Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), you have choice and control over the supports you receive. You know what you need to achieve your goals and live a better life. When those supports are delivered as expected, everything runs smoothly. But what if past experiences have shaped the quality you are accepting, and “good enough” is not actually good at all?

For some, the desperation for any support leads them to accept a lower standard of care. This raises an important question: how do you know whether your NDIS support services are truly high-quality? It is vital to understand what quality looks like, how to measure it, and what to do if your services are falling short. This guide will help you check, validate, and advocate for the exceptional support you deserve.

What Does Quality Support Look Like?

Henry Ford is famously quoted as saying, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” While participants know the support they need, their expectations can be conditioned by prior experiences. True quality is about more than just showing up; it is about a provider actively working in partnership with you to enhance your life.

High-quality support is:

• Reliable and Consistent: Support workers arrive on time, every time. The provider clearly communicates any changes, so you are not left with last-minute cancellations.
• Person-Centered: Your supports are tailored to your specific needs and goals. Your provider listens to you, respects your choices, and adapts to your preferences. You are treated as an individual, not a case file.
• Empowering: Your support team helps you build skills and independence. They uphold your dignity of risk, supporting you to take on new challenges safely.
• Safe and Respectful: You feel safe, respected, and comfortable with your support workers. The provider has strong policies and procedures to protect your rights and wellbeing.

If your current experience does not reflect these points, it may be time to re-evaluate the quality of your services.

The Official Standard: The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

The Australian government established the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission as an independent body to oversee the quality and safety of NDIS services. The Commission sets the standards that all registered NDIS providers must meet. These standards are outlined in the NDIS Practice Standards and cover areas like:

• Participant Rights: Upholding your right to choice, control, and dignity.
• Service Delivery: Ensuring supports are person-centered and responsive.
• Provider Governance: Requiring providers to have effective management and operational systems.
• Safe Environments: Ensuring the environment where supports are delivered is safe and appropriate.

Knowing that these standards exist is your first tool. Your provider should be able to explain how they meet these standards. If you are ever concerned about safety or quality, the Commission is also the official body to which you can make a complaint.

How Can You Check the Quality of Your Provider?

Beyond your personal experience, there are ways to check if your provider is committed to quality. While direct performance data can be hard for participants to find, several organisations are working to improve transparency.

• QPS Benchmarking: This organisation provides tools for NDIS providers to measure and benchmark their performance against industry standards. While their reports are for providers, you can ask a potential or current provider if they participate in benchmarking activities. A provider committed to quality is often one that is willing to measure itself against others.
• Ability Roundtable and StewartBrown: These organisations conduct financial benchmarking for the disability sector. While focused on finance, reports from the Ability Roundtable sometimes touch on service delivery metrics. A provider’s financial health is often linked to its ability to invest in quality staff and systems.

While these tools are more provider-focused, they signal a growing movement towards greater accountability in the sector.

Practical Steps to Validate Your Support Quality

You are the ultimate judge of the quality of your support. Here are some practical steps you can take to assess and validate your services.

1. Review Your Service Agreement: Your service agreement should clearly outline the supports to be provided, the schedule, and the costs. Regularly check if the services delivered match what was promised in this agreement.
2. Keep a Communication Log: Note down your interactions with your provider. How quickly do they respond to your calls or emails? Are they helpful and respectful? This log can help you identify patterns in their communication.
3. Provide Regular Feedback: Do not wait for a problem to arise. Provide regular feedback to your provider, both positive and negative. A quality provider will welcome this feedback and use it to improve. Ask them: “What is your process for handling feedback?”
4. Talk to Other Participants: Connecting with other NDIS participants can be incredibly insightful. Sharing experiences can help you understand what level of service others are receiving and what you should expect.
5. Use a Scorecard: Create a simple scorecard to rate your services each week or month. You could include criteria like:

• • Punctuality of support worker (1-5)
  • Communication from the provider (1-5)
  • Helpfulness in achieving my goals (1-5)
  • Feeling of being respected (1-5)
    This can help you track quality over time and provide specific examples when giving feedback.

What to Do if You Are Not Satisfied

If you believe the quality of your support is not acceptable, you have several options.

• Speak to Your Provider Directly: The first step is always to raise your concerns with your provider. Give them specific examples and explain the impact it is having on you. A good provider will take your concerns seriously and work with you to find a solution.
• Make a Formal Complaint: If you are not satisfied with the provider’s response, you can make a formal complaint to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. They have the authority to investigate and act.
• Change Providers: Remember, the NDIS is about choice and control. If your provider is consistently failing to meet your expectations, you have the right to switch to a new provider who will.

Healthcare Australia: A Commitment to Quality

At Healthcare Australia, we believe that exceptional support is non-negotiable. We are committed to a culture of continuous improvement, investing in our people, systems, and processes to ensure we deliver the highest standard of care. We welcome feedback and see it as an opportunity to serve you better. We promise to be a valued partner, providing the reliable, respectful, and person-centred support you deserve.

If you are questioning the quality of your current services or are looking for a provider that puts your needs first, contact us today. Let’s discuss what high-quality support looks like for you.