An NDIS Worker Screening Check is a risk assessment of a person who works, or wants to work, with people with disability. A state or territory screening unit decides whether the worker is cleared or excluded. Registered NDIS providers must make sure workers in risk assessed roles hold a current clearance. Unregistered providers are not legally required to, but you can ask. A clearance lasts up to five years and is monitored. It is not the same as a police check, so ask your provider how they verify it.
When someone new comes into your home, or supports a family member, safety is usually the first thing on your mind. If you are choosing a provider for Disability Support or Supported Independent Living in the Hunter Region, worker screening is one of the most useful things to understand. This post explains what the check is, what it can and cannot tell you, and which questions to ask.
Key Takeaways
- The NDIS Worker Screening Check is a risk assessment run by a state or territory screening unit. The outcome is a clearance or an exclusion.
- Registered NDIS providers must ensure workers in risk assessed roles hold a current clearance. Unregistered providers are not legally required to, but participants can choose to ask for it.
- A clearance lasts up to five years, and the worker is monitored while it is valid. An excluded worker cannot work in a risk assessed role for a registered provider.
- A police check is a record at one point in time. It is not a substitute for an NDIS clearance.
- A clearance does not show skills, training or whether a worker is a good fit for you. Ask about those separately.
- Ask every provider how they verify clearances, how often they re-check them, and what happens if one lapses.
What is an NDIS Worker Screening Check?
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission describes the check as an assessment of whether a person who works, or wants to work, with people with disability poses a risk to them. It is carried out by a worker screening unit in the state or territory where the person applies. In NSW, the application is made online through Service NSW, and the screening unit issues either a clearance or an exclusion.
The check sets a national standard, and results are recorded in the National Worker Screening Database. That database holds a worker’s clearance status, not the personal information used to assess them.
Who needs a screening clearance?
Registered NDIS providers must make sure workers in risk assessed roles hold a current NDIS Worker Screening clearance, or an acceptable transitional check where one still applies. A role is risk assessed if it is:
- a key personnel role, such as a CEO or board member
- a role that directly delivers specified supports or services to a person with disability
- a role likely to involve more than incidental contact with people with disability
Unregistered providers are not legally required to ask their workers for a clearance. The NDIS Commission still recommends that all workers have one. Participants who self-manage or plan-manage their funds can decide whether the workers who support them must hold a clearance.
In NSW, some workers may also need a Working With Children Check, for example when they do child-related NDIS work. The two checks are separate.
How is it different from a police check?
| Question | Police check | NDIS Worker Screening Check |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | A record of a person’s releasable criminal history at the time of the check | A risk assessment by a state or territory screening unit |
| What is the outcome? | A certificate | A clearance or an exclusion |
| Is the worker monitored afterwards? | No, it reflects one point in time | Yes, clearance holders are monitored against police and other relevant information |
| How long does it last? | Employers decide how recent it must be | Up to five years, unless cancelled or revoked |
| How can a provider verify it? | The worker shows a certificate | The provider checks the National Worker Screening Database |
A police check can still be a useful extra step. It does not replace an NDIS clearance for a worker in a risk assessed role.
Take these questions to your first conversation We are happy to answer every one of them. Call 1800 716 697 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. |
What do cleared and excluded mean?
A cleared worker can work in risk assessed roles. An excluded worker must not work in those roles, and a registered provider cannot allow it. Other statuses you may see include pending, interim bar and suspension.
The check does not stop on the day of approval. Clearance holders are monitored while the clearance is valid, and a worker can be excluded before it expires if new information suggests a risk.
Clearances last up to five years. Workers can apply to renew up to 90 days before expiry, and a worker with an expired check cannot continue in a risk assessed role for a registered provider. In some states and territories, a worker may start work while an application is processed, but only under conditions set by state or territory law. These usually include supervision by a cleared worker and a risk management plan.
What a clearance does not tell you
A clearance answers one question: does the screening unit consider this person a risk to people with disability? It does not tell you whether a worker has the right skills, communicates well, understands your routines or will get along with your housemates.
That is why screening should sit alongside other questions about training, induction, supervision and rostering. The provider should be able to explain all of them in plain language. If you are comparing providers, our guide on how to choose a disability support provider covers the wider picture.
How can you check that a worker is cleared?
If you self-manage your NDIS funding and hire workers yourself, you can use the NDIS Worker Screening Database through the NDIS Commission portal. You link a worker to your Participant Worker Screening ID, then see their status and receive a notice when a check is close to expiring.
If you receive support through a registered provider, the provider is responsible for verifying clearances and keeping records. You can ask them to explain how they do it and how often they re-check. It is reasonable to want to understand how the people supporting you are screened.
Questions to ask any provider about worker screening
- Are you a registered NDIS provider?
- Do all workers who support me hold a current NDIS Worker Screening clearance, including casual, agency and contract staff?
- How do you verify each clearance, and how often do you check that it is still current?
- What happens if a worker’s clearance expires, is suspended or is excluded?
- Does anyone start work while their application is still being processed? If so, how are they supervised?
- Which other checks do you require, such as a police check or a Working With Children Check?
- How are workers trained and inducted before they support me, and do they complete the NDIS Worker Orientation Module?
- Will I meet the people who support me before they start, and who supervises them?
- If I am in a shared home, how are overnight and one-to-one shifts staffed? Our post on SIL support ratios and overnight support explains the terms.
- How do I raise a concern about a worker, and how is it handled? Our complaints and feedback process sets out ours.
Take these questions to your first conversation We are happy to answer every one of them. Call 1800 716 697 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. |
Talk to us about how we screen our team
Solid Holistic Care is a registered NDIS provider in Newcastle offering SIL, Respite Care, Dementia Care and Disability Support across Lake Macquarie and Maitland.
Support workers applying to join us are asked to confirm a current National Police Check, a Working With Children Check and completion of the NDIS Worker Orientation Module. If you would like to know how we verify clearances and what else we check, complete our Expression of Interest form. You can also call 1800 716 697 or email enquiries@solidholisticcare.com.au.
FAQs
What is an NDIS Worker Screening Check?
It is a risk assessment of a person who works, or wants to work, with people with disability. A state or territory screening unit decides the outcome, which is either a clearance or an exclusion. Results are recorded on the National Worker Screening Database.
Do all NDIS support workers need a screening clearance?
Registered NDIS providers must ensure workers in risk assessed roles hold a current clearance. Unregistered providers are not legally required to, although the NDIS Commission recommends it. You can ask any provider whether their workers hold one.
Is an NDIS worker screening check the same as a police check?
No. A police check is a record of criminal history at one point in time. The NDIS check is a risk assessment that leads to a clearance or exclusion, and clearance holders are monitored while it is valid.
How long does an NDIS worker screening clearance last?
A clearance is valid for up to five years from the date of the outcome, unless it is cancelled or revoked. A worker can also be excluded earlier if new information suggests a risk. Workers can apply to renew up to 90 days before expiry.
What does it mean if a worker is excluded?
An excluded worker must not work in a risk assessed role. A registered provider cannot allow an excluded worker to do that work, and the status is recorded on the National Worker Screening Database.
Can I ask my provider to confirm that staff are cleared?
Yes. Ask how they verify each clearance, how often they re-check it, and what happens if one lapses. A good provider will explain this clearly. Self-managed participants can also check workers they employ directly using the NDIS Worker Screening Database.