Have you heard about a Service for One ?
This is a term used for a family member to become a registered NDIS provider for their loved one. Self managed or plan managed families may need to become a Service for One if they wish to directly employ their own staff and these staff are implementing restrictive practices. Families need to become registered due to NDIS legislation regarding restrictive practices. You will not need to become a registered provider if you wish to employ your own staff and there are no restrictive practices in place. You will not need to become a registered provider if you wish to employ your own staff and those staff are not implementing any restrictive practices. Family members can implement regulated restrictive practices and not be an implementing provider.
If there are no Restrictive practices in place and you wish to employ your own staff, please see our self management section. You can find more information about self management including engaging your own staff here:
Be a Boss | WA’s Individualised Services (waindividualisedservices.org.au)
Inclusion Australia has put together a resource to help families go through the process of becoming a registered NDIS provider, should they need to.
This resource can be found here: A Service for One – Inclusion Australia
The process to become a registered provider has many steps and will take many months. You will need to have policies in place. You will be audited. You need to use an approved Quality Auditor from the NDIS Commission list. You will need to comply with the NDIS Practice Standards. Your workers will need to have worker screening checks. You will need to comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct. There is an 18 month and a 3 yearly audit.
More information about the registration process here:
How do you register as an NDIS provider? – A Service for One (inclusionaustralia.org.au)
We are waiting to hear the outcome of the NDIS review with regard to proposed changes to the NDIS registration process.
If families do not wish to become a registered provider, there are some other options available. These are:
- Families can choose to use a registered provider/ providers and this provider will be known as the implementing provider and report on any restrictive practices. You will be charged NDIS price guide rates. You could get your workers to be employed by the implementing provider.
- Families can choose a shared management arrangement with a NDIS provider and still maintain the responsibilities of an employer. The provider will be the implementing provider and report on any restrictive practices as needed. Providers that offer shared management have a sliding scale of payment. This means that they will charge a percentage depending on the duties they will do. You will also have employer duties. You can still maintain your staff and you are still the employer. You will be able to negotiate rates of pay for your workers, but you will also need to budget for the provider percentage.
- If you have independent contractors, they may have to become implementing providers themselves, if they are implementing restrictive practices and working directly for you. They will need to go through the NDIS registration process.
Until the NDIS review outcome is known, we cannot be certain of other possibilities.
If you want more information about NDIS and restrictive practices, you can find this on the website:
fact-sheet-behaviour-support-under-ndis-commission-july-2020-final.pdf (ndiscommission.gov.au)
Regulated restrictive practices with children and young people with disability Practice Guide
rrp-children-and-young-people-disability_0.pdf (ndiscommission.gov.au)
If you want more information about the NDIS review, you can find this on the website:
Working together to deliver the NDIS | NDIS Review
For further information please contact us: ddwa@ddwa.org.au or (08) 9240-7203.
Written by DDWA’s Maggie Visser, Side by Side Manager
(information correct as of 15 May 2024)
