Month: January 2026

HAVE YOUR SAY TODAY!

The “Getting It Right: A New Definition for NDIS Providers” consultation, launched in December 2025 and open until 28 February 2026, is a pivotal moment for the sector. This isn’t just another paperwork exercise; it will reshape who counts as an “NDIS provider” under the NDIS Act and determine which providers must register with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission based on risk levels of the supports they deliver.

Why It Matters

The NDIS Review in 2023 highlighted the need for a risk-proportionate regulatory model. The NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce, after consulting widely, released advice in August 2024 recommending a narrowed definition focused on businesses or organisations delivering higher-risk disability supports. This shifts away from the broad current definition (which captures almost anyone paid with NDIS funds, including sole traders or family members in some cases).

The new approach enables graduated registration tiers:

• Higher-risk supports (such as SIL, personal care, behaviour support) = full registration and audits.
• Lower-risk = lighter touch or just visibility.

This creates a fairer system that protects participants without overburdening low-risk providers, while giving the Commission better oversight where it counts.

The paper includes 6 guiding questions on these areas, but you can submit on anything relevant, such as written, video, or images via the survey or email [email protected]

At the NGO Training Centre, we have worked with hundreds of NDIS providers undergoing registration, audits, and achieving practice standards, and we believe this change is overwhelmingly positive. A sharper definition stops the “all or nothing” problem in which good, low-risk providers avoid registration to retain flexibility, while gaps remain in higher-risk areas.

For participants, it means better safeguards. For providers, it levels the playing field and reduces unnecessary bureaucracy. The big win? Proportionate regulation that rewards providers who already prioritise quality, governance, and staff training.

If your team delivers any higher-risk supports, start preparing now. You can:

• Review the Taskforce’s support lists
• Gap-assess against the NDIS Practice Standards, and
• Upskill on the Code of Conduct and incident management reporting

Take Action

This consultation closes 28 February 2026, so don’t miss it. Your experience as providers is crucial to getting the definition right.

Have your say here: NDIS provider definition consultation survey (or Easy Read version).

At the NGO Training Centre, we’ve helped hundreds of providers achieve and maintain registration seamlessly, and our courses are fully aligned with the latest NDIS Practice Standards and the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. If you want to get ahead of these changes with practical, audit-ready training, let’s chat.

What are your biggest concerns or hopes for the new definition? Join the conversation using the links below. Let’s keep supporting each other to deliver the best outcomes for participants.

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Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

In November 2025, Australia started big changes to aged care. The goal was to give older people respect, choices, and safe help. The new Aged Care Act 2024 and the Support at Home program promised to fix the problems identified in a 2021 report. But after three months, one thing has made many very upset: the new fees.

At the NGO Training Centre, we spend our days talking with aged care providers across the country. Lately, one topic keeps coming up again and again, and not quietly. The new home care co-payment arrangements have become the loudest, most emotional flashpoint in the broader aged care reforms.

And honestly, it is not hard to see why.

Under the new settings, everyone now contributes something toward the cost of their home care. How much they pay depends on income and assets, including the value of the home, with contributions reaching up to 50 per cent of service costs. On paper, this is about sustainability. In real life, it is about older people and families trying to make sense of bills they never expected to see.

We are hearing the same stories that providers are. A simple shower, help with meals, or domestic support suddenly feels expensive. Families are shocked when they see hourly rates climb into the hundreds. For people who sit just above concession thresholds, the system can feel like a trap rather than a safety net. As Queensland Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne put it bluntly, “We are making it hard for parents to stay home.”

The anger has spilled everywhere. Senate hearings in December were tense, with senators grilling officials about complaints that appear to have gone nowhere. Stories surfaced of families paying $3,000 for minor gardening jobs, or $14,000 for safety rails, leaving little funding for actual health supports. In Queensland, assessment wait times are around 20 per cent longer than the national average. Some older people report skipping meals to save money. These are not abstract policy debates. They are daily realities.

Advocacy groups like COTA Australia warn that 20 to 30 per cent of people may withdraw from home care altogether because it has become unaffordable. As COTA’s Ian Yates said, rights look good on paper, but they mean very little if people cannot afford to exercise them. Media commentators have gone further, describing the shift as “money-first care for the old,” arguing that some for-profit providers are using the complexity of the new rules to overcharge for small jobs.

