Sole Traders & Unregistered Providers

You acknowledge and accept ultimate responsibility as an NDIS provider, which includes but is not limited to:

• Fully engage & demonstrate actions needed to start and operate your own disability service.
• Fully engage and demonstrate actions needed to prepare, update, understand, explain, comply with, change, submit, and review all relevant legislation, practice standards, and guidelines, including your services applications, policies, procedures, forms, registered plans, toolbox talks, etc. 
• Fully engage and demonstrate the actions needed to accurately reflect how you will deliver services and support as per your policies and procedures to all relevant key stakeholders. This also includes supplying true and accurate information and/or feedback regarding, but not limited to, your service, key personnel, documentation, templates, provider obligations, and so on.   
• Keep up to date with all provider compliance obligations.
• Modify templates to reflect accurately but not limited to submitting applications, delivering services, support, daily operations, service & business management. 
• Do not provide false or misleading information (verbal or written) to key stakeholders.
• Fully engage & demonstrate actions needed to implement and review compliance, provider obligations, legislation, changes, events, and all government or non-government activities.  
• Make final decisions of and/or to
• Understand what you have submitted and can explain the content if required.
• Ensure your applications are specific to your organisation and are not a direct copy of purchased documents.
• Ensure your application/s and supporting documents accurately indicate how your organisation complies with NDIS provider responsibilities.
• Provide all key stakeholders with true and accurate information.
• Ensure that the policies you provide must accurately reflect how your organisation will deliver NDIS supports.

If you want to start or expand your service to offer low-complex support such as In-home or Community Support, Group or Hub, Respite, etc., then being a Sole Trader or Unregistered Provider is for you. What also works in your favour is that nationally, 30% of participants are self-managed, and 58% are plan-managed, meaning the decision to start as aSole Trader or Unregistered Provider is optimal.

No. There is no magical list of clients; you will not get referrals from NDIS, NDIS Planners, or LACs. Your traditional and non-traditional forms of marketing and advertising will be the key to attracting clients.

As an individual or business, you will be required to register for an Australian Business Number (ABN) or Australian Company Number (ACN) for Australian Taxation Office (ATO) purposes. However, under the NDIS legislation, an individual or business can operate as an Unregistered or Registered NDIS Provider. 

An Unregistered Provider is an individual or business (with an ABN/ACN) that provides services, support, or products to an NDIS participant. Unregistered providers must follow the NDIS and NDIS Commission legislation, standards, price guide, and guidelines but are not fully registered with the NDIS Commission by an external NDIS Commission-approved auditor.

Yes. A Sole Trader or Unregistered Provider are the same and can offer the same services, support, or product.

NDIS participants who are self-managed, plan-managed, or a combination of these - This means the participants' NDIS Plan is managed by themselves or a paid NDIS registered company. Sole traders or Unregistered providers can NOT provide services, support, or products to agency-managed participants.

Your client will tell you how their plan is managed and by whom, OR this information is written on their NDIS Plan. To claim the money, if the participant is self-managed, you will send the invoice directly to the NDIS participant or their guardian. If the participant is plan-managed, you will need to contact the participant's chosen Plan Manager so they can set up a provider portal or receive further instructions. The plan manager will pay you directly.

As a Sole Trader or Unregistered Provider, you will invoice (as instructions above) to claim and pay yourself the total amount under the Ndis Price Guide OR pay yourself the pay rates under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS).

All unregistered or registered providers deliver services, support or products under a category code number and name. As an unregistered provider, you can offer the following services, support or products.     

• Provider travel - non-labour costs
• Activity Based Transport
• Centre Capital Cost
• Establishment Fee for Personal Care/Participation

CORE SUPPORTS

Assistance with Daily Life.

Daily Personal Activities.

• Assistance with Self Care Activities. 
• Assistance with Self Care Activities – Night-Time Sleepover Support 
• Assistance from Live-in Carer 
• Assistance with Personal Domestic Activities. 
• On-Call Overnight Monitoring. 
   

High Intensity Daily Personal Activities.

• Assistance with Self Care Activities. 
• Specialised Home-Based Assistance for a Child. 
   

