Before you become a registered provider, you need to be assessed against the relevant NDIS Practice Standards. This is done through an independent audit conducted by an approved quality auditor.
The type of audit you need depends on the NDIS supports and services you provide. Your organisation will undergo either a ‘verification’ or ‘certification’ quality audit.
Verification audit
When do you need a verification audit?
This applies to NDIS providers who only deliver lower risk or lower complexity supports and services.
Many providers that need a verification audit have already met requirements of professional regulation. For example, they are certified through Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or other professional bodies.
Professional regulation means a practitioner already meets set standards and their competency to practice is being monitored, for example through continuing professional development.
You need a verification audit for these NDIS supports and services:
- Accommodation/tenancy assistance
- Assistive products for personal care and safety
- Personal mobility equipment
- Assistance with travel/transport arrangements
- Vehicle and home modifications
- Assistive equipment for recreation
- Vision equipment
- Community nursing care
- Innovative community participation
- Specialised hearing services
- Household tasks and assistive products in household tasks
- Interpreting and translation
- Hearing equipment
- Communication and information equipment
- Exercise physiology and personal training
- Management of funding for supports in participant plans
- Therapeutic supports
- Specialised driver training
- Assistance animals.
How it works
You need to engage an approved quality auditor to complete a desktop review of the required documentary evidence. See a list of required documents for each profession on page 11 of 'Verification module required documentation'.
Certification audit
When do you need a certification audit?
This applies to NDIS providers who deliver one or more higher risk or more complex NDIS supports and services.
You need a certification audit for these NDIS supports and services:
- Assistance to access and maintain employment or higher education
- High intensity daily personal activities (see the descriptors)
- Assistance in coordinating or managing life stages, transitions and supports
- Assistance with daily personal activities
- Specialist positive behaviour support
- Assistance with daily life tasks in a group or shared living arrangement
- Development of daily care and life skills
- Early intervention supports for early childhood
- Participation in community, social and civic activities
- Specialist disability accommodation only
- Specialist disability accommodation and one or more other registration classes/groups.
How it works
Find out which modules you need to complete as part of your certification audit: Registration Requirements by Supports and Services.
There are two stages in a certification audit:
Stage 1: Desktop audit
The auditor will ask for information and evidence. This usually takes place off-site.
Stage 2: Onsite audit
The auditor will look at how you’re implementing your policies and procedures. This might include:
- viewing records
- interviews with staff and participants (you’ll need to let participants know they are automatically enrolled in the audit unless they ‘opt out’), and
- observations.
Mid-term audit
Registered providers who have completed a certification audit and are registered to provide higher risk and more complex supports are required to do a mid-term audit. The process must start no later than 18 months after the date they were registered.
The audit includes an assessment of:
- the NDIS Practice Standards relating to provider governance and operational management
- any other standard that was previously assessed as requiring a corrective action plan, and
- any additional NDIS Practice Standards the NDIS Commission requires.
Mid-term audits do not apply to:
- an individual or partnership that only required a certification audit to provide early intervention supports for early childhood
- a provider that is only registered to provide specialist disability accommodation, or
- a transitioned provider.
Out of cycle audit
The NDIS Commission can require any registered provider to get audited. We can also specify the timing of an audit. See Conditions of registration.
Registered providers can also organise an audit at any time to support an application to change their registration. For example, to add registration groups or expand service delivery.