NDIS basics for new small and medium-sized providers: what’s it all about?

For many small and medium-sized providers of supports and services to National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, the NDIS can be confusing – especially for new providers.

To understand the NDIS, you need to know a bit about the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act (2013) (the Act).

What is the NDIS trying to do?

Among other things, the objects of the Act are to:

• give effect to some of Australia’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
• provide ‘reasonable and necessary supports’, including early intervention supports, for participants;
• enable participants to exercise choice and control in the pursuit of their goals and the planning and delivery of their supports;
• promote the provision of high quality and innovative supports to enable participants to maximise independent lifestyles and full inclusion in the community; and
• protect participants from experiencing harm arising from poor quality and unsafe supports or services provided under the scheme.

How does it work?

The Act’s objects are achieved through:

• the NDIS, which follows an insurance-based approach, informed by actuarial analysis, to the funding of supports for participants;
• the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which delivers the scheme;
• a national framework that regulates:
  • registered NDIS providers and their services and supports; and
  • services and supports provided to participants by unregistered providers; and
• the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and the Office of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner, which oversee:
  • the quality of safety of services and supports provided to participants;
  • NDIS providers;
  • allegations of misuse and fraud; and
  • the NDIS worker screening database.

Source: sections 3, 4, and 8 of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.

This infographic also appears in a recent issue of Banter Booster, our weekly round up of the best speech pathology ideas and practice tips for busy speech pathologists, speech pathology students, teachers and other interested readers.

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