The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) gives people with a disability, their families and carers more choice and control over the support they receive.

The NDIS is for anyone who is under 65 and has a permanent disability that affects their ability to take part in everyday activities. This includes physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory and neurological disabilities, chronic health conditions and the effects of acquired brain injury.

Support is tailored to your needs and goals depending on your situation. The scheme can help with everything from travel costs and household tasks to assistive technology, therapy and social support.

We will give you some tips to pick the right NDIS provider.

Choosing the right NDIS provider

Do your research work

Start by doing your research. As part of considering whether your business model is viable, you need to consider who will be buying your products or services and how you will reach them. This is called market research.

Market research will help you learn about the needs and preferences of people who use or would use your products and services. It can also help you understand more about the sector, including what other providers are offering and what gaps exist in the market that your business could fill.

You could ask questions like:

Who are my current customers? Who are my potential customers? What other businesses do I compete with? Where does my business fit into the market? What are my competitors doing well – or not so well? How could I improve on what they do?

Ask about staff training

A good provider will make sure their staff get regular training to provide high quality support and services.

They should also have policies and procedures in place that outline how they manage complaints, deal with conflicts of interest, manage privacy and confidentiality, and use behavior support plans. There needs to be NDIS code of conduct for workers.

Make sure they’re registered

All NDIS providers need to be registered with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). You can check online if someone is an NDIS provider, or phone 1800 800 110.

Find out what services you need

If you’re not sure what kind of help you need, ask yourself: What kind of support do I want or need? Do I want someone who can help me get dressed? Clean my house? Cook meals? Help me with gardening?

Ask for recommendations from friends or family members

Do you know anyone that uses NDIS services? Ask them which service provider they use and whether they would recommend them. If someone recommends a provider, ask why. This can help shape your expectations and give you an idea of what to expect from similar providers.

When hiring an NDIS provider, keep in mind that they’ll be seeing your loved one frequently and will become a trusted part of their support network. So make sure that you do some research on potential candidates, especially with respect to the approach that they use for working with clients, whether or not they have been accredited by the Australian Disability Enterprise Network, and if they are up-to-date with training on new technology for disabled clients. This will help you feel more confident in the choice that you make.