Responsibility: Australian Government
Response: Accept
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) website review was completed in February 2025 and the updated website has been published. The revised website focuses on accessibility and user centric presentation of information, making it easier for users to find and understand the information they need. Website content was tested with external stakeholders from the Complaints Function Advisory Committee.
The NDIS Commission has a range of options to enable people with disability to make complaints. Complaints can be lodged through channels including telephone, webform, and in person. The NDIS Commission has made improvements to its contact centre, complaints web form, and introduced web chat to improve accessibility for making complaints. The NDIS Commission has also recently refreshed the participant and provider information packs.
Complaints can be lodged anonymously, or complainants may remain confidential if they wish.
The NDIS Commission Grants Program is supporting five grantee organisations to finalise and publish sets of resources to strengthen participants’ understanding of their rights, and to have the knowledge and confidence to make a complaint to their NDIS provider when they are not happy. Each free resource will focus on a priority cohort, being First Nations, children and young people, those living in supported accommodation, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and psychosocial disability. Providers are also encouraged to access and implement the complaints handling processes.
Participants and providers are also able to now manage NDIS complaints on a new digital complaints management platform powered by Artificial Intelligence. This free/low-cost option simplifies the process of resolving complaints.
What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission should further enhance the accessibility of its complaint handling processes, having regard to the following steps:
a) making information simple and easy to navigate
b) adopting a ‘no wrong door’ approach
c) accommodating people’s preferred means of communication and making other adjustments as needed
d) assisting people to secure advocacy and other supports
ie) dentifying people at risk of abuse
f) implementing a strategy for ‘hard to reach’ groups
g) ensuring complainants are involved in complaint processes and when this is not possible, recording the reasons for their non-involvement
h) examining whether providers are supporting people with disability to access advocates when they make a complaint and where providers conduct investigations.
Australian Government Response July 2024
The Australian Government is committed to ensuring NDIS Commission and NDIA complaint handling processes are fully accessible.
In February 2023, the NDIS Commission introduced a new national complaint handling model to improve accessibility and responsiveness of its complaint handling processes. The NDIS Commission is also reviewing its website and resources to ensure they are accessible for NDIS participants, families, carers, workers and providers.
The NDIS Commission has implemented a national triage process for all complaints. This includes a ‘no wrong door’ approach through the NDIS Commission’s call centre and a process for identifying high risk matters for referral to the NDIS Commission’s Safeguarding Unit, which is a specialist unit established to respond to situations where people with disability may be identified as at risk of immediate harm and ensure that providers and other agencies on the ground are taking rapid action to address risk. The NDIS Commission will continue to work with its Consultative Committee comprising participants, disability representative organisations, and industry groups to identify improvements to communicating with people with disability through all of its regulatory activity, including complaints.
The NDIA is also committed to working closely with the NDIS Commission to ensure all NDIS participants have access to quality and accessible complaint processes. This means genuinely listening to participants, providers and everyone who makes a complaint, and harnessing complaint feedback to drive a culture of continuous improvement. A program of work is underway to uplift the quality of the NDIA’s complaint services. The NDIA recently revised its Complaints Management Framework in February 2024, and introduced a new Enquiries, Feedback and Complaints policy, which is available on the NDIA’s website
More recommendations
View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.