Assistance with Household Tasks.

• Home & Yard Maintenance
• Linen Service. 
• Preparation and Delivery of Meals. 

Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in a Group or Shared Living Arrangement

• Assistance in Shared Living Arrangements – Supported Independent Living. 
• Short Term Accommodation and Assistance (including the provision of respite care) 
• Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) 
• Residential Aged Care. 
• Onsite Shared Supports in SDA. 
• Other living arrangements. 
   

Individualised Living Options.

• Exploration and Design. 
• Support Model 

Capacity Building and Training in Self-Management and Plan Management

Disability Related Health Supports.

• Nursing Supports. 
• Therapy Supports and Early Childhood Supports. 
   

Transport

• General Transport 
• Specialised Transport 
   

Consumables.

Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation.

Assistance to Access Community, Social and Recreational Activities.

• Participation in Community, Social and Civic Activities. 
• Participation in Community, Social and Civic Activities – High Intensity Supports. 
• Community, Social and Recreational Activities. 
   

Group and Centre Based Activities.

• Group and Centre Based Activities – Standard. 
• Group and Centre Based Activities – High Intensity. 
• Supports in Employment

Specialised Supported Employment 
 

CAPITAL SUPPORTS

• Assistive Technology.
• Home Modifications. 
   

CAPACITY BUILDING

Support Coordination. 

• Psychosocial Recovery Coaches. 
   

Improved Living Arrangements.

• Assistance with Accommodation and Tenancy Obligations. 
   

Increased Social and Community Participation.

• Assistance in Coordinating or Managing Life Stages, Transitions and Supports. 
• Development of Daily Living and Life Skills. 
• Innovative Community Participation. 
• Community Participation Activities. 
   

Finding and Keeping a Job.

• Employment Related Assessment, Counselling and Advice. 
• Employment Assistance including youth aged 15 to 25.
   

Improved Relationships.

• Individual Social Skills Development 
   

Improved Health and Wellbeing.

• Physical Wellbeing Activities. 
• Dietetics. 

Improved Learning.

• Transition through School and to Further Education. 
   

Improved Daily Living.

• Early Childhood Supports (EC) – younger than 7. 
• Therapy Supports (7 or older) 
• Community Engagement Assistance. 
• Hearing Supports. 
• Multidisciplinary Team Supports. 
• Delivery of Disability Related Health Supports by a Nurse. 
• Specialised Driver Training Support 
• Other Supports. 
• Low Cost AT to support Capacity Building support delivery. 
• Assistive Technology Mentors (AT Mentors) 

As an Unregistered Provider, you are NOT able to provide the following supports or services:

• 0131 Specialised Disability Accommodation
• 0110 Specialist Positive Behaviour Support
• supports or services during which there is or is likely to be a need to use a regulated restrictive practice.
• Specialist behaviour supports that involve undertaking a behaviour support assessment of the participant or developing a behaviour support plan for the participant.

Yes. Unregistered Providers are required to adhere to the NDIS Commission legislation, particularly the implementation and review of the following systems in your business:

• Complaints and Incident Systems
• Mandatory Worker Screening 
• NDIS Worker Modules Completion

Yes. Unregistered Providers are required to adhere to the NDIS Code of Conduct. The NDIS Commission Enforcement and Compliance Policy still apply to Unregistered Providers, and anyone can make a complaint to the Commission about a provider or worker regardless of registration status.

Yes. Unregistered Providers must adhere to the current NDIS Price Guide rates. Unregistered Providers can charge under the price guide rate but and never over. 

To become an NDIS Unregistered Provider, the provider needs to consult with the appropriate authorities, such as the Australian Taxation Office, Insurance Provider, etc. Your business set-up costs will depend on your business and operational preferences, such as paper-based systems or software for accounting, client management, and rostering. There are also costs associated with gaining your policies, procedures., forms, etc.

Unregistered providers do not charge an NDIS participant GST where the funding comes from the NDIS. If the participant is paying for the services themselves, then yes, you must charge GST. At tax time, as a business, you can register for GST to claim items such as fuel, running costs, etc. 

