About Developmental Educators and the NDIS

Developmental Educators are recognised by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) as professionals with disability specific expertise who can provide services under the NDIS. Developmental Educators may be registered with NDIA as a sole provider, work for an agency that is an NDIA registered service provider, or choose not to register with NDIA.

Developmental Educators can register as NDIS Providers to offer supports that are relevant to their qualifications, knowledge and expertise, including:

Assistance in coordinating or managing life stages, transitions and supports (Assist-Life Stage, Transition / Development-Life Skills / Participate Community)

Assisting with specific skills development that will enhance the ability of the participant to travel and use public transport independently.
Development of daily living and life skills (e.g., developing routines, dressing, play, toileting, sleep, personal hygiene, behaviour, social skills) focusing on training and development activities undertaken by the participant and/or their carer to increase their ability to live as autonomously as possible.
Training for carers/parents.
Short and long-term supports that focus on strengthening the participant’s ability to coordinate their supports, and to assist them to live at home and participate in their community.
Assisting participants to participate actively in community, social and civic activities; includes supporting participants during these activities, and developing participants’ ability to partake in these activities (e.g., playground skills, road awareness, social skills, behaviour).
Provision of assistance with and/or supervising tasks of daily life in a shared living environment, which is either temporary or ongoing, with a focus on developing the skills of each individual to live as autonomously as possible.
Life transition planning, including mentoring and peer support, focusing on individual skill development.
Support connection / Coordination of Supports / Specialist Support Coordination.
Strengthening the participant’s ability to undertake tasks associated with the management of their supports. Plan management is the financial management of the NDIS Plan supports including making payments to providers, expense claims processing, developing monthly statements for participants and claiming for payment from NDIA.
Provision of support for a participant to ensure that they obtain or retain appropriate accommodation. This can include guidance or undertaking work on a participant’s behalf.
Training, development and therapy, where needed, to assist a participant to acquire or increase their skills in independence and community participation.

Assistance to access and maintain employment (Assist Access/Maintain Employ)

Workplace assistance to enable a participant to successfully obtain and/or retain employment in the open or supported labour market.
Employment preparation.
Employment related assessments and counselling
Assistance in specialised supported employment

Assistance to integrate into school or other educations programs (Assist-Integrate School/Ed)

Provision of assistance to enable a participant to attend and participate in school or educational programs.
Ongoing assistance with transition from school and into, and throughout, further education.
Transition into and through school and to further education.

Early interventions supports for early childhood (Early Childhood Supports)

Provision of a mix of early childhood intervention therapies (e.g., dressing, toileting, personal hygiene, play, behaviour, social/emotional skill development, sleep), and undertaking the role of a key worker for the family.
Transdisciplinary early childhood intervention.
Specialised individual therapy for early childhood

Therapeutic supports

Supports provided to assist the NDIS participant to apply their functional skills to improve participation and independence in daily, practical activities in areas such as Language and communication, Personal care, Daily Living, Interpersonal interactions and Community living.
Specialised assessment of skills, abilities, and needs. Provision of specialised assessment where the participant may have complex or unclear needs or requires long term and/or intensive supports (e.g., individual assessment of daily living skills, developmental assessment; functional behaviour assessment).
Multi D Team intervention.
Social skills development.

Behaviour Support (Improved Relationships)

Behaviour support and intervention that includes a plan developed that aims to limit the likelihood of behaviours of concern developing and /or increasing.
Intensive behavioural intervention, development and monitoring of management plan.
Behaviour management plan / training in behaviour management strategies

Find a Developmental Educator

Information for NDIS registration:

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is responsible for the registration and regulation of NDIS Providers. It provides guidance and best practice information to NDIS providers on how to apply for registration and to comply with their registration responsibilities. Transition arrangements are in place until the Commission has begun to operate in all states.

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission / New Providers / Provider registration process / Registered providers

From the Commission’s website:

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is a new independent agency established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services.

Legislation

The legislation that established our agency sets out our core functions and framework:

National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013

Rules

The NDIS Rules provide further necessary details:

A short summary of the NDIS Rules is a useful resource.

Guidelines

National Disability Insurance Scheme (Procedural Fairness)
Guidelines 2018

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (Complaints Management and Resolution) Rules 2018 require the Commission and NDIS providers to have proper regard to procedural fairness requirements in managing complaints. These Procedural Fairness Guidelines explain the principles and approach to procedural fairness that is proportionate and appropriate to the issues being raised in a complaint.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (Approved Quality Auditors Scheme) Guidelines 2018 [F2018N00114]

The Approved Quality Auditor Scheme provides the framework for auditing of registered NDIS providers, including the approval process for approved quality auditors who will conduct the audits.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (Quality Indicators) Guidelines 2018 (Notifiable Instrument) [F2018N00041]

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (Quality Indicators) Guidelines 2018 provide the detailed indicators for each of the NDIS Practice Standards. They should be read alongside the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Rules 2018.

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Design Category Requirements Guidelines

Policies

Other information

The Resources page has other useful information, including fact sheets.

NDIS Quality and Safety Commission, Worker Orientation Module ‘Quality, Safety and You’ – This module called ‘Quality, Safety and You’ will assist all NDIS workers to better support people with disability. This module is an interactive online course that explains the obligations of workers under the NDIS Code of Conduct – from the perspective of NDIS participants. It was developed in consultation with the sector, including NDIS providers and people with a disability. It will be mandatory for all registered NDIS providers under the NDIS Commission to embed the module within their induction and learning programs and provide opportunities for workers to complete the module over time.

Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance:

Insurance House, an insurance provider across Australia, offers competitive Health Professionals Insurance products.

Insurance House has added Developmental Educators to their listing of professionals, eligible to apply for their Insurance Products. Follow the links below for further information.

Health Professionals Information Sheet

https://www.insurancehouse.com.au/buy-online, select the Health Professionals option (click ‘Agree to Terms and Conditions’) and follow the steps, to obtain a quote and/or purchase their products.