You’ve found an NDIS provider. Before you start, it’s important to have an NDIS service agreement Laverton in place.
The conversation went well.
The support sounds suitable.
Then an email arrives containing a multi-page service agreement.
It can be tempting to scroll to the bottom, sign it and get the support started.
But the agreement may determine important things such as what you pay, what happens when you cancel, how prices can change, how the provider communicates with you and what happens if you eventually want to leave.
For NDIS participants and families across Laverton, Altona Meadows, Altona, Williams Landing, Point Cook, Newport and surrounding parts of Melbourne’s west, taking a little time to understand an agreement before signing can prevent considerable confusion later.
Here are 10 areas worth checking.
1. Does the Agreement Clearly Say What Support You Are Receiving?
Start with the basics.
What exactly has the provider agreed to do?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme describes a service agreement as an agreement between a participant and provider about the delivery of supports.
Current NDIA guidance says an agreement can include the type of supports being provided, their cost, how long the participant needs them, responsibilities of each party, dispute arrangements and how the agreement can be changed or ended.
Avoid relying only on verbal conversations.
If something is particularly important to you, ask how it is reflected in the agreement or associated support arrangements.
For example:
What support will be delivered?
Where?
Approximately how often?
What responsibilities does the provider have?
What responsibilities do you have?
Clarity at the beginning helps both sides understand expectations.
2. Do You Understand the Price?
Do not assume that because a service is NDIS-funded, price doesn’t matter.
The money still comes from the participant’s plan.
Current NDIA guidance says participants and providers can negotiate aspects of their service arrangement, including the supports provided, costs, payment arrangements and how the agreement can be changed.
Before signing, ask:
What is the agreed rate?
Could a different rate apply at another time or day?
Are there additional legitimate charges that could apply?
How would a future price change be handled?
If you don’t understand the answer, keep asking until you do.
3. Check the Cancellation Policy Carefully
This is one of the most important sections.
Participants sometimes discover cancellation conditions only after missing an appointment and seeing a charge on their plan.
Read:
how much notice is required;
how you must cancel;
what circumstances may result in a charge;
and what happens when the provider cancels.
Current NDIA pricing arrangements allow short-notice cancellation claims for eligible support items where applicable requirements are satisfied. Whether a particular claim is permitted depends on the support and current claiming rules.
Your service agreement should not be treated as permission for a provider to make claims that NDIS rules do not otherwise allow.
If a cancellation clause is unclear, ask for an explanation before agreeing to it.
4. Ask About Provider Travel
Provider travel can be easily overlooked.
Suppose a worker delivers a one-hour support at your home in Altona Meadows.
Could your plan also be charged for eligible provider travel?
Depending on the support and applicable claiming rules, provider travel may be claimable.
The NDIA’s current pricing material sets out circumstances and limits applying to provider-travel claims.
Ask:
Will you charge travel for my supports?
How will it be calculated?
Approximately what could that mean for my plan?
Will travel appear separately on the invoice?
This can be especially important when comparing two providers located different distances from you.
5. Check Whether Non-Face-to-Face Work Can Be Charged
Some eligible support items may allow providers to claim for particular non-face-to-face activities.
That does not mean every email, phone call or administrative task is automatically chargeable.
The activity needs to comply with the applicable NDIS claiming rules for the relevant support.
Ask the provider:
What non-face-to-face activities could you charge my plan for?
How will I know when that work has occurred?
How will it appear on the invoice?
Transparency matters.
You should be able to understand what your NDIS funding is purchasing.
6. What Happens When Your Regular Worker Is Unavailable?
This question is particularly important if consistency matters to you.
Ask how the provider handles:
worker illness;
annual leave;
staff departures;
replacement workers;
and roster changes.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission Practice Standards include continuity-of-support requirements for registered providers subject to the relevant standards.
They require arrangements to ensure continuity where interruptions are unavoidable and say participant needs and preferences should be documented and made available to workers before support begins.
You may want to discuss whether:
you can have a small regular worker team;
you will be told when workers change;
you can express worker preferences;
and unfamiliar workers can be introduced before regular support where practicable.
7. How Can the Agreement Be Changed?
Your circumstances may change.
So might the provider’s arrangements.
Your service agreement should explain how changes are made.
Current NDIA guidance says participants and providers should discuss and agree on how their service agreement can be changed.
This becomes particularly important when a provider proposes changing its price.
The NDIA’s 2026–27 pricing guidance says proposed changes to existing service agreements need to be discussed with participants and participants must agree before changes are made.
Do not assume that every provider announcement automatically rewrites the agreement you already have.
Ask what the change means for you.
8. How Do You Raise a Problem or Complaint?
A good agreement should not assume everything will always go perfectly.
Sometimes:
a worker is repeatedly late;
communication breaks down;
support is not delivered as expected;
an invoice looks incorrect;
or you simply feel something isn’t right.
Ask:
Who do I contact first?
How can I make a complaint?
What happens after I raise it?
The NDIS Code of Conduct applies to registered and unregistered NDIS providers and workers and requires respect for participants’ rights, safe and competent support and prompt action on concerns affecting the quality and safety of supports.
Participants can also contact the NDIS Commission about quality or safety concerns involving NDIS supports.
9. How Can You End the Agreement?
Read this section before you need it.
