NDIS Practice Standards
- The NDIS Practice Standards are modular. Providers are required to comply with the modules that are applicable to the NDIS supports and services they deliver.
- RAC providers will be required to comply with the Core Module of the NDIS Practice Standards which comprises 24 Practice Standards and 123 Quality Indicators.
- Supplementary modules may apply if providers are delivering complex, specialised supports that are funded through the NDIS as part of a participant’s NDIS plan (for example, complex health care supports or supports involved in implementing behaviour support plans involving restrictive practices).
- Each module consists of high-level, participant-focused outcomes for each NDIS Practice Standard. Each outcome has a number of quality indicators that auditors will use to assess a provider’s compliance with the NDIS Practice Standards.
Aged Care Quality Standards (ACQS)
The Aged Care Quality Standards comprise a set of 8 Standards, each having an overarching consumer outcome, organisation statement and a related set of requirements.
The NDIS Commission has compared the Aged Care Quality Standards against the NDIS Practice Standards to show how current ACQS requirements are similar, have some similarities or are different to the requirements of the NDIS Practice Standards. The results of this comparison appear in Table 1: Standards Comparison Tool.
Where requirements are the same, it is likely that existing evidence of compliance with Aged Care Quality Standards will work towards meeting NDIS compliance requirements. Even though the requirements may be the same, Auditors may require RAC providers to demonstrate evidence of these during the audit process.
Where requirements have some similarities, or are different, it is likely that additional evidence will be required as part of the NDIS audit process.
Broad commonalities between ACQS and NDIS Practice Standards
Around half of the requirements of the NDIS Practice Standards in the Core Module are the same as those of the Aged Care Quality Standards. There are a number of broad commonalities across both sets of Standards, which include the requirements for:
- Organisational systems covering: feedback and complaints, incidents management, compliance, risk, continuous improvement, governance, information management, human resource management
- Support provision processes, including assessment, planning, review of supports, and management of individual risks
- Support and respect for individual choice, independence, privacy, dignity, culture and diversity
- Infection control processes
- Safe environments.
Differences between ACQS and NDIS Practice Standards
- The NDIS Practice Standards (and associated Quality Indicators) are more specific than the Aged Care Quality Standards.
- Certain NDIS Practice Standards for Governance and Operational Management also require compliance with a specific set of Rules e.g. NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incident) Rules 2018 and NDIS (Complaints Management and Resolution) Rules 2018.
NDIS Core Module
The NDIS Practice Standards in the Core Module covers four areas: Rights of participants and responsibilities of providers; Governance and operational management; the Provision of supports and; the Support provision environment.
Rights and Responsibilities
The NDIS Practice Standards in this part of the Core Module include:
- Person centred supports
- Individual values and beliefs
- Privacy and Dignity
- Independence and informed choice
- Violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination
More than half of the Quality Indicators in this part of the NDIS Practice Standards are similar to ACQS requirements
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For Quality Indicators that have some similarities to ACQS requirements, RAC providers should review the evidence they have in place to demonstrate how: |
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Governance and Operational Management
The NDIS Practice Standards in this part of the Core Module include:
- Governance and Operational Management
- Risk management
- Quality management
- Information Management
- Feedback and Complaints Management
- Incident Management
- Human Resource Management
- Continuity of Supports
- Emergency and Disaster Management
Around a quarter of these requirements are the same as ACQS requirements. The majority of these requirements have some similarities, and a few are different to ACQS requirements.
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For Quality Indicators that have some similarities or are different to ACQS requirements, RAC providers should review the evidence they have in place to demonstrate how: |
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Provision of Supports
The NDIS Practice Standards in this part of the Core Module include:
- Access to supports
- Support Planning
- Service Agreements
- Responsive support provision
- Transitions to or from a provider
The majority of the NDIS Quality Indicators are similar to ACQS. This high level of alignment recognises the commonality in support provision requirements and processes.
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For Quality Indicators that have some similarities to ACQS requirements, RAC providers should review the evidence they have in place to demonstrate how: |
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Support Provision Environment
The NDIS Practice Standards in this part of the Core Module include:
- Safe environment
- Participant money and property
- Medication management
- Mealtime management
- Waste management
The majority of the NDIS Quality Indicators are similar to ACQS requirements. This high level of alignment recognises the commonality in requirements which promote safety.
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For Quality Indicators that have some similarities to ACQS requirements, RAC providers should review the evidence they have in place to demonstrate how: |
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NDIS Module 1: High Intensity Daily Personal Activities
RAC providers may wish to include Module 1 in their application and audit in order to be registered for registration group 104 High Intensity Daily Personal Activities and provide these supports where they are funded through the NDIS as part of a participant’s NDIS plan.
- Complex Bowel Care
- Enteral Feeding and Management
- Severe dysphagia management
- Tracheostomy management
- Urinary catheter management
- Ventilator Management
- Subcutaneous Injections
- Complex Wound Management
Within this module, the majority of the NDIS Quality Indicators are similar to current ACQS requirements. This high level of alignment recognises the commonality in clinical/complex health care requirements.
The partially met areas relate to specific requirements for:
- Severe dysphagia management.
- Subcutaneous injections.
NDIS Module 2a: Implementing Behaviour Support Plans
RAC providers may wish to include Module 2a in their audit in order to be approved for the implementation of regulated restrictive practice in the course of delivering support to an NDIS participant.
- Behaviour Support in the NDIS
- Regulated Restrictive Practices
- Supporting the Assessment and Development of Behaviour Support Plans
- Behaviour Support Plan Implementation
- Monitoring and Reporting the Use of Regulated Restrictive practices
- Behaviour Support Plan Review
- Reportable Incidents involving the use of a Restrictive Practice
- Interim Behaviour Support Plans.
Within this module, the majority of the NDIS Quality Indicators have some similarities to current ACQS requirements. There are no requirements which are the same as ACQS requirements, and some which are different. This is largely due to the complex and specific compliance requirements of Module 2a and the associated NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018.