The quick answer
| Requirement | Who it applies to | Where it comes from | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDIS Worker Orientation Module (Quality, Safety and You) | Workers of registered providers | NDIS Practice Standards: human resource management (core module) and the verification module | Free from the NDIS Commission |
| NDIS Worker Screening Check | Risk-assessed and key personnel roles at registered providers, or where an employer or self-managed participant requires it | NDIS worker screening rules | Your state or territory worker screening unit |
| NDIS Code of Conduct | All NDIS providers, key personnel and workers, registered or not | NDIS (Code of Conduct) Rules 2018 | Read the Code; Commission videos; employer training |
| Infection prevention and control, with refreshers | All workers providing supports for registered providers | NDIS Practice Standards | Employer or online training |
| Incident management training | All workers of registered providers | NDIS Practice Standards: incident management | Employer training |
| Medication training | Workers who administer medication | NDIS Practice Standards: management of medication | Employer training, plus competency checks |
| Participant specific high intensity training | Workers delivering a high intensity daily personal activity | High intensity daily personal activities module | An appropriately qualified health practitioner or a person who meets the skills descriptor |
| Manual handling | Workers doing hazardous manual tasks | Work health and safety laws | Employer training |
| First aid and CPR | Enough trained first aiders for the workplace, often every worker in practice | Work health and safety laws; employer policy | A registered training organisation |
| Working With Children Check | Roles with children, depending on state law | State and territory law | Your state screening agency |
The Worker Orientation Module and its certificate
The NDIS Practice Standards expect registered providers to have an orientation and induction process that includes the mandatory NDIS worker orientation program. The verification module, for lower risk supports, says workers complete the mandatory NDIS orientation module. So if you work for a registered provider, expect to be asked for your certificate.
The module covers what the NDIS is and why it exists, human rights, your responsibilities under the Code of Conduct and the role of the NDIS Commission. It takes about 60 minutes. While the Commission's worker training portal is unavailable, you request access to the module from the NDIS Commission worker training page. Your certificate is shown on screen and emailed to you, ready to give to your employer. Read our full guide to the Worker Orientation Module for more detail.
NDIS Worker Screening Check
A worker screening check is a clearance, not a course. State and territory worker screening units assess whether a person poses a risk to people with disability, and decide whether they are cleared or excluded. A clearance lasts up to 5 years and is a national check, so you apply in one state only. Registered providers must identify their risk-assessed roles: roles that deliver specified supports with more than incidental contact with people with disability, plus key personnel such as directors and managers. Unregistered providers and self-managed participants can also choose to require one. See the NDIS Commission worker screening page.
The NDIS Code of Conduct
The NDIS Code of Conduct applies to every NDIS provider, their key personnel and workers, whether registered or not. It now lists eight requirements, covering rights, privacy, safe and competent support, integrity, raising concerns, preventing violence and abuse, preventing sexual misconduct, and fair pricing. There is no separate Code of Conduct certificate in law, but providers must show their workers understand it, so training on it is near universal.
Training that depends on the supports you deliver
- Infection control: the Practice Standards require training and refresher training for all workers who provide supports, and PPE training for direct support workers.
- Incident management: all workers must be aware of, trained in and follow the provider's incident procedures.
- Medication: workers who administer medication must understand its effects and side effects and what to do if something goes wrong. Most providers add a practical competency check.
- High intensity supports: for the eight high intensity daily personal activities, such as enteral feeding, complex bowel care and subcutaneous injections, workers need training specific to each participant, delivered by an appropriately qualified health practitioner or a person who meets the skills descriptor. It does not have to be delivered by a nurse.
- Behaviour support: workers implementing a behaviour support plan need training in that person's plan.
Free download: NDIS training matrix by role
An Excel workbook: which training each role needs and why, with links to the courses, plus a staff tracker that flags overdue refreshers. Enter your details and we will email it to you.
We use your details to send the download and, only if you tick the box, occasional updates. See our privacy policy.Work health and safety: manual handling and first aid
Under work health and safety laws, employers must manage the risks of hazardous manual tasks, which include moving, holding or restraining a person, and training in safe manual handling is a common control. Employers must also provide first aid kits and enough trained first aiders based on a risk assessment, and Safe Work Australia says first aiders should hold a nationally recognised statement of attainment from a registered training organisation. Because support workers often work alone, many providers require first aid and CPR for every worker. An online refresher keeps knowledge fresh but does not replace that accredited certificate.
State checks
Working With Children Checks are set by each state and territory. Whether your role needs one depends on where you work and who you support, and your worker screening unit can tell you if your job needs it as well as an NDIS check.
