Family members as support workers

In exceptional circumstances the NDIA may approve a family member to be a paid carer under an NDIS plan.

At no time should a participant engage a family member to provide services under their NDIS plan without written consent from the NDIA, as this could result in a participant being investigated for fraud.

This could also take away choice and control from the participant, as the family member may not listen and act on the needs of the participant. It could also cause a family member to ‘burn out’ if there is no provision of respite or other care options in the plan.

Exceptional circumstances could include –

- A risk of harm or neglect to a participant if engaging the services of another provider

- Religious or cultural needs that are unable to be met by an outside support worker

- The participant has requested this for privacy or dignity reasons

- A lack of suitable support staff being available in a rural or remote location

- A participant who has complex needs that are able to be met by a family member in a more suitable manner than by an external support worker

If you believe that you fall into one or more of these categories, you will need to speak to your local NDIA or LAC office about this. You will need to request that this approval is in writing before you engage the services of a family member.

You will also need to have proof that all other support options have been exhausted and that there are no suitable alternatives left to explore.

As with all other NDIS providers, the family member that is employed to provide supports will need to act as any other provider would, depending how the participant’s plan is managed. For an Agency or NDIA managed plan, the family member will need to go through the NDIS Provider Registration process to be able to bill the agency directly. For a plan that is managed by a plan manager, the family member will need to get an ABN and provide invoices to the plan manager periodically to be able to receive payment. For a self managed plan, the family member may not require an ABN, but will still be required to give invoices to the participant to show the supports that they have provided.

The family member who is providing supports should also speak with the Australian Taxation Office to find out their obligations, ensure that they have a current first aid certification and relevant insurances to cover them in case of any accidents during service provision.

This information is stated in section 11.1 of the Operational Guidelines of the NDIS, which is available on the NDIS website www.ndis.gov.au If you require further information or wish to begin the process of getting a family member approved as a paid support worker, please make contact with your local NDIA office or Local Area Coordination service.