A service fee is when a client pays you as an Unregistered Provider with their own money and NOT from NDIS funds. Unregistered Providers set their own fees for service prices and can provide both. One service agreement will detail both services, supports, and products. 

Sole Traders or Unregistered Providers are not allowed to entice or solicit away or endeavour to entice or solicit away former clients, employees & suppliers with whom you had dealings during the last 12 months of the current or previous employment. Please review your current or previous employment contract before becoming a Sole Trader or Unregistered Provider.

Yes. As an Unregistered Provider, you can employ or subcontract as many people as you wish, as your systems and processes are relevant and proportional to the size and scale of your work as a provider.

As an Unregistered Provider, you can provide services, support, or products to as many people as you wish as long as your systems and processes are relevant and proportional to the size and scale of your work as a provider.

Under the Ndis Commission, Ndis Act 2013, Privacy Act 1988, Competition and Consumer Act 2010, ASIC, ATO, etc., you must complete mandatory obligations as an Unregistered Provider. These obligations are self-paced, and once completed, you can start advertising, marketing, and working as an Unregistered Provider. We call these Quality Practices Areas – You are not bound & regulated by acts, legislation, operational guidelines & standards; however, it is highly recommended for best practice dependant on the type of services you wish to provide such as Handling Client’s Money, Medication Administration etc.

Yes definitely. As industry leaders in NDIS navigation, we empower the future leaders with the ability to know. With practical, time-efficient & affordable advice, coaching, mentoring, information, support, resources, training, and tools, our Ndis Consultants & Best Practice Coaches will support and guide you through complete business start-up and into service delivery. We can help you with: 

• ABN/ACN 
• 450 + Policies, Procedures, Forms, Registers & Plans Templates or Development 
• Logo, Mission, Vision, Values development, or refinement
• Business, Risk and Marketing Plan development, or refinement
• IT, Website & Program development, or refinement
• Business & Strategic Planning development, or refinement
• Industry Knowledge Development, including reading NDIS plans & the NDIS price guide.
• Procedure or Processes Optimisation
• Business, Service & Operational Management
• Legislation & Compliance Management
• HR Management 
• WHS & Risk Management
• Clinical Governance Management
• Incident & Complaints Management
• Expansion & Growth Development 
• Marketing, Advertising & Networking, including training for attracting clients. 
• AND MORE

We are here to help, inspire, prepare, challenge, and safeguard you to start your own service. With 100% flexibility and different options for appointments, training sessions, individual purchases, no lock-in monthly or yearly subscriptions, free resources & NDIS price guide navigator and more, we have given you the choice of how we can help you with support, systems, and solutions.

Option 1

SEE BELOW - Purchase the Starter Kit + Add On’s. Work through the self-paced guides, information, and comprehensive checklists available to you within the starter kit. Download and fully customise your own templates that will allow you to start working as an Sole Trader or Unregistered Provider and onboard clients immediately with ease and compliance. If needed, get extra support from our Ndis Consultants & Best Practice Coaches if needed by booking an appointment. https://disabilitycompliance.com.au/book.

Option 2 

Book a Ndis Consultant & Best Practice Coach appointment. https://disabilitycompliance.com.au/book.

Option 3 

Get a DCA Membership and be fully supported throughout the complete process. https://disabilitycompliance.com.au/pricing

Yes definitely. Our Ndis Consultants & Best Practice Coaches can support and guide you through:

• Procedure or Processes Compliance, optimisation or refinement
• Template or Documentation Compliance, optimisation or refinement. Please note that we are more than happy to work with your own or others documentation or template suite. 
• Business, Risk and Marketing Plan development, or refinement
• IT, Website & Program development, or refinement
• Business & Strategic Planning development, or refinement
• Industry Knowledge Development, including reading NDIS plans & the NDIS price guide.
• Procedure or Processes Optimisation
• Business, Service & Operational Management
• Legislation & Compliance Management
• HR Management 
• WHS & Risk Management
• Clinical Governance Management
• Incident & Complaints Management
• Expansion & Growth Development 
• Marketing, Advertising & Networking, including training for attracting clients. 
• AND MORE