When is the best time to register as an NDIS Provider?
If you own a small-to-medium-sized business that provides services or assistance to persons with disabilities, you might be wondering if you should register with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
There are numerous advantages to being NDIS registered, but sometimes the thought that of a lengthy registration and costs can outweigh these. The best time to register is determined by a variety of factors, including your business goals and the services you provide.
We'll look at whether it's a good time to start the registration process and how to tell if it's the best option for your business.
Is it necessary for me to register?
The first thing to keep in mind is that if you provide specific services to NDIS participants, you may have an obligation to register. If you do any of the following, you must register:
Provide extra accommodation for people with disabilities
Create behaviour-supporting strategies
Use limited methods
Deliver services or support under the DSOA (Disability Support for Older Australians) Program, which is financed by the Australian government (unless you have a written exemption)
Provide NDIS participants with assistance and services if their plan is supervised by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
If you don't plan to supply these services or deal with NDIA-managed participants, registration is not mandatory.
So, what are the advantages of registering your business in the NDIS?
Credibility and trustworthiness
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has established a set of quality and safety requirements that must be met before you may register with the NDIS. This boosts your company's credibility by telling NDIS participants that you've met these requirements. It also allows you to promote yourself as an NDIS-approved service.
Having access to a wider clientele
All NDIS participants, including those whose plans are overseen by the NDIA, will be able to benefit from your assistance and services.
More tools and services are available to you
A variety of NDIS training tools and resources are available to registered providers. They're also kept informed of modifications to the plan or process, as well as updates and information.
Payments are made through the NDIS
Registered providers can use the NDIS interface to request that payment be deducted directly from a participant's plan. This implies that your client interactions do not need to include payment processing and can focus on providing services and support.
Questions to consider when deciding
Here are some aspects to consider when deciding whether to take the step now, later, or continue operating as an unregistered provider:
Do any of the registration-required circumstances apply to your company?
Do you intend to expand your company now or in the future? If this is the case, registering will allow you to view NDIS participants who are administered by the NDIA. You may opt to stay unregistered if you want to keep your business small and local.
Are you able to fund the NDIS registration procedure now or at some point in the future?
Is NDIS registration a major priority for you right now, or do you need to prioritise other priorities, such as hiring more people or purchasing new equipment?
Do you meet the registration requirements now, or will you be able to meet them in the future?
Do you or your team have the capacity to gather the documentation and complete the application procedure on your own, or can you hire someone to assist you?
Documentation can be a roadblock for many businesses when it comes to registering or renewing with the NDIS. At Centro ASSIST we do the hard work of keeping up-to-date with NDIS changes. This allows you to focus on supporting your clients. You can customise our suite of NDIS compliant policies and processes, upload and manage your own documentation with release management and version control. This is all achieved through an easy-to-use, cloud-based web-app.