Change Management When Registering with the NDIS

So, you've decided to register with the NDIS. You have your policies and procedures ready to be inspected by the auditor. You have Service Agreements in place with the people who are using your services. Your registers are up to date and ready. Every employee has an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance certificate. You're thinking, 'We are ready for the audit'

Think again.

Operating as a registered provider is completely different than delivering services as an unregistered provider and understanding the difference can make or break your business.

You may be thinking, 'Surely it's not that different!' and you would not be the first (nor the last) to think so. This post sets out some of the elements of registration that will require change management. They are fundamental to operating as a registered provider and are likely to be furthest from your mind.

Staff vs Workers

When registering with the NDIS, all roles (no matter the worker's employment status) will require risk assessment to determine if they require a NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. This means that every person who works with or for the organisation may need this clearance, whether they are staff or not.

Yes, that includes contractors.

If your business uses contractors to deliver your services to participants on the NDIS, they need a NDIS Worker Screening clearance and it's not negotiable. This is where change management is needed; your contractors may not see why they need to apply for a clearance. They have been delivering these services just fine without it so why would they need a clearance now?!

Worker Training

Every worker, no matter their employment or contractor status MUST complete the NDIS Worker Orientation Module. This includes directors, board members, the receptionist, marketing personnel etc. If they work for your company, they must complete the modules. If they engage with the people you support, they must complete the modules.

Yes, this includes contractors too!

Similarly, every person who is employed by the organisation or has direct contact with the people you support must have completed Infection Control training and must understand how to use PPE effectively and safely.

Your workers and contractors will need to know that this is now a requirement and will need time to complete them. Change is after all, afoot!

Participant Engagement

The people you support have had no complaints, they access their services regularly, there are no incidents to speak of... everything is fine!

As a registered provider you need to prove it.

Shift notes must be recorded, and they must of a high standard. This means that, either the worker needs to complete the shift note during support hours, or afterwards, and every person they support needs to know this because the time used to write their notes is billable. So, will the participant be missing out on the last 10-15 minutes of their service because notes need to be written? Or will extra time be needed after the shift for note-writing. Or are you one of those providers who pay your staff to write notes (or not pay them) and don't claim for the time?

Surveys or targeted engagement is required to understand what makes your service so good. As a registered provider, you will be required to understand your service quality in detail, what makes it of high-quality for one participant may not be what another participant sees as 'high-quality'. A cookie-cutter approach to services is not good enough under registration. So, you need to engage with the people you support. This means making appointments to 'interview' them, engaging with a third party who are independent people to gather their feedback, or create a survey. This takes time and participants will need to understand why you suddenly need to ask them so.many.questions!

Governance

Your business is small or just starting out. You may have family members helping you run it. Your meetings happen 'all the time'.

But can you prove it?

As a registered provider, you need to prove that you have oversight of your business, the quality of the service being delivered, that you are managing risk, conflicts of interest, incidents, complaints etc. and your leadership team (this may be your mum or uncle who 'does the books' or who meets people who are interested in your service) need to prove it too.

You will need an agenda and minutes. Yes, even if you are meeting with your family. Your leadership team needs to meet regularly to discuss each management system; emergency and disaster preparedness, continuity of support, risk, complaints and feedback, conflicts of interest etc. so they need to be prepared to make time for these meetings, and to adhere to the agenda.

The above examples are just the start of a long list of changes that need to be implemented (and managed) when delivering services as an NDIS registered provider and when change is managed well, your organisation could thrive under the registration process. If not managed well, your workers,

participants and your uncle who 'does the books' are in for a big surprise!

Blog written by Bonny Shaw-Newland, Founder and Lead Consultant of Provider Support. Bonny's expertise in developing knowledge and understanding of delivering services under NDIS registration stems from working on the ground for and with providers. Over the past 10 years, Bonny prepared people to understand the rollout of the NDIS and led large teams to coordinate their services. Bonny has followed the changes in the NDIS for the past decade and has implemented these changes with and for some of the largest providers in SA.

In her 'spare' time, Bonny enjoys the company of her husband, children and their partners, and her houseful of pets including two dogs, a cat and a ferret.