Choosing and changing providers, and your rights

Finding a provider

The NDIS is built on choice and control, which means you decide who delivers your supports. You are not assigned a provider and you are not locked in. A good starting point is asking your support coordinator, local area coordinator, or people in your community for recommendations official source (opens in a new tab) .

The NDIS provider finder on the NDIS website lets you search by location, support type, and registration status. Registered providers have been audited against the NDIS Practice Standards and approved by the NDIS Commission. If your plan is agency-managed, you must use registered providers. If your plan is plan-managed or self-managed, you can also use unregistered providers, which gives you a wider pool to choose from.

Questions to ask

Before committing to a provider, it is worth asking a few practical questions to see whether they are a good fit for your needs and goals. Consider asking about their experience with your specific disability or support needs, how they match you with workers, what happens when your regular worker is unavailable, how they handle complaints, and whether their fees align with your plan budget.

It is also reasonable to ask about their cancellation policy before you sign anything. Providers can charge for short-notice cancellations under NDIS rules, so knowing the notice period they require helps you plan ahead official source (opens in a new tab) . Taking the time to ask these questions early avoids surprises later and helps you compare providers on what matters to you.

Service agreements from your side

A service agreement is a written document between you and your provider that records what supports will be delivered, how often, at what price, and under what conditions official source (opens in a new tab) . You are not required by law to have a written service agreement, but having one protects you as much as it protects the provider.

Before signing, read the agreement carefully. Check that the supports described match what you discussed, that the prices match your plan budget, and that the cancellation terms are clear. You can ask the provider to change something you are not comfortable with before you sign. You can also ask your support coordinator or plan manager to help you review the agreement. A service agreement that does not reflect what you actually need is worth taking the time to negotiate rather than sign and hope for the best.

Changing providers

You have the right to change providers at any time. The process depends on what your service agreement says about notice periods. Most agreements require you to give a set number of days notice before ending the arrangement, so check your agreement first.

To change providers, let your current provider know in writing within the required notice period, and arrange for any remaining service bookings or budget reservations to be released. Your support coordinator or plan manager can help with this if you have one. If you have an agency-managed plan, you can ask your local area coordinator or the NDIA to help you switch official source (opens in a new tab) . Moving to a new provider does not change your plan or your funding. Your budget simply becomes available for a new provider to claim against once the old service booking is closed.

Your rights and raising a concern

As an NDIS participant, you have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, to make decisions about your own life, and to receive supports that are safe and of acceptable quality. These rights are backed by the NDIS Code of Conduct, which applies to every provider and worker delivering NDIS supports.

If you have a concern about the quality or safety of your supports, start by raising it directly with the provider if you feel comfortable doing so. Many issues can be resolved that way. If the concern is not resolved, or if you do not feel safe raising it with the provider, you can make a complaint to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission official source (opens in a new tab) . The Commission can investigate complaints about registered providers and, in some cases, unregistered providers. You can also ask an advocate to help you raise a concern, and there is no cost to you for making a complaint.