How to Implement the NDIS Code of Conduct Across Your Workforce

The NDIS Code of Conduct applies to every person who delivers NDIS supports in Australia. For registered providers, there is a legal obligation to ensure that all workers understand the Code and that the organisation actively promotes and enforces compliance with it.

The Seven Requirements of the Code

The NDIS Code of Conduct requires workers and providers to:

1. Act with respect for individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination, and decision-making
2. Respect the privacy of people with disability
3. Provide supports and services in a safe and competent manner, with care and skill
4. Act with integrity, honesty, and transparency
5. Promptly take steps to raise and act on concerns about matters that might have an impact on the quality and safety of supports
6. Take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to all forms of violence, exploitation, neglect, and abuse
7. Take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct

Designing Effective Code of Conduct Training

The NDIS Commission's free online Worker Orientation Module "Quality, Safety and You" is a mandatory requirement for all workers. However, this alone does not constitute adequate training. You need supplementary, context-specific training that connects the Code to the real scenarios your workers encounter.

Effective training programmes include scenario-based learning, regular team discussions with case studies, clear examples of breaches, and clarity on reporting obligations. Training should be delivered at induction, refreshed annually, and triggered by relevant incidents.

Enforcing the Code: Your Employer Obligations

Registered providers must have a documented process for receiving, investigating, and responding to allegations of Code of Conduct breaches. This includes clear policies on cooperating with NDIS Commission investigations, processes for standing down workers when allegations are made, and notification obligations when a worker is dismissed due to a Code breach.

Embedding the Code in Everyday Culture

The providers who have the fewest Code of Conduct issues treat participant rights as the organising principle of everything they do. Consider appointing a designated Code of Conduct champion — a senior worker who leads training, acts as a first point of contact for concerns, and keeps the topic visible in team communications.

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