NDIS Funding Guide · 2026–27 · Beyond Health Services
Who is legally and professionally qualified to deliver an NDIS support? A practical 2026–27 matrix for participants, support coordinators and plan managers.
Checked against the NDIS Pricing Schedule effective 24 September 2026 and current NDIS Commission guidance on 20 October 2026. Australian English; content subject to regulatory updates.
The short answer
Three separate questions must be checked: is the provider registered where registration is mandatory, does the individual worker hold the required qualification or accreditation, and is the worker competent to deliver the particular support safely?
Provider registration and professional qualifications are not the same thing
The NDIS Pricing Schedule describes qualifications for many allied health professions and some specialist supports. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission separately regulates who may provide certain services. A provider's registration certificate does not mean every employee can practise as a registered physiotherapist, psychologist or nurse. Likewise, a qualified clinician is not automatically a registered NDIS provider.
The NDIS Commission currently lists mandatory registration for NDIA-managed supports, specialist disability accommodation, specialist behaviour support, plan management, assistance with Supported Independent Living (SIL), NDIS digital platform services and providers that use regulated restrictive practices. The Commission states that mandatory registration for SIL and platform providers began on 1 July 2026, with transition arrangements. Support coordination registration reform is paused. Check the Commission's current rules and any transitional conditions rather than assuming that all 57 pricing tables impose the same provider-registration rule.
2026–27 provider and worker requirements by support type
The matrix reflects qualification or worker-role statements in the attached Pricing Schedule, Tables 1–57. Where the schedule does not give one mandatory qualification, the table says so instead of inventing a credential. Many professions also have ongoing requirements imposed by their professional bodies.
| Service or worker | Pricing table | Qualification or role requirement | Examples of use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disability support worker Level 1 | 1 | SCHADS Level 2.3 under Schedule B is used as the pricing cost model, not a universal mandatory certificate. Worker competence, supervision, screening and support-specific safeguards still apply. | Routine self-care, community access, standard SIL support |
| Disability support worker Level 2 | 2 | Pricing benchmark averages SCHADS Levels 2.4 and 3.1. High-intensity personal activities require the relevant NDIS High Intensity Supports Skills. Intensive and complex behaviour support must meet its separate definition. | High-intensity personal care and complex behaviour support |
| Disability support worker Level 3 | 3 | SCHADS Level 3.2 is the pricing model; suitable teaching and skill-building competence is required. The schedule does not impose one qualification for every Level 3 service. | Plan skills, tenancy, employment, education transitions |
| Psychosocial recovery coach | 4 | Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, Certificate IV in Mental Health, equivalent tertiary qualification in a related field or at least two years of demonstrated mental-health-related professional experience. | Recovery coaching; employment recovery coaching |
| Assistive technology mentor | 5 | At least Certificate IV in AT Mentoring recognised by ASQA or equivalent training, as defined in the schedule. | Structured assistive technology mentoring |
| Enrolled nurse | 10 | Currently registered EN. Works under direct or indirect supervision of an RN, with the required nursing competence and clinical plan. | Disability-related clinical nursing tasks within EN scope |
| Registered nurse | 11 | Current Australian registration as a Registered Nurse, acting within competence, nursing standards and the relevant disability-related care plan. | Registered nurse clinical care |
| Clinical nurse | 12 | Registered nurse fulfilling Nurses Award RN Level 2 clinical nurse role, with the applicable experience and skill; not a generic upgrade for all RN visits. | Comprehensive nursing and individual case management |
| Clinical nurse consultant | 13 | Advanced-practice Registered Nurse at RN Level 3 or above under the listed award classification, with relevant education, experience and CPD. | Complex advanced nursing interventions |
| Nurse practitioner | 14 | Current formal Nurse Practitioner endorsement by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and practice within endorsed scope. | Advanced practice nursing |
| Cleaning, gardening and other labour supports | 15 | The schedule does not prescribe a single universal professional certificate for all these activities; workers must be safe and competent, with screening and other obligations as applicable. | Household cleaning, yard maintenance, specialised home-based help |
| Personal trainer | 16 | Certificate III, Certificate IV or Diploma in Fitness, or equivalent personal training qualification. | Qualified personal training |
| Art therapist | 17, 39 | Professional Member of the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapy Association. | Art therapy (adult and early childhood) |
| Audiologist | 18 | Audiology Australia Accredited Audiologist, or Full Member audiologist with the Australian College of Audiology. | Audiology |
| Audiometrist | 19 | Current Full Member of the Hearing Aid Audiometrist Society of Australia or Full Member audiometrist of the Australian College of Audiology. | Audiometry |
| Counsellor | 20, 40 | Member of the Australian Counselling Association, an accredited PACFA registrant, or the separate provisional psychologist pathway specified in the schedule. | Counselling (adult and early childhood) |
| Developmental educator | 21, 41 | Full Member of Developmental Educators Australia. | Developmental education |
| Dietitian | 22, 42 | Accredited Practising Dietitian with Dietitians Australia. | Dietetics |
| Exercise physiologist | 23, 44 | Accredited Exercise Physiologist with Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA). | Exercise physiology |
| Registered music therapist | 24, 45 | Active Registered Music Therapist with the Australian Music Therapy Association. | Music therapy |
| Occupational therapist | 25, 46 | Current AHPRA registration as an Occupational Therapist. | Occupational therapy |
| Orientation and mobility specialist | 26, 47 | Current registration with the Orientation and Mobility Association of Australasia. | Orientation and mobility |
