What the NDIS rules require
The Worker orientation module. The NDIS Commission's free Worker orientation module, Quality, Safety and You, explains workers' obligations under the Code of Conduct. The Commission says it is mandatory for staff of registered NDIS providers, and the human resource management standard expects induction to include it. Keep each worker's certificate on file.
The NDIS Code of Conduct. The Code applies to registered and unregistered providers, their key personnel and every worker. It covers rights and decision making, privacy, safe and competent support, integrity, raising concerns, preventing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, preventing sexual misconduct and, on the Commission's current list, fair pricing.
Worker screening. Workers in risk assessed roles and all key personnel of registered providers need an NDIS worker screening clearance, valid for 5 years. Registered providers must keep written records of their risk assessed roles and of each worker in them, kept for 7 years.
The human resource management standard. For registered providers delivering higher risk supports, the core module expects:
- the skills and knowledge for each position identified and documented
- records of pre-employment checks, qualifications and experience
- an orientation and induction process, including the mandatory NDIS worker orientation program
- a system to identify, plan, deliver, record and evaluate training, which identifies mandatory training and covers obligations under the Practice Standards and other NDIS rules
- supervision, and performance managed and documented
- infection prevention and control training, including refreshers, for all workers supporting participants.
Other core standards add their own training expectations. For example, all workers must be aware of, trained in and follow your incident management procedures, and members of a governing body must identify the skills they need and train to fill any gaps.
Supplementary modules add role specific training
Depending on what you deliver, supplementary modules apply on top of the core module:
- High intensity daily personal activities: workers supporting a participant with, for example, enteral feeding, catheter care, tracheostomy care or severe dysphagia need training specific to that participant, delivered by an appropriately qualified health practitioner or a person meeting the skills descriptor, under a training plan. Online courses build knowledge; they do not replace this participant specific training.
- Implementing behaviour support plans: workers need access to training in positive behaviour support and restrictive practices, and training in the safe use of any restrictive practice they may use.
- Supported independent living: SIL providers have had to be registered since 1 July 2026 and meet the SIL supplementary module.
- Specialised support coordination, early childhood supports and specialist disability accommodation have their own modules.
Training by role
A starting point for an NDIS training matrix, mapped to our courses. Adjust it to your supports, your participants and your risk assessment.
Read more in our support coordination training guide.
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.What auditors check
Auditors test whether your training system works, not just whether courses exist. Expect them to sample worker files and ask workers questions. Have ready:
- a training matrix showing mandatory training for each position, and who has completed what
- Worker orientation module certificates and worker screening clearances for risk assessed roles
- induction records and position descriptions listing skills, scope and limits
- evidence of competency, not just attendance: assessments, observed practice and supervision notes
- participant specific training records for high intensity supports, signed off by the qualified practitioner
- refresher dates for infection prevention and control and other training your policies say must be renewed
- evidence you evaluate training and act on gaps found through incidents, complaints or supervision.
The Practice Standards do not set a single refresher cycle for most topics, so set your own in policy, based on risk, and follow it.
Free and paid NDIS online training
The Commission's Worker orientation module is free; at the time of writing its wider training portal is unavailable and the module can be requested from the Commission's website. The Commission also publishes free Code of Conduct videos. Our courses are paid, written for Australian NDIS providers, and include assessments and certificates you can file as training evidence.
Training a whole team
You can enrol your staff in one or more courses, or every course, with one payment and one tax invoice on our team purchase page. Team discounts apply for larger groups, and your team dashboard shows each learner's progress and certificates, ready for your training register.
Train your team
Start with the courses most NDIS providers make mandatory:
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.
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 minIntroduction to the NDIS Practice Standards
The NDIS Practice Standards set out the quality and safety outcomes that registered NDIS providers must deliver for participants. This course explains what the Practice Standards are, how they are organised into a core module, supplementary modules and a verification module, and what the four parts of the core module cover. You will learn how providers are audited against the standards, what an auditor may look at, how the standards connect to the NDIS Code of Conduct and how your everyday work shows that we are meeting them. Case studies about choice in a shared home, changing needs and a complaint show the standards in action. The standards are being reformed, so we also show you where to find the current version. 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.
