The NDIS Practice Standards are the benchmark registered providers are measured against at a certification audit. They describe the outcomes you must achieve for participants and how you run your service. Here is how they are structured and what they mean for you.
What are the NDIS Practice Standards?
The Practice Standards, paired with Quality Indicators, set the quality and safety outcomes registered NDIS providers must meet. Auditors use them as the yardstick for a certification audit, looking for evidence that you meet each relevant standard in policy and in practice.
The core module
The core module applies to most providers and covers four areas: rights and responsibilities, governance and operational management, the provision of supports, and the support provision environment. It is the foundation every certified provider is assessed against.
Supplementary modules
Higher-risk supports add supplementary modules, for example high intensity daily personal activities, specialist behaviour support, implementing behaviour support plans, early childhood supports, specialised support coordination and specialist disability accommodation. The modules that apply depend on your registration groups.
How to meet them
Map each standard to a policy, a record and a practice. Where there is a standard, there should be a document that addresses it and evidence you follow it. A self-audit against each standard is the fastest way to find gaps.
Frequently asked questions
What are the NDIS Practice Standards?
They are the quality and safety standards, with Quality Indicators, that registered NDIS providers are assessed against at a certification audit.
What modules are in the NDIS Practice Standards?
A core module for all providers, plus supplementary modules for higher-risk supports such as high intensity personal activities, specialist behaviour support, early childhood and specialist disability accommodation.
How do I prove I meet the Practice Standards?
Map each standard to a policy, a record and real practice, then self-audit. Auditors want both the documents and evidence that your team follows them.
Related NDIS guides
General information for Australian NDIS providers, not legal advice. Always check the current NDIS Practice Standards and NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission requirements for your situation.