If you’re involved with the NDIS, you’ve probably heard the terms registered and unregistered provider. But do you actually know what the difference is?
One of the things that surprises people is just how few NDIS providers across Australia are actually registered.
At the time of writing, there are approximately 277,000 active NDIS providers operating across Australia, with registered providers making up only around 6% of the overall market.
Put another way, for every one registered provider, there are approximately fifteen unregistered providers.
That’s a pretty significant difference, and one that we think is worth talking about.
Firstly, being unregistered doesn’t mean a provider is doing anything wrong. There are plenty of great unregistered providers delivering really good services across Australia. For many types of NDIS supports, registration isn’t compulsory, and participants who are plan-managed or self-managed can generally choose whether they use registered or unregistered providers.
So if registration isn’t compulsory for many providers, why did SLC Supports choose to do it?
What does being registered actually mean?
Becoming a registered NDIS provider isn’t simply filling out some paperwork and getting approved.
There is a significant amount of work involved both before and after registration.
Registered providers are required to meet the relevant NDIS Practice Standards and undergo independent audits to demonstrate that the systems they have in place meet those standards.
This includes things like governance, risk management, complaints and incident management, participant rights, privacy, worker screening, staff training, record keeping and continuous improvement.
And it doesn’t stop once you become registered.
There are ongoing compliance requirements, audits and responsibilities that registered providers need to maintain.
It costs money. It takes time. It creates additional administration. And yes, sometimes it can be frustrating.
So why do it?
Why SLC Supports chose registration
For us, the answer is actually pretty simple.
We take the responsibility of providing NDIS supports seriously.
People trust us with their funding, their personal information and, more importantly, with helping them navigate decisions that can have a very real impact on their lives.
We wanted the systems sitting behind SLC Supports to be just as strong as the service we provide to the people in front of us.
We wanted proper processes around complaints, incidents, privacy, risk, record keeping and quality. We wanted our team working within clear systems, and we wanted those systems independently assessed rather than simply saying ourselves that we were doing a good job.
That’s a big part of what registration means to us.
Does registered automatically mean better?
No, and we think it’s important to say that.
There are some fantastic unregistered providers out there, just as being registered doesn’t automatically make someone a fantastic provider.
Registration doesn’t make someone care more. It doesn’t guarantee good communication, experience or that a particular provider will be the right fit for you.
What it does provide is another layer of accountability.
A registered provider has agreed to operate within the NDIS Practice Standards, undergo independent auditing and meet ongoing compliance requirements.
There is a framework sitting behind the service being provided, and the provider has agreed to have that framework independently assessed.
For us, that’s important.
What should participants look for?
Registered or unregistered, we think participants should ask questions about the providers they are considering.
Ask how they manage your information. Ask about their experience. Ask what happens if you have a complaint or something goes wrong. Ask how their workers are screened and supported. Ask how they manage incidents and risk.
And pay attention to the everyday things too.
Do they communicate with you?
Do they follow through?
Do they explain things properly?
Do they listen to what you actually want?
Do you feel comfortable asking questions?
Because ultimately, good systems matter, but so do good people.
Registration should be part of the decision when choosing a provider, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you consider.
What does all of this cost?
This is another part of the conversation that isn’t always talked about.
Becoming and remaining registered comes at a cost.
There are independent audit costs, ongoing compliance requirements, policies and procedures that need to be maintained and reviewed, staff training, worker screening, quality management systems and the administration required to make sure those systems are actually being followed.
For a registered provider, these aren’t things that can simply be put in place for an audit and forgotten about. They need to form part of how the business operates every day.
Does that add to the cost of running a service?
Of course it does.
But for SLC Supports, we see that as part of the cost of operating the type of organisation we want to operate.
It is an investment in the business, but more importantly, it is an investment in the people who trust us to provide their supports.
Watch This Space
As SLC Supports continues to grow, so does the range of services and supports we want to be able to provide to NDIS participants.
We are currently undergoing a variation to our NDIS registration to expand our registration groups and the services we can provide.
For us, this is another part of growing SLC Supports properly.
We want to make sure that as we expand, we continue to have the right people, systems, policies and safeguards in place to deliver quality services and maintain the standards we expect across the business.
There are some exciting things happening behind the scenes at SLC Supports, and we look forward to sharing more as our registration variation progresses.
Watch this space.
Was registration worth it for SLC Supports?
Absolutely.
We could have chosen to remain unregistered, and our operating costs would certainly have been lower.
But that’s not the direction we wanted to take SLC Supports.
We chose to invest in registration because we wanted the additional accountability and independent oversight that comes with it. We wanted to know that our systems and processes had been independently assessed against the standards expected of registered NDIS providers.
With registered providers making up only around 6% of the NDIS provider market across Australia, we’re proud that SLC Supports is registered.
Not because we think that makes us better than the other 94%.
But because we know what went into achieving registration, we know what goes into maintaining it, and we take that responsibility seriously.
For us, that’s what being a registered NDIS provider is really about.