Supporting NDIS Compliance with Employment Hero

Every business has their own set of compliance requirements, and for NDIS providers that list is extensive.

Between NDIS audits, maintaining or gaining your NDIS licence, or simply adhering to your compliance obligations, knowing where to start can be overwhelming. And the reality is that the risk of non-compliance can significantly impact your business and your registration with the NDIS.

Luckily, Employment Hero can support compliance for NDIS providers with our range of HR and payroll tools, meaning you’ll have one less thing on your plate. No matter where you are in your NDIS provider journey, we’re covering all of the ways Employment Hero can help make fulfilling your obligations easier – from first-time applicants to long-term providers who want to tackle their audits with confidence. Let’s get to it.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is current as at 10 July 2024, and has been prepared by Employment Hero Pty Ltd (ABN 11 160 047 709) and its related bodies corporate (Employment Hero). The views expressed in this article are general information only, are provided in good faith to assist employers and their employees, and should not be relied on as professional advice. The Information is based on data supplied by third parties. While such data is believed to be accurate, it has not been independently verified and no warranties are given that it is complete, accurate, up to date or fit for the purpose for which it is required. Employment Hero does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy in such data and is not liable for any loss or damages arising either directly or indirectly as a result of reliance on, use of or inability to use any information provided in this article. You should undertake your own research and to seek professional advice before making any decisions or relying on the information in this report.

Firstly, what is an NDIS provider?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is Australia’s national scheme for people living with a disability, providing funding directly to individuals for support and services.

When we take a look at NDIS providers, they are the individuals and businesses that provide support and/or services to participants of the NDIS. These providers have a range of expertise and experience, and receive funding to help individuals reach their goals.

There are 15 categories of support on the NDIS, including assistance with daily life, transport, consumables, home modifications, improved health and wellbeing and social and community arrangements – just to name a few. You can view the full list of NDIS categories here.

Managing compliance as an NDIS provider

Businesses that provide support and services under the NDIS are required to meet their legal obligations with current Australian laws and regulations. If it’s discovered that NDIS providers are not meeting their legal obligations, this can result in non-compliance, which can lead to serious consequences.

In Australia, all NDIS registered providers are regulated by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, and all providers and their employees (whether registered or unregistered) must adhere to the NDIS Code of Conduct.

With so many different legalities and areas of compliance to be across, it can be difficult to know if you’re doing the right thing or not.

Learn more about provider compliance here.

Employment Hero HR can help you manage and streamline key components of the NDIS audit and application process

Whether you’re maintaining or applying for your NDIS accreditation, you must provide evidence of having certain processes in place, as well as detailed record-keeping for auditing purposes.

Employment Hero has a number of features that can help you adhere to the NDIS Practice Standards’ HR, Risk and Incident Management modules.

The NDIS Practice Standards’ HR Management module includes the following requirements:

1. Records of worker identity, right to work, pre-employment checks, qualifications and or experience are maintained.
2. Workers complete a mandatory NDIS orientation module and records of continuing professional development are maintained.
3. Each worker is trained, and has refresher training, in infection prevention and control standard precautions including hand hygiene practices, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette and the use of PPE.
4. PPE is available to each worker, and each participant, who requires it.

Employment Hero’s HRIS can support these requirements

1. Records of worker identity, right to work, pre-employment checks, qualifications and or experience are maintained

Use Employment Hero’s applicant tracking system (ATS) to create job listings that cover all of the requirements of the role, including reference checks, qualifications and experience levels.

Employment Hero’s seamless onboarding automatically creates an electronic employee file with all the relevant information supplied by your new hire, including work eligibility (which can then be verified via our in-platform integration with the Department of Home Affairs) and certifications (e.g. Yellow and Blue cards, first aid and police check).

You can also use Custom Fields to capture additional information, e.g. languages spoken or uniform sizing.

2. Workers complete mandatory NDIS orientation module and records of continuing professional development are maintained

Create mandatory certifications for NDIS orientation completions directly in Employment Hero. For certifications that require renewals, both managers and employees will be notified when a certification is due to expire.

You can also create your own learning modules in our learning management system (LMS). Add Learning Plus to your subscription to provide your employees with unlimited access to premium learning content, including courses that may contribute to their continued professional development.

3. Each worker is trained, and has refresher training, in infection prevention and control standard precautions including hand hygiene practices, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette and the use of PPE

Use mandatory induction content to ensure your new hires read (or watch) the training material required for their role, with an electronic record of their completion. These can also be created in the LMS.

4. PPE is available to each worker, and each participant, who requires it

For personal protective equipment that isn’t single use, Employment Hero’s Asset Register helps you assign, track and report these items.

On top of the HR Management module, Employment Hero can also support the Incident and Risk Management modules:

Incident Management module

Employment Hero’s Safety Incident feature allows employees to report safety incidents related either to personnel or third parties, with fields including the event type, the location, the injured body part, if there were any witnesses, and if anyone administered first aid. Incident reports are reportable and auditable.

You can use induction training or the LMS to provide ongoing training to your employees around incident management.

Risk Management module

The NDIS Practice Standards call for a documented risk management system that effectively manages work health and safety risks, including emergency and disaster planning.

Upload your existing policies to Employment Hero, or use Employment Hero’s policy and HR document template library to create new ones. Policies can be marked as mandatory and are reportable, allowing employers to easily track who’s acknowledged policies and when.

Take a look at how we can support you beyond your HR obligations

While Employment Hero’s core functionality has many features that can help acquire or maintain NDIS accreditation, Employment Hero Payroll and our HR Advisory service provide additional support.

Employment Hero Payroll

When it comes to paying your team, Employment Hero Payroll’s automatic award interpretation takes the guesswork out of paying in line with the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Industry Award.

Employment Hero Payroll has over 55 pre-built Modern Awards, including SCHADS. These pre-built rule sets automate award interpretation, helping you boost your compliance confidence.

HR Advisory

Outside of your payroll obligations, Employment Hero’s HR Advisory service can also support NDIS providers by providing guidance on the common SCHADS award queries.

“Getting award interpretation right, especially for employers in the NDIS sector, is vital for your business’s success. It’s about more than just ticking a box; it’s about ensuring operational efficiency, maintaining compliance, and eliminating risk”

– Annie Pellizzon, Advisory Manager at Employment Hero

Employment Hero is helping NDIS providers support their team, whilst fulfilling their compliance obligations

With many NDIS providers operating across multiple regions or employment types, our powerful software, combined with our team experts, can help your business navigate NDIS workplace laws under the SCHADS Industry Award.

If you’d like to learn more about how Employment Hero can help NDIS providers fulfil their compliance obligations, get in touch with one of our business specialists by filling out the form.