Worker screening for registered providers

As part of your provider registration process, you will need to make sure people in specific roles in your organisation have a NDIS worker screening clearance. This page describes the steps to follow to meet the worker screening requirements for registered providers.

1. Identify which roles need a NDIS screening clearance

To meet the requirements of your provider registration, people in these roles need a NDIS screening clearance:

• people who are in risk-assessed roles, including:
  • staff members
  • volunteers
  • students doing work experience or placement
• key personnel, for example CEOs and board members.

Registered NDIS providers are responsible for identifying which roles are risk-assessed roles and keeping a record of your risk-assessed roles.

Self-employed registered providers are both key personnel and working in risk-assessed roles. They need to have a NDIS screening clearance.

Exceptions

There are exceptions to these rules for:

• secondary school students doing formal work experience in a risk-assessed role
• people in a risk-assessed role waiting for the outcome of their worker screening application
• higher education students on placement working in a risk-assessed role
• contractors who are in risk-assessed roles.

Example 1: Clearance required

Lee works for a registered NDIS provider that delivers mobility equipment to the homes of people with disability. As a standard part of that role, he provides training and instructions to the customer about how to use the equipment safely and makes adjustments to the equipment to make it suitable for the customer. Lee needs to have a NDIS worker screening clearance. This is because: 

• the nature of Lee’s contact with people with disability it’s likely to involve a level of openness and trust, such as testing the person’s needs and preferences, and talking about and responding to the nature of their disability
• it’s likely Lee will build a rapport with his customers. 

Example 2: Clearance not required

Sue is an accountant who works in the back office of a registered NDIS provider that supplies custom prosthetics to people with disability. Sue often has incidental contact with people with disability while she is moving through public areas of the business, such as when she walks through the lobby, at which time Sue nods and says hello to the customers. Sue does not need a NDIS worker screening clearance (or an acceptable check under the transitional and special arrangements) because: 

• her role does not involve the direct delivery of custom prosthetics
• she is not required to have more than incidental contact with people with disability
• her role does not require her to have more than polite, functional contact with people with disability, or to get to know them in any way. 

2. Check if workers already have a clearance 

The NDIS worker screening database holds the information about NDIS worker clearances for all states and territories.

Registered providers can access the NDIS worker screening database through the NDIS Commission registered providers portal. You can: 

• check the clearance status of workers operating in risk-assessed roles – note that you can only check people that are currently linked as employees of your organisation
• record the details of the workers that have a current screening clearance. 

Registered providers portal

Instructions for accessing the NDIS Commission registered providers portal:

• Getting access to NDIS Commission portal
• How to log into the NDIS worker screening database, manage access for staff and set email preferences
• If you've applied to become a registered NDIS provider but your access hasn’t been processed yet, you can request interim access to the database. Email us at nwsd@ndiscommission.gov.au with your ABN and application reference number.

Instructions for checking a workers clearance status:

• Find a worker and check their clearance status
• If a worker is not linked to your organisation in the registered providers portal, you need to link them as an employee and then check their clearance status.
  Link a worker

3. Guide workers to apply for a NDIS screening check

If you have identified workers who need a NDIS screening clearance but don’t have one, they will need to apply with their state or territory worker screening unit.

Workers need to declare where they will work as part of their NDIS worker screening application. They can:

• use the search in the application form (when available in their state or territory)
  OR
• you give them your Employer ID number to add to their application.

Find your employer ID number

To find your employer ID number to give to a worker:

1. Log in to the NDIS Commission registered provider portal.
2. On the portal entry point screen:

• select your provider name from the drop down list
• select ‘Registrant’ from the role drop down list.

3. In the portal select the ‘My Registration’ tile.
4. Towards the top of the left side menu, you will see the ‘Registration ID’. This number is the employer ID. 

Generate employer ID document 

Verify the worker 

When the worker has submitted their application and listed your employer ID number, you need to verify that you intend to have them working within your organisation. This is also done in the NDIS Commission registered provider portal.

NDIS worker screening check verification request

4. Keep records of worker screening information

Registered providers have certain responsibilities for keeping records about risk-assessed roles and the people in those roles.

Records of risk-assessed roles

Registered NDIS providers must keep a written record of the risk-assessed roles within your organisation. The record must include: 

• the title for the role
• the paragraph or paragraphs of the definition of risk-assessed role as outlined in the Worker Screening Rules
• a description of the role
• the date the role was assessed as being a risk-assessed role
• the name and title of the person who made the assessment. 

 Update the written record of roles within 20 business days when: 

• identifying a new risk-assessed role, or
• reclassifying an existing role as a risk-assessed role.  

Records of workers engaged in risk-assessed roles

Registered NDIS providers must keep an up-to-date written record of each worker engaged in a risk-assessed role. Some of the details in this written record are the same as the information about workers in the registered providers portal, but they also need to be recorded in an appropriate format that:

• still exists after a worker is unlinked in the portal
• is kept for 7 years
• is organised, accessible and legible.