45 minZero Tolerance of Abuse and Neglect
Every person we support has the right to live free from abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation. Zero tolerance means we do not accept any form of harm, we work to stop it before it starts, we act early when warning signs appear, and we respond properly whenever it happens. This course explains what zero tolerance means in practice, the forms abuse, neglect and exploitation can take, how prevention and early intervention work in everyday support, and exactly what to do if you see, suspect or are told about harm. Case studies about small signs in a group home, missing money and a disclosure without words show these skills in action. It reflects the NDIS Code of Conduct, reportable incident requirements and the National Disability Services Zero Tolerance framework. Duration: 45 minutes.
50 minPrivacy and Confidentiality
Every day we are trusted with deeply personal information about the people we support: their health, their homes, their families and their finances. This course explains what privacy and confidentiality mean in disability and aged care support, the laws that protect personal information, including the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, and how the NDIS Code of Conduct and our privacy policy apply to your work. You will learn how to collect, store, share and dispose of information safely, how to handle requests from family and other services, and what to do if information is lost or shared by mistake. Case studies about a lost work phone and a worried sister show these skills in action. Duration: 50 minutes.
45 minWorker Screening for Managers and HR
Worker screening is one of the most important preventative safeguards in disability and aged care, and a condition of our NDIS registration. This course helps managers and human resources staff get it right. It explains what a risk assessed role is and when an NDIS Worker Screening Check clearance is needed, the role of state and territory worker screening units and the national NDIS Worker Screening Database, and the records a registered provider must keep. It covers what to do when a worker is excluded, suspended or under an interim bar, the rules for working on application and other exceptions, and the current screening requirements for aged care workers. Two case studies show these steps in practice. Duration: 45 minutes.
50 minGovernance and Safeguarding for Boards and Executives
Boards and executives set the direction, culture and priorities that decide whether participants and older people receive safe, quality support. This course covers the Governance and Operational Management part of the NDIS Practice Standards, the duties of directors and officers in general terms, managing conflicts of interest, overseeing risk and quality, and what a board should expect to see in reports. It also looks at culture and the governing body responsibilities introduced by the Aged Care Act 2024, including the statutory duty and the due diligence duty of responsible persons. Two case studies show a board testing good news and responding to a serious allegation. This course is general information, not legal advice. Duration: 50 minutes.
50 minHigh Intensity Supports: Provider Obligations
High intensity daily personal activities, such as enteral feeding, tracheostomy care and complex bowel care, carry serious risks if they are not delivered by competent, well supported workers. This course explains, for team leaders and managers, what these supports are, the NDIS Practice Standards module that applies to them and its outcomes, how competency based training and assessment by a qualified health practitioner works, how support plans are developed and reviewed, and how to supervise workers and escalate concerns. This course builds knowledge only. It does not make anyone competent to deliver a high intensity support. Two case studies bring it together. Duration: 50 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Is the NDIS Worker Orientation Module mandatory?
The NDIS Commission says it is mandatory for staff of registered NDIS providers, and the Practice Standards expect induction to include it. It is free, takes about an hour, and gives a certificate for your records.
What training do NDIS support workers need?
At minimum the Worker orientation module, the Code of Conduct, your incident management procedures and infection prevention and control, plus training for the specific supports they deliver, such as medication, manual handling or mealtime support.
Do NDIS staff need refresher training?
Infection prevention and control refreshers are expected for all workers supporting participants. For other topics, set refresher cycles in your training policy based on risk and follow them.
Can online courses meet high intensity support requirements?
Online courses build knowledge, but high intensity supports need participant specific training delivered by an appropriately qualified health practitioner or a person meeting the skills descriptor.
What do NDIS auditors check about training?
A training system that identifies mandatory training per role, records completion, shows competency and is evaluated, plus orientation certificates, screening clearances and participant specific training records.
Do unregistered NDIS providers need to train staff?
Unregistered providers and their workers must still follow the NDIS Code of Conduct, which includes providing supports safely and competently. Training is the practical way to show that.
Source: NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Checked 10/11/2026. Provider Compliance is not affiliated with the Victorian Government.