Updates on the NDIS Integrity and Safeguarding Bill: What Providers Need to Know

Recent updates to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 focus on making the NDIS safer and better for people with disability. These changes highlight the importance of how supports are delivered and the role providers play in maintaining trust across the sector. 

For providers, this goes beyond meeting basic requirements. It reflects the level of care, responsibility, and professionalism expected when supporting people with disability. 

What’s changing and why it matters 

The new bill introduces stronger measures to protect participants and improve accountability within the NDIS. These include: 

• Criminal penalties for providers who fail to comply with a banning order 

• Criminal penalties for providers who deliver certain supports without required registration 

• Significantly higher fines for serious breaches of the NDIS Code of Conduct 

• New rules to prevent misleading or harmful promotion of NDIS services 

• Expanded powers for the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission 

• Better protections for people who report concerns 

• Tighter monitoring, including mandatory electronic claims and evidence checks 

These changes aim to address serious misconduct and set a clearer expectation for all providers. Acting with integrity is not just best practice. It is essential to operating within the NDIS. 

What integrity looks like in practice 

Integrity is not only about avoiding unlawful conduct. It often shows up in the small, everyday decisions providers make when delivering supports. 

This includes providing supports that are safe, suitable, and aligned with participant goals. It also means being clear and transparent about pricing,  and expected outcomes. Providers should only deliver supports they are qualified and authorised to provide and avoid any marketing or messaging that could mislead or create unrealistic expectations. The ACCC have been actively involved in investigating suspect infringements of consumer law through false or misleading information: Cracking down on misleading promotion of ‘NDIS-approved’ products | NDIS 

An important part of this is avoiding “sharp practices.” These can include over-servicing, using pressure to influence decisions, or offering incentives that could influence participant choice in ways that are not in their best interests. 

Maintaining accurate and honest records is also essential. Providers should regularly review their processes and documentation to make sure they are still appropriate. Taking a proactive approach to identifying and addressing risks early, rather than waiting for issues to arise. 

At a team level, this can be supported by training staff on ethical decision making and their responsibilities under the NDIS. Encouraging open communication and creating a safe space to raise concerns is equally important. 

Together, these practices help build trust with participants, families, and the broader sector. 

A shared responsibility 

The NDIS is built on trust. Participants depend on providers to deliver safe and appropriate supports, and the community expects the NDIS to be used responsibly. 

These recent changes reflect an ongoing effort to strengthen the NDIS and support better outcomes for people with disability. Providers play an important role in this by maintaining high standards and acting with integrity in their work. 

Taking the time to reflect on current practices can help with continuous improvement and ensuring services remain safe, reliable, and aligned with the intent of the NDIS. 

For more information, read the full media release on Senate passes tough new laws to protect the NDIS from fraudsters, predators and shonks.