Create a participant

Add a new participant and their core details.

Last updated · 10 November 2026

A participant record is what their plan, agreements, shifts and claims all hang off, so it is usually the first thing you create. You can fill in just the essentials now and complete the rest from the profile later.

Tip

Setting up several participants at once? Bulk import participants from a spreadsheet instead, with their contacts, NDIS plan and budgets in the same run.

Open the create form

Go to Participants and select Add participant at the top right. The form opens in a side drawer.

Complete the form

An unsaved participant draft for Casey Rowan, using their own email as the contact method. — 1Enter the participant’s own first name.
2Enter their last name.
3Supply a valid email or phone; this draft uses email.
4Leave Phone blank only when another valid contact is supplied.
Casey’s unsaved participant draft uses an email contact. Optional personal fields can remain blank until the information is confirmed.

Fields marked with a red asterisk are required. The rest can be added later from the profile.

Personal Information

Field	Required	Notes
First name	Yes	The participant’s own given name
Middle name	No
Last name	Yes	The participant’s own family name; check the full name before saving
Date of birth	No	Date picker
Gender	No	Select from list
Pronouns	No	Select from list
Ethnicity	No	Select from list
Primary language	No	Select the participant’s language from the list; record practical communication instructions separately in Preferences
Primary diagnosis	No	Free text

Contact Information

Field	Required	Notes
Email	One contact required	A valid email address; may be blank when a valid phone is supplied
Phone	One contact required	A 10-digit Australian mobile or landline including the area code; may be blank when email is supplied
Support coordinator assigned?	No	Yes or No. Records whether the participant has an external support coordinator

Supply Email or Phone, or both. Every supplied value must be valid. Spaces, brackets and hyphens are accepted in participant phone numbers, and +61 or 61 is converted to the domestic format. Participant phone numbers do not accept 13, 1300 or 1800 service numbers.

Email and phone must each be unique within your workspace, including archived records. If either belongs to another participant, open and review that record before continuing. Phone-only participants can be created and scheduled, but use manual consent and manual service agreements until their own email is recorded. Invoice recipient email requirements still apply.

Address

The section starts as a single full-width Address search box. Start typing and choose the match from the list that drops down; that one choice sets the street address, suburb, state and postcode together, which is why the other three fields are not on screen in this mode.

If the address cannot be found, select Enter address manually underneath. The row splits into four fields you fill in yourself: Address, Suburb, State (a dropdown of the states and territories) and Postcode. The link becomes Search for an address instead, so you can switch back at any time.

Address and Suburb are always required. A missing suburb shows Suburb is required.
State and Postcode are required as soon as there is a street address. Saving without a postcode shows Select an address from the dropdown, or use “Enter address manually” to set the postcode., and without a state the same message ending “to set the state.”
A postcode that isn’t a valid Australian postcode shows Enter a valid Australian postcode.

The same unsaved Casey draft has a complete manual address and NDIS number. Create participant has not been selected. — 1Enter the street address accurately.
2Complete the suburb.
3Choose the Australian state or territory.
4Record the valid four-digit postcode.
5Enter the participant’s NDIS number before creating the record.
The same unsaved draft has a complete manual address and NDIS number. Check every required field before Create participant.

Reference Numbers

Field	Required	Notes
NDIS number	Yes	Enter the reference as issued
Medicare number	No
Centrelink number	No

Save the participant

Select Create participant at the bottom of the drawer. The new participant is added and appears in the list, ready for you to build out their profile.

Tip

A new participant starts with the status Created and an NDIS Plan: not started alert. Add their plan next to prepare agreements and claiming: Set up the NDIS plan.

Before you begin, and after saving

You need Participants Add permission. Have the participant’s name, NDIS number, at least one valid contact method and complete Australian address ready. Search the register first to avoid creating a second profile for the same person.

For a phone-only participant, enter First name and Last name, the issued NDIS number and their valid Australian Phone. Leave Email blank. Choose the complete address suggestion, or use Enter address manually and complete Address, Suburb, State and Postcode. Leave optional identity fields blank when the information has not been confirmed. Do not use a representative’s email as the participant’s own email simply to enable electronic signing.

After Create participant, find the new row, check its saved Details, then add contacts and the plan. To correct a spelling or address, edit that profile and select Save profile. If saving fails, read the field message and check whether the person already exists before retrying.