At the same time, there is another truth we cannot ignore. Australia’s population is ageing rapidly. There are now around 4.9 million people aged 65 or older, and that number is expected to reach 6 million by 2030. Without some form of shared contribution, many argue the system simply will not survive. Peak bodies representing providers point out that the workforce is already stretched thin, grappling with reform fatigue, compliance changes, and rising operational costs.

So here we are, caught between sustainability and fairness.

One story that stayed with us was shared by a 78-year-old woman interviewed by the ABC. Her fees tripled. She now showers only twice a week to keep costs down. “I worked for 40 years to relax,” she said, “not to choose between clean and broke.” Calls to My Aged Care have reportedly jumped by 40 per cent, driven by confusion and frustration. Officials describe these issues as “start-up problems,” but for the people living through them, they do not feel temporary.

From our perspective, this is where providers sit in an incredibly difficult position. You are the face of a system you did not design, explaining rules you did not write, to clients who are scared, angry, or both. The reputational risk is real, even when pricing reflects genuine costs. So is the moral distress felt by staff who entered aged care to help, not to argue about invoices.

As we head toward the May 2026 budget, pressure is mounting for adjustments. Some are calling for an additional $5 to $10 billion in funding to soften co-payments. Others suggest that technology fixes, such as faster digital assessments, could reduce delays and frustration. Those conversations matter, and they will continue.

But right now, the dominant mood is not optimism. It is raw frustration.

This is why we believe training has never been more critical. Not just clinical skills, but communication, ethical decision-making, trauma-informed care, and navigating difficult conversations about cost and choice. Providers need support to help their workforce explain the system with empathy, recognise when financial stress is affecting wellbeing, and advocate appropriately within the boundaries they operate in.

These reforms were meant to support Australians in their later years with dignity. At the moment, many feel they are being tested by fire instead. Our role as a training organisation is to stand alongside providers as you navigate this space, build confidence in your teams, and keep the focus where it belongs: on people, not just policy.

The debate about co-payments will continue. In the meantime, the way we support older Australians through it will matter more than ever.

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Author: Cathy Kerr BANurs, GDAET, Cert IV Training and Assessment.

Cathy brings over three decades of expertise to the field of nursing education, with a distinguished career as a registered nurse, educator, and now aged care consultant. Her extensive experience spans clinical practice, training, and consultancy, where she has dedicated herself to improving care standards and supporting both ageing individuals and healthcare professionals. With a deep understanding of the sector’s challenges and opportunities, Cathy combines her nursing background with a passion for education to drive positive outcomes in aged care.

I’ve been keeping an eye on recent developments in the NDIS, and some of the stories are worrying.

In the past year, several providers have faced substantial fines for failures in participant safety and neglect, with inadequate staff training often cited as a key factor. These cases remind us that good intentions alone aren’t enough when knowledge gaps lead to real harm.

For instance, in Tasmania this month, a provider was fined $1.1 million for serious breaches, including failing to follow care plans, improper medication administration, and poor supervision. Court findings noted that staff lacked adequate training to meet complex needs, contributing to neglect and health risks.

Another case from last year saw a provider fined $1.9 million after a tragic choking death. The court stressed that support workers received no formal training on managing known choking risks, despite clear plans in place.

There’s also a record $2.5 million penalty against a supported living operator for widespread safety lapses, stemming from insufficient incident management and staff preparation that left participants and workers exposed.

These aren’t just fines…they’re about the people who deserved safer support, and they show how quickly issues escalate without prioritised training.

The NDIS is tightening up, with new laws introduced in November 2025 set to raise penalties for serious misconduct to as much as $16.5 million. The emphasis is on prevention through stronger oversight and readiness. Quality training is therefore vital…not a tick-box exercise, but a foundation for trust, compliance, and truly impactful care.

From my time in the sector, I’ve found no one that offers the quality and breadth of courses that the NGO Training Centre offers. They provide practical, current NDIS courses that help providers meet these standards effectively. They cover everything from incident reporting to medication management and person-centred support, helping build a genuine safety culture without overwhelming staff.

