When choosing a provider for your NDIS plan, it's important to know the difference between registered and unregistered providers.
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they really mean different things.
Generally speaking, registered providers have gone through an audit process that ensures they meet strict government quality and safety standards. This can be a time-consuming and costly process for smaller organisations, so some choose not to go through it.
Quality assurance
A provider registered with the NDIS will be expected to meet certain standards of quality and safety when delivering services. These are set out in the NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators, which can be found on the NDIS Commission website.
When you use an NDIS registered provider, you know that they have met these standards and are up to date with their compliance requirements. This can make you feel more confident in their services and help to build trust.
NDIS registered providers provide a range of supports and services, including plan management and support coordination, community nursing, home help, car and house modifications and therapy. They also have access to supplementary training modules that will allow them to meet the registration requirements and ensure quality outcomes for participants.
To register with the NDIS, all providers undergo a quality audit against the NDIS Practice Standards. The audit will take into account the size and scope of your organisation, as well as your service delivery risk.
Risk management
Risk management is an important part of any business. It allows businesses to identify and mitigate risks in their environment, which helps them keep the business stable as they grow.
There are many types of risks that can affect businesses, from financial to safety. Managing these risks can help companies avoid financial repercussions, safety breaches, potential strategy issues, and more.
The process of risk management starts with source analysis. This is where the business determines what might cause problems or benefit competitors.
This can include external sources like natural disasters and major macroeconomic shifts, as well as internal risks such as a project failure or the loss of confidential information.
The process of risk analysis can be done manually, but it is better to use a risk management software solution. This will allow all stakeholders to send notifications about the risk and discuss solutions from within a single platform. This will save time and effort.
Compliance
NDIS registered providers are required to comply with a range of compliance and auditing requirements. This ensures that they are able to provide high quality and safe services to people with disability.
In addition to complying with the NDIS Practice Standards and Code of Conduct, ndis registered providers must also have effective and proportionate internal complaint management and resolution arrangements in place. These arrangements are required to afford procedural fairness to people when they make complaints.
During the registration process, ndis registered providers will be assessed against the NDIS Practice Standards core modules and any supplementary module relevant to the type of support they provide. This is called a certification audit, and is usually onsite.
The NDIS Commission has developed a number of policies to manage compliance and to respond to providers who are found to be non-compliant with their NDIS registration requirements. These policies set out a wide range of tools, methods and powers that the Commission can use to address non-compliance.
Privacy
If you are a registered ndis service provider, it is essential that you comply with your privacy obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct. Participants and their families need to be able to trust that their personal details are not being disclosed without consent.
ndis registered providers also have to adhere to a set of quality and safety requirements. These can help ensure you provide services that meet your participants’ needs and exceed their expectations.
While it is unlikely that your staff would purposefully share private information, it can be difficult to avoid accidentally divulging it – especially when dealing with people in vulnerable situations.
To address this, ShiftCare has compiled a set of tips for staying compliant with your NDIS provider privacy policy. These include clearly explaining to the people you’re supporting (and your workers) important details about the information you’re collecting, why, how it will be used and secured, and how they can make a complaint should they feel you have breached their privacy.