Current NDIA guidance says service agreements can include how the participant and provider can change or end the agreement.
Look for:
the notice period;
how notice must be given;
whether any legitimate charges could apply;
and what happens to scheduled supports during the notice period.
The NDIA also confirms that participants can change providers and recommends checking the service agreement for the agreed process.
A service agreement should create clarity—not make you feel permanently locked into a provider.
10. Do You Actually Understand What You’re Signing?
This may be the most important question of all.
A 12-page legal-looking document is not useful if the participant doesn’t understand it.
Current NDIA guidance says providers should explain service agreements to participants and support them to understand them.
The agreement can also be provided in a way the participant understands, including different language or communication formats where appropriate.
That might involve:
Easy Read;
pictures;
an interpreter;
supported communication;
reading sections aloud;
explaining one section at a time;
or involving a trusted supporter.
Don’t be embarrassed to ask:
“What does this clause actually mean for me?”
A provider should be willing to explain its own agreement.
Are Written NDIS Service Agreements Compulsory?
Not always.
Current NDIA guidance says written service agreements are recommended but generally not compulsory.
An important exception is Specialist Disability Accommodation, where a written service agreement is required.
Even when a written agreement isn’t legally required, having important terms documented can benefit both participant and provider.
It creates a record of what was agreed.
Can You Negotiate an NDIS Service Agreement?
Yes.
Do not assume a provider’s standard template means:
“Take it or leave it.”
The NDIA specifically says participants can make suggestions to change a service agreement to better suit their needs.
A provider may not agree to every requested change.
But you can ask.
For example:
“Could we clarify how replacement workers are handled?”
“Could you explain this cancellation clause?”
“Could the agreement specify how much notice I’ll receive for price changes?”
“Can we include my preferred communication method?”
A service agreement should describe the relationship you are actually entering.
Don’t Sign Under Pressure
Be cautious if you hear:
“You need to sign this immediately or we’ll give the place to somebody else.”
There can be legitimate reasons why providers need agreements finalised before starting services.
But you should still have an appropriate opportunity to understand what you are agreeing to.
Ask for the document.
Read it.
Discuss it with somebody you trust if necessary.
If you have funded Support Coordination, your Support Coordinator may help you understand provider arrangements and service agreements.
Your plan manager may also help clarify how particular proposed charges interact with plan-managed funding, although plan management and Support Coordination are different roles.
A 60-Second Service Agreement Checklist
Before signing, check whether you can answer:
- What support am I receiving?
- What does it cost?
- Could travel be charged?
- Could non-face-to-face work be charged?
- What happens if I cancel?
- What happens if the provider cancels?
- How are worker changes handled?
- How can prices or other terms change?
- How do I complain?
- How do I leave the provider?
If you cannot answer one of those questions, stop and ask.
Five minutes of clarification today may prevent weeks of disagreement later.
Support Coordinators and Referral Partners: Don’t Skip the Agreement
When helping someone establish a new provider, it can be tempting to focus entirely on:
Does the provider have capacity?
Capacity is only part of the picture.
Where appropriate to your role, help the participant consider:
whether the support suits their goals;
whether they understand the price;
whether additional charges may apply;
whether cancellation conditions are clear;
whether the provider’s communication arrangements suit them;
and whether they understand how the relationship can end.
The participant—not the referral partner—should understand what they are agreeing to.
Talk to BHA Disability Services
If you are an NDIS participant, family member, carer, Support Coordinator, plan manager, allied health professional or referral partner exploring relevant disability support in Laverton, Altona Meadows or Melbourne’s western suburbs, BHA Disability Services welcomes enquiries.
Tell BHA Disability Services about the participant’s goals, preferences, current supports and disability-related needs.
BHA Disability Services can explain the services it actually provides and the arrangements that would apply, allowing you to consider whether those services are appropriate for the participant and their NDIS plan.
A good provider relationship shouldn’t begin with confusion. Before support starts, understand what you’re agreeing to—and ask about anything that isn’t clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should an NDIS service agreement include?
An agreement can cover the supports being provided, costs, how long supports are required, participant and provider responsibilities, how problems are handled and how the agreement can be changed or ended.
Is an NDIS service agreement legally required?
A written agreement is generally recommended rather than compulsory. Specialist Disability Accommodation is an important exception where a written service agreement is required.
Can I negotiate an NDIS service agreement?
Yes. Current NDIA guidance says participants can suggest changes to an agreement so it better suits their needs. Participants and providers can negotiate supports, prices, payment arrangements and how the agreement can be changed.
Can an NDIS provider automatically increase my agreed price?
Current 2026–27 NDIA pricing guidance says proposed changes to existing service agreements must be discussed with participants and participants must agree before changes are made.
Can an NDIS service agreement include cancellation fees?
An agreement can set out cancellation arrangements. However, a provider can only make an NDIS cancellation claim where the applicable support and current NDIS claiming rules allow it.
Can I cancel an NDIS service agreement?
Participants can change providers. Check the agreement for notice and exit provisions and, where regular essential supports are involved, consider establishing a suitable replacement before ending existing services.
Can my Support Coordinator help me understand a service agreement?
Where Support Coordination is funded, current NDIA guidance says a Support Coordinator can help participants understand service agreements and provider charges as part of building their ability to use their plans.
