How to choose an NDIS provider: 7 questions to ask

Choosing a provider is one of the biggest decisions you'll make with your NDIS plan. The right team can make your funding go further and your week feel easier. The wrong one can mean a revolving door of workers and a plan budget you can't account for. Here are seven questions worth asking any provider, including us.

1. Are you registered with the NDIS Commission?

Registered providers are audited against the NDIS Practice Standards. Registration also matters for funding: if your plan is NDIA-managed, you can only use registered providers. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can use unregistered providers too, but registration is still a useful quality signal.

2. Who will be my main point of contact?

Ask whether you'll have one named person who knows your whole plan, or whether you'll deal with a different person for rostering, billing and each therapy. One contact means fewer phone calls and fewer things falling between the cracks.

3. How do you keep my workers consistent?

Consistency is often the support. Ask how many different workers you're likely to see, what happens when someone is sick, and whether you can meet workers before they start. A good answer includes a small core team and a named backup.

4. How will I know it's working?

Ask how progress is reported and how often. Look for reporting that's tied to the goals in your plan and written in language you and your family can read, not just an invoice.

5. What will it cost, and what's in the service agreement?

Providers should charge at or below the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Before signing, check the hourly rates and support item codes, how travel is charged, and the notice period for cancellations and for ending the agreement.

6. Can you support my language and culture?

Ask whether they have workers who speak your language and understand your culture, and whether they'll arrange an interpreter when they don't. In Australia, interpreters are available through TIS National.

7. What happens if I'm unhappy?

Every NDIS provider must have a complaints process. Ask how to raise a concern, how quickly they respond, and whether you can change workers without fuss. You can also contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544.

You're allowed to change providers. Choice and control is a core principle of the NDIS.

If you'd like to ask us any of these questions, call 1300 209 086. We're happy to answer every one of them in writing.