Understanding Your Service Agreement

Every service agreement we issue contains two types of clauses. The first type is fixed — these are the same for every participant because they are required by the NDIS Rules and the NDIS Practice Standards. They include your rights as a participant, our obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct, the complaints process, the notice period for ending the agreement, and the statement that our prices comply with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. These clauses cannot be removed or altered — they are protections, not negotiating points.

The second type is individual to you. These clauses describe your specific support schedule — which supports, on which days, at what times, and for how long. They record your cultural and communication preferences, any specific requirements for your support worker, the goals your supports are working toward, and any risk management protocols relevant to your individual circumstances. These sections are drafted during your intake assessment and updated whenever your circumstances change.

Signing a service agreement does not reduce your rights — it documents them. The following rights exist regardless of what the agreement says, and no clause in any service agreement can remove them.

You have the right to make a complaint at any time without it affecting your supports. You have the right to involve an advocate in any discussion about your agreement. You have the right to request a copy of your agreement at any time. You have the right to request a review of your supports if your needs change. You have the right to exit the agreement with the required notice period — typically five business days — without penalty and without your supports being withdrawn before the notice period expires. You have the right to have any changes to the agreement explained to you in plain language before you are asked to sign.

The support schedule is the most personal part of your agreement. It lists every support you have agreed to receive — for example, assistance with showering on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings between 8am and 9am, meal preparation on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and fortnightly domestic assistance. The schedule reflects your NDIS plan, your personal preferences, and your daily life — not what is convenient for us to deliver.

If your needs change between plan reviews — for example, if you need more frequent support after a health event, or if you want to reduce supports as your independence increases — we will update your support schedule and issue a revised agreement. You will not be locked into a schedule that no longer fits your life.

Your service agreement specifies the price for each support we deliver. All prices comply with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, which are set by the NDIA and updated annually — typically in July each year.

When new pricing arrangements are released, we will issue you with an updated service agreement reflecting the new rates and ask you to sign it before the new rates take effect. We will never change the price we charge you without providing an updated agreement for your review and signature first. If you are plan managed, your plan manager will also be notified of any pricing changes.

You will never be charged more than the rate stated in your current signed agreement, and you will never be charged for a support that was not delivered.

Your service agreement is a living document. It is reviewed and updated in four circumstances.

First, when your NDIS plan is renewed. Your new plan may fund different supports or different quantities of support, and the agreement must reflect this.

Second, when your support needs change significantly. If a health event, a change in your living situation, or a shift in your goals means your current supports are no longer appropriate, we initiate a support plan review and update the agreement accordingly.

Third, when the NDIS Pricing Arrangements are updated — typically every July. We will send you the updated agreement and explain what has changed before asking you to sign.

Fourth, at your request. If you want to add or remove a support, change your schedule, update your preferences, or amend any other part of the agreement, contact us and we will arrange a review.

In every case, you will receive a copy of the updated agreement, have the changes explained to you, and be given time to consider before signing. You can bring an advocate to any agreement review meeting.

You can choose to stop receiving supports from us at any time. Your agreement sets out the required notice period — for most participants this is five business days. You do not need to give a reason. You do not need our permission. During the notice period your supports continue as normal.

When the agreement ends, we will provide you with all your personal documentation — your support plan, your progress notes, and any other records you are entitled to. If you are moving to a new provider, we will prepare a transition summary and share it with your incoming provider with your written consent. We will not create a gap in your supports as a result of the transition.

We may also end the agreement in limited circumstances — for example, if we are no longer able to deliver the agreed supports in your area, or if continuing the agreement would place workers or participants at serious risk. In these circumstances we will give you the maximum possible notice, support your transition to a new provider, and never leave you without supports.

Before you sign, you have the right to read the agreement carefully, ask questions about anything you do not understand, and take time to consider. We will not pressure you to sign immediately.

You can sign in person, by email, or through our digital signing process. If you have a legal guardian or nominee who is authorised to sign on your behalf, they may do so — but we will always ensure you have been involved in the discussion and that the agreement reflects your preferences, not just those of your nominee.

If you would like an advocate or support coordinator to be present when you review and sign your agreement, we welcome this. If you need the agreement in a different format — large print, in another language, or in Easy Read — ask us and we will arrange it before you are asked to sign.

If you have any questions about your service agreement — before, during, or after signing — contact us directly. If you feel that your agreement does not reflect what was discussed, or that you were pressured to sign something you did not understand, you have the right to make a complaint and to seek independent advocacy support.