If you’re in aged care too, our new courses aligned with the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards are worth noting. They focus on governance, consumer dignity, clinical care, infection control, and personalised planning. These are straightforward ways to stay compliant and deliver better outcomes.

What do you think about these cases? Have you faced similar training challenges? I’d value your thoughts on our LinkedIn or Facebook posts about this issue.

Let’s support each other in this important work.

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Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills. 

While most NDIS providers are still settling back into routine after the holiday break, forward-thinking organisations are seizing this critical window to implement their training systems before operational demands escalate.

By mid-February, teams will be consumed by full client loads, staff scheduling pressures, and compliance deadlines, making strategic training initiatives nearly impossible. The providers who act now will enter the busy season with trained teams and streamlined systems, while their competitors scramble with compliance gaps and outdated processes.

If you’re frustrated with your current training system or exhausted from maintaining manual training logs, there’s no better time to make the switch to NGO Training Centre than right now.

The Data Behind the Opportunity

Training completions during the post-holiday period demonstrate a powerful trend:

• January-February historically shows strong completion rates as teams return refreshed
• 2025-26 festive period saw a 76% increase in course completions over the previous year
• Providers who launched training in this quieter window reported smoother implementation and higher initial engagement

This pattern reveals a fundamental truth: the period between late January and early February offers a unique combination of renewed motivation and manageable workloads that won’t exist again until next summer.

Ready to leave your frustrations behind? We have the ideal training package for you and your organisation.

Want to understand why this timing matters? Keep reading ⬇️

Why Right Now is Your Strategic Advantage

Holiday recovery creates natural openings. Teams are back at work but not yet overwhelmed. Client schedules are rebuilding gradually, creating pockets of time that will disappear by mid-February.

New year momentum is still strong. The fresh-start mindset that drives January resolutions hasn’t faded yet. Staff are receptive to new systems and genuinely motivated to improve their workflows.

Compliance deadlines loom ahead. March and April bring quarterly reviews, Worker Screening Check renewals, and NDIS Commission requirements. Launching your training system now means you’ll be ahead of these pressures instead of drowning in them.

Manual processes are already showing cracks. If you’ve been tracking training on spreadsheets or paper logs, you’re likely already seeing the frustrations: lost records, unclear completion status, compliance gaps you didn’t know existed. Every week you delay compounds these problems.

The Cost of “We’ll Do It When Things Calm Down”

Here’s the reality check:

Things don’t calm down in this sector. February becomes March (full client loads return, training gets postponed). March becomes April (compliance deadlines hit, gaps become urgent). April becomes May (you’re firefighting issues instead of preventing them). By June, you’re looking at the same broken system you had in January, except now you’ve lost six months, and it has impacted employee experience.

Providers who set up their training systems in late January/ early February? Already running smoothly, tracking course and certificate completions automatically, and focusing on service delivery instead of administrative headaches.

What Makes This Window Work

• Reduced pressure: Operational intensity is lower, giving your team breathing room to learn a new system
• Psychological readiness: New year energy creates genuine openness to change
• Implementation time: Launching now means you’re fully operational before the March/April crunch
• Immediate relief: Stop chasing staff for completed certificates and manually updating spreadsheets starting this week

The Strategic Imperative

This isn’t about adding more to your plate—it’s about:

• Eliminating the administrative burden that’s consuming your time right now
• Closing compliance gaps before they become audit findings
• Building a scalable system that grows with your organisation
• Giving your team modern tools instead of frustrating manual processes

The question isn’t whether you can afford to switch systems. It’s whether you can afford another six months of the frustration you’ve been experiencing.

Built for Your Organisation

Generic training platforms fail because they force you into their processes. Our Learning Management System adapts to yours. Brand it with your logo, embed your internal policies, create custom modules specific to your services—all at no extra cost. The platform includes a world-class fun to use mobile app, it’s available 24/7, and has gamification features (badges, leaderboards) that actually drive engagement.

Whether you’re onboarding new staff, upskilling experienced workers, or running organisation-wide compliance refreshers, your dedicated account manager will support you through every step. The system reduces your administrative burden while ensuring everything ties directly to compliance outcomes.

