About this resource
How your organisation creates, stores, keeps and destroys records, including the 7-year rules. It is an editable template with a purpose, commitments, who does what, step-by-step procedures, the records that prove it happens, and the standards it relates to.
Purpose
To make sure records are accurate, secure, easy to find and kept for as long as the law requires.
Who it is for
Primary profession: NDIS providers and support coordinators.
Client or participant group: Registered NDIS providers: directors, quality and compliance staff, house and team leaders.
Practice setting: Registered NDIS providers, including supported independent living homes.
Suggested uses
- Building your policy manual before a certification or verification audit
- Replacing a policy that is out of date
- Worker induction and refresher training
- Yearly policy review with management and participants
Instructions for practitioners
- Replace everything in square brackets and delete what does not apply.
- Check every step against what your workers really do, and change the step or the practice.
- Have your governing body or owner approve and date it, and list it in your Policy and Document Control Register.
- Train workers in it, keep the training record, and give participants an accessible version where it affects them.
Accessibility considerations
Clear headings and numbered steps. The Word version is fully editable so you can add your logo and details.
Scope and limitations
An editable template and practical record. It is not legal advice and does not by itself show that a provider meets the NDIS Practice Standards. Check it against the current Practice Standards, NDIS rules, your registration groups and your state or territory's laws, and adapt it to how your service really works. The government has said more information on how to keep payment records is coming; check for updates.
Research basis
Registered NDIS providers are assessed against the Core Module of the NDIS Practice Standards. The quality indicators expect documented systems that are used in practice, not only written down. This document is organised around those indicators; using it does not by itself demonstrate compliance. The NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026 shortens the time to claim from 2 years to 90 days from 1 December 2026, requires records of payment and receipt of NDIS funds to be kept for 7 years, adds offences for false information, destroying records and kickbacks, strengthens whistleblower protections, and expands mandatory registration for higher-risk supports from 1 July 2027. The NDIS incident management rules require registered providers to record, respond to and learn from incidents, keep incident records for 7 years and notify the NDIS Commission of reportable incidents within set timeframes: most within 24 hours of key personnel becoming aware, with a further report within 5 business days. The NDIS complaints management rules require registered providers to run an accessible complaints system that follows procedural fairness, keep records of complaints, actions and outcomes for 7 years, and use complaints to improve. The NDIS worker screening rules require records of risk assessed roles and of each worker's screening check, kept for 7 years, and the Practice Standards require documented induction (including the NDIS worker orientation module), training, infection control training and supervision.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2026). About the changes to the NDIS. https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/ndis-legislation-changes/amendments/ndis-amendment-securing-the-ndis-for-future-generations-bill-2026/about-the-changes-to-the-ndis
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (Complaints Management and Resolution) Rules 2018 (Cth). https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00634/latest/text
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018 (Cth). https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00633/latest/text
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (Practice Standards–Worker Screening) Rules 2018 (Cth). https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00887/latest/text
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Rules 2018 (Cth). https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00631/latest/text
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (Quality Indicators for NDIS Practice Standards) Guidelines 2018 (Cth). https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L00700/latest/text
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. (2026). Parliament passed NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/media-centre/parliament-passed-ndis-amendment-securing-ndis-future-generations-act-2026
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-and-standards/ndis-practice-standards
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Reportable incidents. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/providers/registered-ndis-providers/reportable-incidents
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Worker screening for registered providers. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/providers/worker-screening
What is included
A 4-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced. Written for Practitioner Plus from the NDIS Practice Standards and NDIS rules listed in the research basis; no third-party template was used. It is not an NDIS Commission form.
