What the NDIS Worker Check is
It's a background check that looks at whether a person poses a risk to people with disability. Every state and territory runs its own screening unit, but the result is a single national clearance. In NSW the unit is the Office of the Children's Guardian, and the service desk is Service NSW.
If you're applying for support work with a registered NDIS provider, expect to need one - your employer will tell you if your role requires it. It's a separate check from the , and some roles need both.
A different NSW clearance for work with children. Having one doesn't replace the NDIS Worker Check, and the reverse is also true.
The three identity documents
You'll show three original, current documents in the same name - one from each group. If your name has changed, bring the evidence of that too.
- Category A - birth certificate, passport, visa, ImmiCard or citizenship certificate
- Category B - driver licence, photo card or passport
- Category C - Medicare card, student ID, bank card, tax notice or a trusted referee report
You'll need a MyServiceNSW account to lodge the application. Set it up first - it's the part that trips most people up.
The four steps
- Apply online. Lodge the application through your MyServiceNSW account. You'll be asked who your NDIS employer is - list them if you have one. The confirmation email gives you an application number; keep it.
- Visit a Service NSW centre within 28 days. Bring your application number, the three original ID documents, any name-change evidence, and the fee - $112 for paid workers, nothing for volunteers.
- The Office reviews it. The Office of the Children's Guardian checks the application and runs the screening.
- Your employer verifies it. Your NDIS employer gets an email asking them to confirm you work for them, and has 30 days to do it. If you listed more than one employer, only one needs to verify.
What your employer does - and when you can start
Give your employer your application number. Once they've verified your application, talk to them about starting work while it's assessed - the Office allows it, as long as the application has been verified by the employer. Whether that suits the role is your employer's call.
How long it takes
There's no fixed timeframe, and the Office doesn't give one. Most delays come from the same few things: missing or mismatched information, common names, information that has to come from other agencies, and applications that need a closer risk assessment. The fastest applications are the complete ones.
Five years, anywhere in Australia
A clearance is valid for five years. It moves with you: you don't reapply if you change employers, change roles, or move interstate. You can reapply from three months before it expires, and the Office sends email and SMS reminders at three, two and one month out - but there are no extensions, so a late renewal means a gap in when you can work.
The other must-do: the Worker Orientation Module
Alongside the check, every NDIS worker completes the NDIS Commission's free online orientation module. It takes about 90 minutes, and it's worth doing before your first interview - it's the shared language of the sector.
Support work on the Central Coast
Beyond Disability Support is a registered NDIS provider in West Gosford, supporting people at home and out in the community across the Central Coast. If you're thinking about the work, read what the job is really like - the good parts and the hard parts - before you apply.
Already applied for your check? You can still leave your details with us - you don't need the clearance in hand to start the conversation.
New to the work altogether? How to become a disability support worker covers the qualification, the other checks and the free training.