Restrictive Practices in NDIS — Documentation, Authorisation and Compliance Requirements

📅 May 2026⏱ 9 min read👤 CareIQ Team

Restrictive practices are one of the most heavily regulated areas of NDIS compliance. Using a restrictive practice without proper authorisation is a reportable incident. This guide explains what constitutes a restrictive practice, how authorisation works, and what documentation you must maintain.

What Is a Restrictive Practice?

Under the NDIS, a restrictive practice is any practice or intervention that restricts the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability. The NDIS Commission identifies five regulated restrictive practices:

Chemical restraint: Using medication to control behaviour (not prescribed for treatment of a diagnosed condition)
Mechanical restraint: Using devices or equipment to restrict movement (e.g. lap belts used for behaviour management)
Physical restraint: Using physical force to restrict movement
Seclusion: Removing a person from their usual environment against their will and confining them
Environmental restraint: Restricting access to certain environments, items, or activities to manage behaviour

Authorisation Requirements

No regulated restrictive practice can be used by an NDIS provider without proper authorisation. The requirements vary by state and territory, as authorisation frameworks are still transitioning to national consistency. Generally:

A Behaviour Support Practitioner must develop or review a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) that identifies the restrictive practice as a last resort
The BSP must demonstrate that positive behaviour support strategies have been tried and have not been sufficient
An authorising body in your state or territory must approve the use of the restrictive practice
The NDIS Commission must be notified

The specific authorising bodies and processes vary by jurisdiction. Check the NDIS Commission website for the current requirements in your state or territory.

⚠ Using a restrictive practice without authorisation is a reportable incident

An unauthorised restrictive practice must be reported to the NDIS Commission within 5 business days. Repeated unauthorised use can result in compliance action, conditions on registration, or deregistration.

What Must Be in a Behaviour Support Plan

For any BSP that includes a regulated restrictive practice, the plan must:

Identify the behaviour the practice relates to
Demonstrate evidence that less restrictive strategies have been tried
Describe the specific practice, how and when it is used, and who may use it
Include a reduction plan — a pathway to reducing and eventually eliminating the restrictive practice
Be reviewed at least annually or following any significant incident involving the practice
Be developed by or in consultation with a Behaviour Support Practitioner registered with the NDIS Commission

How to Document Restrictive Practice Use

Every time a restrictive practice is used, it must be documented in the incident or behaviour record. Required documentation includes:

Date and time the practice was used
Which specific restrictive practice was used
The behaviour that triggered the use
Duration of the practice
Name of the staff member who used it
Whether the use was consistent with the authorised BSP
Any injuries or adverse effects
Notification to the NDIS Commission if required

Providers must also report to the NDIS Commission at least quarterly on the use of regulated restrictive practices. The Commission provides specific templates for this reporting.

PRN (As Needed) Medication

PRN medication — medication given as needed for behaviour management rather than as a prescribed treatment for a diagnosed condition — is classified as chemical restraint under the NDIS. It requires authorisation and documentation just like physical or environmental restraint. This is frequently misunderstood. If staff are administering PRN medication to manage a participant's behaviour, that use must be documented each time and included in quarterly reporting.

Environmental Restraint — the Most Commonly Overlooked

Environmental restraint is the most frequently used and least understood regulated restrictive practice. Locking a fridge, restricting access to a participant's phone, limiting freedom to go to certain rooms — if done to manage behaviour, these are regulated restrictive practices requiring authorisation.

Providers sometimes implement these informally without realising they require BSP authorisation. If you are doing anything that restricts a participant's access to something because of behaviour, consult a Behaviour Support Practitioner about whether authorisation is needed.

Reduction Plans — The Mandatory Pathway Out

Every authorised restrictive practice must have a reduction plan — a documented strategy for how the practice will be reduced and ultimately eliminated. The goal of positive behaviour support is to replace restrictive practices with skill-building, environmental modifications, and proactive strategies.

Annual BSP reviews must assess whether the reduction plan is working. If a restrictive practice has been in use for years without any reduction in frequency or intensity, the BSP needs to be revised.

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