Train your team
Once the free Commission module is done, our courses cover the rest of a typical induction, with narrated lessons, scenarios, a final assessment and a dated certificate:
40 minNDIS Code of Conduct
The NDIS Code of Conduct sets the minimum standard of behaviour for everyone who delivers NDIS supports, whether they work for a registered or unregistered provider. In this course you will learn who the Code applies to, what each of its seven elements means in day to day support work, and how to apply them in realistic situations with participants. We also cover how the Code connects to our own policies, how to raise concerns, and what can happen when the Code is breached, including action by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. By the end you will be able to recognise conduct that meets the Code and conduct that does not. Duration: 40 minutes.
45 minNDIS Worker Orientation
This course is our own orientation to working in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It explains what the NDIS is and how it works, the rights of people with disability, and what choice and control mean in everyday support. You will learn how the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission protects participants, how the NDIS Practice Standards, complaints and incident management fit together, what the NDIS Code of Conduct expects of you, and how NDIS worker screening works. This course is part of our induction and does not replace the NDIS Commission's official Worker Orientation Module, Quality, Safety and You, which you must also complete where required and provide your certificate to us. Duration: 45 minutes.
50 minIncident Reporting
Incidents happen in every support setting, and how we respond in the first minutes and hours makes a real difference to the people involved. This course explains what an incident is, the different types you may come across, and the immediate steps to take to keep everyone safe. You will learn how to report and document incidents through our internal system, what makes a good incident report, and which incidents are reportable incidents that registered NDIS providers must notify to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, including the 24 hour and 5 business day timeframes. Case studies about a fall at home and an unreported restrictive practice show how it all fits together. Duration: 50 minutes.
45 minInfection Prevention and Control for NDIS
Many of the people we support are at higher risk of serious illness from infections, and much of our work involves close personal care in homes and shared living settings. This course explains the infection prevention and control practices every NDIS worker must use. You will learn the standard precautions we apply with every person every time, the transmission based precautions used for contact, droplet and airborne infections, and how to choose, put on and take off personal protective equipment correctly. It also covers cleaning and disinfection, waste and linen, and what to do during an outbreak. The course aligns with the NDIS Practice Standards and the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare. Two case studies show these practices in real support. Duration: 45 minutes.
55 minMedication Management for NDIS Workers
Many of the people we support take medication every day, and support workers often help them to take it safely. This course explains your role in medication support, consent and independence, the rights of medication administration, Webster packs and PRN medication, and why medication used to control behaviour may be a restrictive practice. You will learn how to store and document medication, respond to refusals and errors, and manage medication on outings. Two case studies follow a weekend away and a dose that was signed but not given. The course builds knowledge only. You must also be trained and assessed as competent by a qualified health practitioner where required, and follow the participant's medication plan and our policy. Duration: 55 minutes.
45 minManual Handling
Moving people and objects is part of almost every shift in disability and aged care support, and musculoskeletal injuries such as back, neck and shoulder strains are among the most common injuries in our sector. This course explains what makes a manual task hazardous under work health and safety law, how to assess and control the risks, and how to move safely using good posture and the right equipment. You will learn the principles of safe transfers, how to use slide sheets, transfer aids and hoists, and how to report hazards and injuries early. The course builds knowledge only. You must also be trained and assessed as competent on the equipment and transfers set out in each participant's plan. Duration: 45 minutes.
60 minFirst Aid and CPR Awareness Refresher
This refresher helps you recall the key steps of first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation between your formal training sessions. It follows the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation guidelines and covers the DRSABCD action plan, calling 000, CPR and using a defibrillator, the recovery position, choking, severe bleeding, shock and anaphylaxis, with examples from disability and aged care settings. This course is awareness only. It does not replace a nationally accredited first aid or CPR certificate, such as HLTAID009 or HLTAID011, or the practical assessment those courses include. Duration: 60 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Is the NDIS Worker Orientation Module mandatory?
For workers of registered providers, yes in practice: the NDIS Practice Standards require registered providers' orientation to include the mandatory NDIS worker orientation program, and the verification module says workers complete it.
How do I get my NDIS Worker Orientation Module certificate?
Complete the free module through the NDIS Commission's worker training page. Your certificate is displayed on screen and emailed to you so you can give it to your employer.
Do all NDIS workers need a Worker Screening Check?
Workers in risk-assessed roles and key personnel roles at registered providers do. Unregistered providers and self-managed participants can choose to require one. Clearances last up to 5 years.
Is there a single NDIS training certificate?
No. Different requirements come from different places: the Commission's orientation module, the Practice Standards, work health and safety law and state law. Each course or check has its own record.
Is first aid mandatory for disability support workers?
Employers must provide enough trained first aiders for the workplace. Because support workers often work alone, many providers require every worker to hold a current first aid and CPR certificate from a registered training organisation.
Does the Code of Conduct apply to unregistered providers?
Yes. The NDIS Code of Conduct applies to registered and unregistered providers, their key personnel and their workers.
Source: NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Checked 10/11/2026. Provider Compliance is not affiliated with the Victorian Government.