The Window is Closing

Implementing a new training system requires proper setup, staff communication, and initial onboarding. Start this week, and you’ll be fully operational by mid-February. Wait until March, and you’ll hit the busy season still struggling with your old processes and system.

Ready to seize this window, or enter the busy season with the same frustrations you have already had?

Let’s leave manual training logs and legacy system frustrations behind in 2026! Contact our friendly team today or get started with one of our training packages to launch before the busy season hits. Because the best time to fix your training system isn’t when you’re drowning in operational demands. It’s right now, while you still have the bandwidth to get it right.

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Author: Matthew Crawford, PGCert(Bus)

Matt has over a decade of experience in B2B sales and business development and with a passion for human services, is deeply committed to driving meaningful solutions within the disability sector. His commitment to improving service quality and his deep understanding of client needs make him a trusted partner in advancing the capabilities of organisations that support people with disability across Australia.

Subject Matter Expert – Clinical Psychology: Mental Health in Disability & Aged Care

Joseph Witt is a registered Clinical Psychologist and respected Subject Matter Expert with extensive experience across government, not-for-profit organisations, education settings, and private practice. He holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and is a member of the Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA).

Joseph has authored / co-authored a suite of highly regarded, sector-specific courses, including:

• Introduction to Mental Illness – Disability
• Introduction to Mental Health – Aged Care
• Stopping the Cycle of Shame – Disability and Aged Care
• Suicide Prevention – Disability and Aged Care (coming soon!)
• Trauma-Informed Care – Disability

His courses focus on reducing stigma, strengthening trauma-informed practice, and equipping the workforce with practical strategies that improve outcomes for both care recipients and care professionals.

We are grateful to have Joseph Witt as a Subject Matter Expert with our organisation. His clinical expertise, evidence-based approach, and passion for improving mental health outcomes across disability and aged care greatly enhance the quality and impact of our training.

Learn more about all our brilliant Subject Matter Experts on our About Us page.

Significant changes are coming to the NDIS provider landscape, and now is the time for providers to start preparing.

On 18 December, the Minister for the NDIS, Senator Jenny McAllister, announced that mandatory NDIS registration for Supported Independent Living (SIL) and platform providers will commence from 1 July 2026.

What does mandatory registration mean?

From 1 July 2026, all providers delivering NDIS-funded SIL supports and platform-based services must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. This marks a significant shift for providers who have previously operated as unregistered entities within these service types.

Why is this change happening?

The move to mandatory registration is the result of extensive consultation with the disability community and the NDIS sector, and responds directly to recommendations from:

• The NDIS Review
• The Disability Royal Commission
• The NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce

The aim is to strengthen safeguards, improve service quality, and ensure greater accountability across the sector.

New Practice Standards for SIL providers

Mandatory registration for SIL providers will align with the introduction of new SIL Practice Standards, currently being developed in partnership with people with disability through Inclusion Australia.

These standards are designed to reflect the complexity, risk, and importance of SIL supports, while embedding participant choice, safety, and quality of life at the centre of service delivery.

Platform providers

Platform providers who connect participants and workers through online marketplaces have grown rapidly. However, consultations have highlighted several emerging risks, including:

• Poor handling of complaints
• Inadequate privacy and information-sharing practices
• Unclear service relationships and responsibilities

Bringing platform providers into the mandatory registration framework will help address these concerns by ensuring they meet clear quality, safety, and governance standards.

What happens next?

Further guidance on transition arrangements is expected in early 2026. A considered transition period will be put in place to allow providers sufficient time to prepare for registration, while ensuring continuity of support for participants.

How the NGO Training Centre can support you

To support providers through these changes, the NGO Training Centre has partnered with experienced compliance providers who can assist with:

• NDIS registration applications
• Registration renewals
• Understanding and preparing for the new SIL Practice Standards, and
• Building compliant systems, policies, and workforce capability

We understand that registration can feel complex and resource-intensive. Our role is to support you in navigating the process with confidence and clarity, so you can stay focused on delivering quality supports.

Get in touch

If you are a SIL provider or platform provider and want to start preparing now, contact the NGO Training Centre for more information and support.

Preparing early will put your organisation in the strongest position for a smooth transition in 2026.

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Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,

As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills.