summarises the key changes we have had confirmed to date:
Functions of the Commission |
What is Changing? |
Investigations, Compliance and Legal Advice |
The Commissioner will monitor and investigate compliance and can implement bans and penalties |
Policy, Strategy and Education |
A new Code of Conduct, Orientation Module and Worker Screening will begin |
Registration and Market Monitoring |
Two pathways to Registration: Verification and Certification against the New NDIS Practice Standards |
Complaints and Reportable Incidents |
New online systems for recording and monitoring complaints and reportable incidents |
Behavioural Support and Restrictive Interventions |
A new system for recording and monitoring Behavioural Support interventions |