National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider access to state schools procedure

Audience

All state schools

Purpose

This procedure sets out the responsibilities and processes relating to NDIS providers accessing schools during school time to provide supports under a student’s NDIS Participant Plan (NDIS plan) once access is approved. It supports implementing the NDIS provider access to state schools policy.

Overview

Enabling a student to receive supports included in their NDIS plan at school during school time involves principals, school staff, parents and NDIS providers all playing a role and having important responsibilities.

This procedure sets out those responsibilities and the processes involved:

• when considering parent requests for NDIS providers to deliver supports included in a NDIS plan at school, during school time;
• while NDIS providers access the school; and
• when terminating NDIS provider access.

Responsibilities

Principals

• Consider and make the final decision about whether an NDIS provider can deliver supports funded through a student’s NDIS plan at school, during school time.
• Advise the parent of their decision, and the reasons for that decision if the request is not approved.
• Ensure the NDIS provider provides necessary documents.
• Sign, and ensure the parent and the NDIS provider sign, the Access agreement.
• Arrange for, and ensure NDIS providers and relevant staff attend mandatory training.
• Ensure the terms of the Access agreement are complied with by all parties including the school.
• Ensure the NDIS support is delivered in a location that can be observed and accessed by school staff at all times while the NDIS provider is delivering the support.
• Advise the parent/s if issues arise at the school that may impact on the ability for the support to be delivered at school, during school time including any changes.
• Advise the parent/s if considering terminating the Access agreement and discuss with the parent the reasons for terminating the Access agreement.
• Advise the parent/s and NDIS provider, in writing or email, if the principal decides to suspend or terminate access.
• Advise the parent/s and NDIS provider, in writing or email, if the duration of the Access agreement is extended.

Parents

• Provide a completed NDIS access request form requesting that a NDIS provider access the school, during school time to provide an NDIS support to their child.
• Provide all necessary information to the school to enable the principal to consider the request and make a decision.
• Enter into an Access agreement with the principal and the NDIS provider.
• Comply with the terms of the Access agreement.
• Advise the school of any changes to the support being provided or change of NDIS provider personnel providing the support in writing or email.
• Advise the NDIS provider of any changes to access arrangements at the school.
• If required, make a request that the duration of the Access agreement be extended, in writing or by email, to the school.

NDIS providers

• Enter into, and comply with, an Access agreement with the school and the parent.
• Provide all information and documentation to the school as required by the principal.
• Provide evidence to the school that their staff have:
  • completed mandatory training and any other training required by the principal
  • a current Working with children authority.
• Supply necessary equipment and any materials necessary to deliver the NDIS support at school during school time unless otherwise agreed with the principal in the Access agreement.

Process

Parent/s make a request

1. Parent/s makes a request for an NDIS provider to deliver a support under an NDIS plan at school, during school time by completing an NDIS access request form.
2. If further information is needed or further discussions are needed, the principal or another member of the school team, may request further information from the parent/s, via email, telephone or during a face to face meeting.

Principal considers the request

1. The principal makes a decision within a reasonable timeframe taking into account issues outlined in the policy.

Principal advises the parent

1. The principal informs the parent/s of their decision in writing and if access is:

• granted, the conditions of access including further information required from the NDIS provider; or
• refused, the reasons for the refusal.

2. The parent/s advises the NDIS provider about the principal’s decision and further information required.

NDIS provider provides information to the school

1. The NDIS provider:

• confirms with the school, in writing or by email, the names of NDIS provider staff who will be providing the NDIS support at school, during school time and provides for each staff member certified copies of their:
  • Working with children (Blue Card) clearance details; and
  • Photo identification, such as a valid Driver Licence or Proof of age card.
• certified copies of certificates of currency for the following insurances:
  • Workers compensation insurance (or personal injury insurance in the case of sole traders undertaking the work themselves);
  • Professional indemnity insurance for not less than $2 million per claim; and
  • Public liability insurance for not less than $20 million per claim.
• details of the nature and type of NDIS supports to be provided at the school, during school time.
• details of any proposed use of school equipment or materials.

Enter into an Access agreement

1. The principal, parent/s and NDIS provider sign an Access agreement.

Before the NDIS provider commences delivering the support at the school

1. The NDIS provider provides the school with documents confirming that staff delivering the support at the school, during school time have completed:

• Mandatory All-Staff Training (MAST) program: key message guide for contractors volunteers and visitors within the last 12 months (declaration form);
• First Aid, CPR, or Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy anaphylaxis training (current certificates); and
• school-based induction for the school where the support is being provided.

2. If further training is required the principal, or a member of the school team nominated by the principal, must provide the NDIS provider with school-based induction and access to other required training, if not already undertaken by NDIS provider staff.
3. Each time an NDIS provider staff member attends the school to deliver the NDIS support, school staff must sight, for that NDIS provider staff member:

• current Working with children (Blue Card) clearance details; and
• current photo identification, such as a valid Driver Licence or Proof of age card.

Terminating and suspending access

• The principal will raise concerns with the student’s parent, about the NDIS support being provided at school, during school time.
• If the principal’s concerns are significant or are not resolved after discussions with the student’s parents, the principal may suspend or terminate the NDIS provider’s access.
• The principal must advise the parent and NDIS provider in writing that:
  • access has been suspended, the period of suspension and the grounds for suspension; or
  • the Access Agreement is terminated and the grounds for termination.
• The principal may raise any concerns regarding the NDIS provider’s conduct with the National Disability Insurance Agency and, after 1 July 2019, the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Commission.

Complaints

If a request for access is not approved or access is suspended or terminated, the parent or NDIS provider can request a meeting with the school principal to discuss the decision and/or make a complaint in accordance with the department’s Customer complaints management procedure.

Information storage

Information received by the school relating to the access request, including evidence of training undertaken by the NDIS provider and worker clearances, and the Access agreement, will be stored securely under the Student Plan section on OneSchool.

Definitions

Legislation

• Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld)
• Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld)
• Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld)
• National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cwlth)
• Public Service Act 2008 (Qld)

Delegations/Authorisations

• Nil

Other resources

• Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service
• Department of Education – Standard of Practice 
• Workplace health, safety and wellbeing current procedures
• Information security procedure
• Equipment management for schools procedure
• Student protection procedure
• Management and completion of mandatory all-staff training program procedure
• Customer complaints management procedure
• Working with authority procedure
• Principal decision-making checklist (DoE employees only)
• Principal process checklist (DoE employees only)
• Student protection training (DoE employees only)
• Induction and mandatory training
• Workplace health and safety: Visitors on education sites
• Principals’ template letters (DoE employees only)

Superseded versions

Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.

1.0 National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider access to state schools