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First Priority Care

Choosing a provider

How to choose an NDIS provider

A checklist you can use on any provider in Queensland, including us. Seven things to check, the exact questions to ask, and the answers that should give you pause.

Quick answer

How do you choose an NDIS provider?

To choose an NDIS provider, check their registration number on the NDIS Commission register, confirm they are registered for the supports in your plan, and ask how they cover a shift when your regular worker is away. Then read the service agreement for the notice period and any fees before you sign anything.

Most guides to choosing an NDIS provider are written by providers who put themselves at the top of the list. This one is a checklist instead. Work through the seven points below with any provider you are considering, write down the answers, and compare. If we come out well, ring us. If we do not, ring the one that did.

It takes about twenty minutes on the phone with each provider. That is a small amount of time against a service that may be in your home every day for years.

The framework

Seven things to check before you sign

Use these on any provider in Queensland, including us. Each one has the exact question worth asking and the answer that should give you pause. Score each out of two as you go, then add them up at the end.

  1. 1

    Registration, and what they are actually registered for

    Registration is not one single thing. Providers are registered for specific registration groups, so a provider can be genuinely registered and still not be permitted to deliver the support you need. If your plan is agency managed you must use a registered provider. If you are plan managed or self managed you can use either, but you still want to know which you are dealing with.

    What good looks like

    • They give you their NDIS registration number without hesitating
    • You can find that number on the NDIS Commission register, with the registration groups listed
    • The registration covers the supports in your plan, including high intensity supports if you need them
    • The registration is current rather than lapsed

    Ask this

    “What is your NDIS registration number, and which registration groups does it cover?”

    Red flag

    Phrases like "NDIS approved" or "NDIS accredited" with no number attached. Those are not real terms, and a registered provider will always know its number.

  2. 2

    Clinical capability, and who supervises it

    Plenty of providers employ nurses. Far fewer have a registered nurse writing the care plan and supervising the support workers who deliver it. If any part of your support is clinical, that difference is what decides whether a small change gets picked up early or turns into a hospital admission.

    What good looks like

    • A named registered nurse, AHPRA registered, is responsible for your care plan
    • Workers delivering high intensity supports are assessed against the NDIS High Intensity Support Skills Descriptors, not just sent on a course once
    • There is a clear escalation path when something clinical changes
    • Care plans are written down and reviewed on a stated schedule

    Ask this

    “Who writes my care plan, what are their clinical qualifications, and how often is it reviewed?”

    Red flag

    The person named has no clinical qualification, or you get "all our staff are trained" with no mention of who assessed them or when.

  3. 3

    Continuity, and what happens when your worker is away

    Continuity is what participants complain about most, and the thing providers are vaguest about. Having a stranger turn up to help you shower is not a minor scheduling inconvenience, so it is worth being blunt about this before you sign anything.

    What good looks like

    • A named primary worker and a named backup, both of whom have met you before their first shift
    • A written policy for unplanned absences, not just an assurance
    • Rosters given to you in advance rather than the night before
    • The provider actually tracks how often you get your regular worker

    Ask this

    “If my regular worker is sick on a Sunday, who comes instead, and will I have met them before?”

    Red flag

    "We have a large casual pool." That answers a question about their staffing, not about your continuity.

  4. 4

    Response times and after-hours contact

    Most things go wrong outside business hours. How a provider handles a Saturday night tells you more than anything in their brochure.

    What good looks like

    • A real person answers after hours rather than a message bank
    • A stated response time for both general enquiries and urgent issues, in writing
    • The person answering has authority to make a decision, not just take a message
    • You are told who to call for what, before you need to call

    Ask this

    “If I ring at 9pm on a Saturday, who answers, and what can they actually do?”

    Red flag

    An after-hours number that goes to voicemail, or a response time nobody is willing to put in writing.

  5. 5

    The service agreement

    The service agreement is where the real terms live. The notice period, the cancellation policy and any fees are all in there, and they are much easier to read before you sign than to argue about afterwards.

    What good looks like

    • A clear notice period, commonly 14 days, with no exit fee
    • A cancellation policy that matches the NDIS Pricing Arrangements rather than a stricter one of their own
    • Plain English, and they are happy for you to take it away and read it properly
    • No pressure to sign on the day

    Ask this

    “What is the notice period, and are there any fees if I decide to leave?”

    Red flag

    Lock-in periods, exit fees, or anyone hurrying you to sign at the first visit.

  6. 6

    Whether you get a say in who supports you

    Choice and control is the whole idea behind the NDIS. In practice some providers roster whoever happens to be free that day, which is a very different experience from being matched to someone.

    What good looks like

    • You meet workers before they start
    • You can ask for a different worker without it becoming awkward
    • They ask about your preferences up front, including gender, language, culture and interests
    • They can explain how they match people, not just tell you that they do

    Ask this

    “Can I meet a worker before their first shift, and what happens if it turns out not to be a good match?”