| Orthoptist | 27 | Current registration with the Australian Orthoptic Board, as specified by the schedule. | Orthoptics |
| Physiotherapist | 28, 48 | Current AHPRA registration as a Physiotherapist. | Physiotherapy |
| Podiatrist | 29, 49 | Current AHPRA registration as a Podiatrist. | Podiatry |
| Psychologist | 30, 50 | Current AHPRA registration as a Psychologist; the schedule also includes paid provisionally registered psychologists operating under supervision. | Psychology |
| Rehabilitation counsellor | 31 | Member of the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors. | Rehabilitation counselling |
| Social worker | 32, 51 | Member of the Australian Association of Social Workers. | Social work therapy |
| Speech pathologist | 33, 52 | Certified Practising Speech Pathologist approved by Speech Pathology Australia. | Speech pathology |
| Other therapy / other ECI professional | 34, 53 | An appropriate therapeutic professional in a discipline not explicitly itemised, who meets the relevant NDIS Commission therapeutic or early childhood registration-group requirements. | Unlisted professional disciplines only |
| Customised orthotic / prosthetic technology specialist | 35 | A suitable professional, typically orthotist, prosthetist or pedorthist, performing individualised technology selection or manufacture. | Customised or wearable technology |
| Specialist behaviour support provider | 36 | NDIS Commission-registered specialist behaviour support provider (registration group 0110). Behaviour support practitioners developing plans must meet Commission suitability requirements. | Specialist behaviour interventions and plan implementation |
| Therapy assistant Level 1 | 37, 54 | Not fully qualified in the relevant listed discipline and working under a therapist's direct supervision at all times. | Adult and ECI therapy assistant Level 1 |
| Therapy assistant Level 2 | 38, 55 | Supervised by a therapist, or able to carry out specifically delegated work without constant direct supervision if the therapist is satisfied they can do so safely. | Adult and ECI therapy assistant Level 2 |
| Early childhood teacher / educator | 43 | Bachelor's degree or higher in Early Childhood Education or Special Education, and applicable state/territory accreditation or registration. | Early childhood educational intervention |
| Support coordinator | 56 | The price schedule does not specify one universal formal qualification for coordination Levels 1–3. Competence, conflict management, participant need and any current registration obligations must be assessed separately. | Support connection, level 2, specialist level 3, employment coordination, ILO exploration |
| Plan management provider | 57 | Registered plan management provider and compliance with financial and safeguarding obligations. | Plan management monthly fee |
High-intensity health skills and behaviour support require extra scrutiny
A high-intensity item is linked to the high-intensity support skills set in the NDIS Practice Standards. A participant may have complex health conditions but still receive ordinary tasks that do not require high-intensity skills. Document the task, competent worker, care plan and necessary supervision. Intensive and complex behaviour support has a separate definition involving frequent behaviours of concern and intensive daily strategies. It cannot be selected purely because there is a positive behaviour support plan in place.
Specialist positive behaviour support practitioners require the appropriate provider registration and Commission suitability requirements. Implementing providers that use regulated restrictive practices must meet mandatory registration, authorisation, monitoring and reporting obligations. Pricing codes do not grant permission to use a restrictive practice.
Three examples of wrong qualification assumptions
- Incorrect: an ordinary support worker helps a participant exercise and the provider claims a physiotherapy item. Correct question: was the care delivered by a currently registered physiotherapist, or was it a support worker helping with an existing programme?
- Incorrect: a worker is experienced with mental health, so the provider claims a psychosocial recovery coach item. Correct question: does the worker satisfy one of the schedule's Certificate IV, equivalent tertiary or two-year demonstrated experience pathways, and did the session actually constitute recovery coaching?
- Incorrect: a therapy assistant works independently while the provider bills a Level 1 therapy assistant item. Correct question: was direct therapist supervision maintained throughout, or should a suitably delegated Level 2 arrangement have been considered?
What should participants ask before booking?
Ask for the name and credentials of the person who will provide the service, their current registration or membership if required, the NDIS provider's registration status and relevant registration groups, the specific support item and why it fits, any supervision arrangement, their experience with the relevant disability-related task and the agreed fees. For complex or high-risk support, ask for evidence of assessment, worker competence and safe escalation plans.
For professional services, the official member register or AHPRA register can be consulted. For NDIS provider status, check the Commission's provider register. Keep records when a specialist item requires an extra qualification or a higher worker level.
Frequently asked questions
Does an NDIS-registered business make every worker a registered professional?
No. Business registration is separate from the individual nurse, physiotherapist, psychologist, OT or other clinician's professional qualification and registration.
Can unregistered providers deliver NDIS-funded support?
For some supports and funding arrangements, yes. However, the Commission identifies several services for which registration is mandatory, including NDIA-managed supports, SIL, SDA, plan management and specialist behaviour support. Check the latest requirements and any applicable transitional arrangements.
Can a therapy assistant deliver the same tasks as a therapist?
A therapy assistant can undertake suitable delegated work under the conditions for their level. They do not thereby become a qualified therapist able to independently assess, diagnose or prescribe.
Official sources
NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27 · NDIS Support Catalogue · NDIS Commission registration rules. These are independent explanations for readers, not an NDIA funding decision. The published amounts and registration rules must be checked against the version in force on the service date.
