NDIS support workers:
your questions, answered.

A support worker delivers the hands-on, day-to-day support: personal care, community access, cooking, transport and social activities. A support coordinator helps you understand your NDIS plan and connect the right services and providers — they don't deliver direct support. Support work is funded from your Core budget (Assistance with Daily Life or Social and Community Participation). Support coordination is funded from your Capacity Building budget. You can have both. Learn more about support coordination →

A carer is typically a family member or friend who provides unpaid support out of love and relationship — the NDIS does not usually pay them. A support worker is a paid professional employed or contracted to deliver supports funded by your NDIS plan. The NDIS is designed to complement informal care, not replace it entirely. If you rely heavily on an unpaid carer, your plan should reflect that so their role is sustainable.

Generally, the NDIS does not fund family members or people in your household to be your paid support worker — the NDIS expects those relationships to remain unpaid. There are very limited exceptions, and these require specific NDIA consideration and approval. Rules around this are complex and can depend on your individual circumstances, including who you live with. If this is something you need, speak to your NDIS planner, support coordinator, or the NDIA directly — do not assume it is approved without written confirmation.

Workers for registered NDIS providers in risk-assessed roles must have an NDIS Worker Screening Check — this is more thorough than a standard police check and is specific to the NDIS. It is nationally recognised, valid for up to five years, and administered by each state or territory. A basic police check alone does not meet this requirement for registered providers. Workers for unregistered providers are not legally required to hold an NDIS Worker Screening Check, but many choose to.

There is no single universal qualification required for all support workers in Australia, but registered NDIS providers must engage workers with appropriate skills for the supports being delivered. Providers are generally expected to ensure workers have relevant training — including first aid and CPR — and must complete the NDIS Worker Orientation Module. Workers delivering high-intensity supports (such as complex medication or tube feeding) need specific additional training and competencies. Always ask a provider what training their workers hold.

Support workers can prompt and assist you to take your own medication — for example, reminding you it is time, handing you tablets, or helping you open packaging. More complex tasks — such as administering medication via injection, managing a pump, or anything requiring clinical judgement — require workers with specific training and competencies as defined by the NDIS Commission's high-intensity skills descriptors. A support worker cannot make medication decisions for you or administer medication they are not trained and authorised to give.

Yes — if transport is included in your NDIS plan. Support workers can drive you to appointments, shopping, social outings and community activities, provided this is funded in your plan. Transport may be funded as a separate line item, or be included within a support shift, depending on how your plan is set up. Check your plan or ask your plan manager or support coordinator. Workers must hold a valid driver's licence and your provider must hold appropriate insurance.

Yes, if it is funded in your plan. 2:1 support (two workers for one participant) is sometimes called a dual-worker ratio. The NDIS will fund this when there is documented evidence that two workers are needed — for example, a manual handling report recommending two people for safe transfers, or assessed risk of harm to you or workers. 2:1 is not automatically included; it must be individually assessed and approved by the NDIA and written into your plan.

There is no universal number of hours — it depends on your individual NDIS plan and your goals, support needs, and what the NDIA approves as reasonable and necessary. Some participants have a few hours per week; others have many hours per day. Your plan sets out a total funding amount for Core supports, and you use that to purchase the hours you need. A support coordinator can help you understand how far your funding will go at current NDIS pricing rates.

Yes. Support work is funded from the Core budget in your NDIS plan, specifically under Assistance with Daily Life and/or Social and Community Participation. You can use this funding with any registered NDIS provider (or, in some cases, an unregistered provider if your plan is self-managed or plan-managed). The support must relate to your disability and be consistent with your plan goals. See what Tegrity's support work covers →

Yes. Under the NDIS, you have the right to choose your provider and your workers. If a worker is not the right fit — for any reason — you can ask your provider to rematch you. If you are unhappy with your provider altogether, you can switch providers; your funding stays with you. There is no requirement to stay with any provider or worker. Check your service agreement for any notice period that may apply when changing providers. Learn about switching to Tegrity →

Yes. Participants have the right to choose who supports them, including on the basis of gender, language, religion or cultural background. This is a recognised part of NDIS choice and control. When enquiring with a provider, let them know your preference and ask whether they can match it. Tegrity Services is an Aboriginal-owned, culturally safe provider and can often match participants who want a worker with shared cultural background — and everyone is welcome regardless of background.

Yes, if it is funded in your plan. There are two types of overnight support: a sleepover shift (where the worker is at your home overnight and can sleep, but is available if needed — the NDIS pricing covers up to around two hours of active support within the shift) and active overnight support (where the worker is awake throughout the night because your disability-related needs require it). Which type applies depends on your assessed needs. These must be included in your plan to be funded.

Your NDIS funding moves with you — it is attached to you, not your address. If you move to a new area, you will need to check whether your current provider operates there. If they do not, you can find a new provider and transfer your services. Your plan goals and funding remain in place; you do not need to reapply. If you are moving to a new state or territory, contact the NDIA as different rules may apply.

No. Support workers cannot make decisions on your behalf, manage your finances, or hold power of attorney. Their role is to support your daily life and help you pursue your goals — not to direct it. If you need help making complex decisions, there are separate arrangements under the NDIS such as nominees or guardians. If a worker ever pressures you on financial or personal decisions, contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544.

No — not unless they hold the specific qualifications for that role. Support workers are not nurses, occupational therapists, speech pathologists or psychologists. Clinical and therapy supports are separate registration groups under the NDIS and must be delivered by appropriately registered professionals. A support worker can assist you to attend appointments with these professionals, and can carry out tasks under a documented support plan or clinical delegation, but they cannot replace qualified clinical care.

A service agreement is a written agreement between you and your provider that sets out what supports will be delivered, how often, at what price, and what happens if things need to change. Registered NDIS providers are required to enter into service agreements with participants. It is your protection as much as theirs — read it carefully before signing, and make sure cancellation and notice terms are clear. You should never be locked in without a fair exit clause.

You can change providers at any time — your funding stays with you. Check your current service agreement for any notice period (commonly two to four weeks). Give written notice to your current provider, then set up a new service agreement with your new provider. Your plan manager or support coordinator can help coordinate the transition so there is no gap in supports. You do not need to give a reason for switching. See how switching to Tegrity works →

Yes, if it is in your plan. Assistance with domestic tasks — such as cleaning, laundry, cooking and meal preparation — is a recognised support under Assistance with Daily Life. The key is that the task must be related to your disability (i.e., it is something you cannot do or need assistance with because of your disability). General domestic work not linked to your disability is not funded by the NDIS.

First, raise it with your provider — they are required to have a complaints process. If you are not satisfied with the response, or if you do not feel safe raising it internally, you can contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (phone 1800 035 544) to make a formal complaint. You can also get support from a disability advocate. You always have the right to change providers if the situation is not resolved.

Yes. You have the right to choose a provider and workers who reflect your culture, community and identity — including requesting an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander support worker. Tegrity Services is an Aboriginal-owned NDIS registered provider in Sydney, with Aboriginal support workers and coordinators on our team. We can often match participants who want culturally safe support from someone who understands their culture and community. Everyone is welcome. Learn about our Aboriginal NDIS support →