Residential aged care providers (and multi-purpose services) providing permanent residential aged care who also support participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) have responsibilities under both the Aged Care Act 1997 and the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.

One provider responsibility addressed by both Acts relates to worker screening checks. Under aged care legislation, an approved provider has to comply with police certificate requirements, while under NDIS legislation, a registered provider has to comply with the NDIS Worker Screening Check requirements for workers in risk-assessed roles. A risk-assessed role is a worker or volunteer who provides direct delivery of care to an NDIS participant.

Recognising that there was unnecessary duplication in these responsibilities, Federal Parliament has amended aged care legislation effective from 16 June 2021 to enable an aged care provider to accept a clearance obtained through the NDIS Worker Screening Check process as an alternative to the police certificate requirements for a particular worker.

Read more:

Recognising NDIS worker screening – for aged care providers that are registered NDIS providers (.pdf)

Recognising NDIS worker screening – for aged care providers that are not registered NDIS providers (.pdf)

Police certificate or a NDIS worker screening clearance for aged care workers (.pdf)

Worker screening requirements (registered NDIS providers)

Police Certificate Guidelines for Aged Care Providers (.pdf)