    Red flag

    Any hint that asking for a change would be difficult or unreasonable.

  7. 7

    Complaints, and what happens when something goes wrong

    Every provider has problems at some point. What separates them is what happens next. You are always free to go straight to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, and a good provider will tell you that themselves.

    What good looks like

    • A written complaints process with a named contact and a timeframe
    • They mention the NDIS Commission to you, rather than hoping you never find it
    • Incidents are documented, and you are told when one involves you
    • You can raise something without worrying your supports will suffer for it

    Ask this

    “How do I make a complaint, who handles it, and how quickly will I hear back?”

    Red flag

    No written process, or a provider who discourages you from contacting the NDIS Commission.

Scoring

Adding it up

Score each of the seven out of two, for a total out of fourteen. It is rough on purpose. The value is in noticing which questions a provider would not answer clearly.

How to score each of the seven criteria
ScoreWhat it means
0No clear answer, or the answer avoided the question
1A reasonable answer, but nothing in writing
2A clear answer, and they will put it in writing

11 to 14

Strong

This provider can answer the hard questions. Get the important points written into your service agreement and go ahead.

7 to 10

Worth another conversation

There is something here, but push on whatever scored low before you sign. A good provider will not mind being asked twice.

0 to 6

Keep looking

Vague answers at the enquiry stage rarely get clearer once you are a client. You are allowed to walk away.

Warning signs

Red flags worth walking away from

  • "NDIS approved" or "NDIS accredited" used instead of an actual registration number
  • Pressure to sign a service agreement on the first visit
  • Exit fees, lock-in periods, or a notice period longer than about a month
  • No genuine after-hours contact
  • Vague answers about who supervises clinical care
  • Unwillingness to put response times in writing
  • Any discouragement from contacting the NDIS Commission
  • Promising you supports your plan does not actually fund
Being straight with you

When First Priority Care is not the right fit

We would rather tell you now than three months in. Here is when you are better off with someone else.

  • If you need a couple of hours of domestic help a week and nothing clinical, a smaller local provider or an independent support worker will often cost less and serve you just as well.
  • If you need therapy such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology or psychology, we do not deliver those. You need an allied health provider, and we are happy to point you towards one.
  • If you need plan management, that has to be a separate provider. We do not manage plan funds.
  • If you live outside the areas we cover, we will tell you rather than stretch to reach you, because a worker driving an hour each way is not a service that lasts.
  • If your supports are entirely non-clinical and you already have a provider you like, moving to us just to be nurse-led is not worth the disruption.

If any of those describe you, ring us anyway on 1800 402 205 and we will point you somewhere useful. It costs you nothing and we would rather you ended up in the right place.

Check for yourself

Where to verify what a provider tells you

Do not take any provider's word for it, including ours. Our NDIS registration number is 4-J8DTEN1 and our ABN is 46 660 377 604. Both are on the public register below.

If you are already with a provider and it is not working, you can change at any time. See how switching NDIS providers works, or read our complaints process.

By region

Choosing a provider where you live

The seven questions are the same everywhere. What changes is the local market: how many providers there are, how far they travel, and which questions matter most. Pick your region.

Questions

Common questions about choosing a provider

What should I ask an NDIS provider before signing up?
Ask for their NDIS registration number and registration groups, who writes and reviews your care plan and what their qualifications are, who covers a shift when your regular worker is sick, what happens if you call after hours, the notice period and any exit fees, whether you can meet a worker before their first shift, and how complaints are handled.
Does an NDIS provider have to be registered?
It depends on how your plan is managed. If your plan is agency managed you must use registered providers. If you are plan managed or self managed you can use registered or unregistered providers. Registered providers are audited against the NDIS Practice Standards, which is a meaningful difference for clinical or high intensity supports.
How do I check if an NDIS provider is registered?
Ask the provider for their NDIS registration number, then look it up on the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission register at ndiscommission.gov.au. The register shows the registration groups they are approved for and the expiry date. You can also search the NDIS Provider Finder on ndis.gov.au.
Can I use more than one NDIS provider at a time?
Yes. Many participants use several providers, for example one for daily support, another for nursing and a separate plan manager. You are not required to consolidate everything with one provider, and you can change any single provider without affecting the others.
What if I choose a provider and it does not work out?
You can leave at any time. Check the notice period in your service agreement, commonly 14 days, give written notice, and line up your new provider before finishing with the old one. You do not need to give a reason, and your NDIS funding stays with you rather than the provider.
Is a bigger NDIS provider better than a smaller one?
Neither is automatically better. Larger providers usually have stronger after-hours cover and can absorb staff absences. Smaller providers often give more consistency in who turns up and easier access to a decision maker. Ask both the same questions and compare the answers rather than the size.

Want to run the checklist on us?

Ring us and ask all seven. We will answer them straight, and we will tell you if we are not the right fit.

1800 402 205Send a message
Ready when you are

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Speak with our care team about your NDIS plan, your goals, and how we can help.

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