Details to record for all workers

Your written record needs to include the following details:

• full name
• date of birth
• address
• the risk-assessed role or roles they do
• records relating to any interim bar, suspension, exclusion
• any action taken by the provider that relates to the worker
• allegations of misconduct against the worker and action taken by the registered NDIS provider in response.

Depending on the worker, you will also need to record these extra details:

Extra details for workers with a screening clearance

Also record these details:

• NDIS worker screening check application reference number
• NDIS worker screening check number
• NDIS worker screening clearance expiry date
• if their clearance is subject to any interim bar, suspension or revocation, or any other decision.

Extra details for worker with an exception to work without a screening clearance

Also record these details:

• The reason why they are working in a risk-assessed role without a screening clearance (see exceptions for workers without a screening clearance).
• Start and end date of the period they are working without a screening clearance.
• The name of the person who supervises the worker during this period (if required).
• A risk management plan if they’re working while waiting for the outcome of their worker screening application.

Extra details for contractor working in a risk-assessed role

Also record these details:

• The administration of the contract as outlined in the Worker Screening Rules.
• The reasonable steps you’ve taken to check that the worker has a clearance.
• Allegations of any misconduct against a contracted worker.

5. Update your worker screening information

You need to make sure the information the NDIS Commission has about your worker screening is kept up-to-date and accurate.

Update your linked workers in the registered providers portal

When workers start or finish working at your organisation, you will link them to your account as an employee or unlink them. 

• Link a worker
• Unlink a worker

You also need to make sure any changes to workers in risk-assessed roles are included in your record of workers engaged in risk-assessed roles.   

Update your key personnel information

When you apply for registration or renew your registration you will provide the details of your key personnel. If any of these details change during your period of registration you will notify us of changes or events. This includes:

• a significant change in your organisation or governance arrangements
• an event that changes the suitability of any key personnel. 

Worker screening exceptions: workers without a screening clearance

In certain circumstances, a registered NDIS provider may engage a worker in a risk-assessed role when they don’t have a NDIS worker screening clearance.  

Secondary school students doing formal work experience 

A registered NDIS provider may engage a secondary school student who doesn’t have a NDIS screening clearance in a risk-assessed role under a formal work experience placement. The registered provider must: 

• make sure the work experience student is directly supervised by another worker who has a NDIS worker screening clearance
• appropriately record the details of the work experience student and placement.

Example: Supervision by someone with a NDIS screening clearance
Cassie is a high school student who wants to be a physiotherapist. She is doing work experience at a physiotherapy clinic that works with NDIS participants and the clinic is run by a registered NDIS provider. Cassie is being supervised by Isaac, who has an NDIS worker screening clearance. 

Isaac calls in sick one day and no one else with a NDIS worker screening clearance is available to supervise Cassie. 

Cassie is allocated to other duties at the clinic that do not involve more than incidental contact with people with disability until a supervisor with an NDIS worker screening clearance becomes available, or Isaac returns to work. 

People in a risk-assessed role waiting for the outcome of their worker screening application

Some states or territories allow a NDIS worker to begin working in a risk-assessed role after they’ve applied for a worker screening check, but before they receive their clearance. This is sometimes known as ‘working on application’.

 As a registered NDIS provider, you need to: 

• check the requirements in the states or territories you operate in
• if it’s allowed in your location, develop and maintain a satisfactory written risk management plan that describes how you’ll protect people with disability who come into contact with workers who are waiting for their screening clearance
• make sure the worker is always supervised by someone with a NDIS screening clearance
• record their details as a worker without a worker screening clearance.

Worker screening exceptions: clearances administered by another organisation

Higher education students on placement in risk-assessed roles

Students at tertiary or higher education institutions such as a university or TAFE can do placements at registered providers and work in risk-assessed roles. 
These students need a screening check but are viewed as employees of their higher education institution. The university or TAFE completes the employer parts of the worker screening application, verification, and record keeping.

Contractors who are in risk-assessed roles

The Worker Screening Rules place extra requirements on registered NDIS providers that engage contractors. 

 Registered NDIS providers need to make sure they: 

• identify the risk-assessed roles that contracted workers will be working in and communicate this to the contractor
• enter into an appropriate contract with the contractor as outlined in the Worker Screening Rules
• take reasonable steps to check that the worker has a clearance. 

 Registered NDIS providers must keep records of: 

• the administration of the contract as outlined in the Worker Screening Rules
• the reasonable steps taken to check that the worker has a clearance
• allegations of any misconduct against a contracted worker. 

Deregistered providers

When a provider is deregistered – either by letting their registration lapse or having their registration revoked – they can revert to being an unregistered provider. As an unregistered provider, they may still do worker screening processes by providing their employer ID number to a worker, verifying an application and linking or unlinking workers.

Unregistered providers who were previously registered will continue to use the registered provider portal for the purpose of worker screening