Hey Providers! Your 'Workarounds' Are Wrecking the NDIS. It's Time to Get Real About Ethics
I stopped working in the NDIS for many reasons, one of the most prominent reasons was that I was sick of dealing with providers who were either wilfully, or ignorantly taking advantage of the confusion and grey areas that permeate the NDIS.
The ever-increasing trend among some providers to exploit NDIS loopholes or bend the rules, often under the guise of “helping” participants or gleefully stating that: “There is nothing in the legislation or guidelines to say I can’t do that!.” It is beyond appalling.
On the surface, some of these actions might seem harmless, maybe even justified. But let’s be clear—this behaviour is anything but. It’s damaging, it’s short-sighted, and it ultimately undermines everything we’re working to achieve in this sector.
The Real Cost of Cutting Corners
When providers start exploiting these grey areas, the first thing that gets lost is trust. Trust is the foundation of every relationship we build with participants. They come to us often from a place of vulnerability, looking for guidance, support, and honesty. When we start bending the rules, even in small ways, we betray that trust. We might think we’re doing a small favour or making life easier for them, but the reality is we’re setting them up for disappointment and confusion.
Think about it: When a participant is told by one provider that a certain support or service is available, even though it’s not strictly within the guidelines, the participant, understandably, may believe this to be the standard. But when they approach another provider—one who follows the rules to the letter—they’re told something entirely different. This inconsistency doesn’t just create frustration from both sides; it creates a deep sense of uncertainty and insecurity. It makes participants feel like they’re on shaky ground, unsure of what they’re entitled to or how they can access the supports they need. Providers have an inherent power dynamic weighted in their favour within the NDIS, many participants have a keen sense of their rights and the role the NDIS can play in their supports, and they can exercise those rights. Many participants, however, are not fully aware of their rights, they cannot navigate the murky waters of the NDIS (really, who can?) and they can struggle to stand up to providers, or they are just simply unsure of themselves, and trust that the providers they engage have ‘got their back'.
And they should be able to trust every provider in that way. But they can’t, and they shouldn’t.
Let’s consider the broader impact on the NDIS itself.
Every time a loophole, or grey area is exploited, it sends a message that the rules are flexible, that the guidelines can be twisted to suit individual needs or preferences. But this is not what the NDIS is about. The NDIS was built on principles of fairness, equity, and transparency. When we start bending the rules, we chip away at these very foundations. And once those foundations start to crack, it’s not long before the whole system starts to fall apart. And some days it feels like the falling apart of the NDIS, is well on its way to being complete.
I get it, the NDIS guidelines and rules can be frustratingly vague, don’t bother ringing the call centre, they don’t know anything either. So, it’s very easy to just forge ahead regardless when things feel overly complicated. When nobody knows the answer to the question, “What do I do here?” It feels like we just have to rely on ourselves to answer that question and proceed in a way that suits us.
But why are providers using that as an excuse to do the things they know are not right? And I know in many cases that is done with intent, because I see them online, day and night. They will ask a question and the answer from 20 people will be, “No, you can’t do that, it’s against the rules”, and then one lone star will pipe up with the inevitable: “Sure, you can do that!” and that’s the answer the questioning provider wanted all along; so they ignore the 20 people and follow the guidance of one person, who is inevitably wrong.
Even small deviations from ethical practices can lead to bigger problems down the road. What seems like a minor shortcut today might snowball into something more serious, and it doesn’t just impact on a small or local level, it impacts the whole system.
When we start looking for grey areas, we are undermining the integrity of the entire NDIS scheme. Every compromise undermines the fundamental values that providers are supposed to maintain. Our goal is to genuinely support and respect those who rely on us, and that means sticking to high ethical standards no matter how tricky things get.
When I am not raging at my laptop, I am genuinely curious why some providers just want to do anything they think they should be able to do. It reeks of being in this sector for one thing only, cue flashing dollar signs. It makes my blood boil. Yes, of course, make a living, be successful, make a profit. I am in business, I get it. You can do all of that while maintaining the highest ethical standards. It's not really that hard.
So, let’s take a closer look at why maintaining the highest ethical standards matters.
The Human Cost
Let’s get down to the human cost of all this. When we fail to uphold the standards and guidelines set by the NDIS, it’s the participants who pay the price. They’re the ones caught in the middle, trying to navigate a system that is already unpredictable and unreliable. They’re the ones who have to bear the brunt of the confusion and inconsistency. And for participants who are already dealing with significant challenges, this added layer of uncertainty can be incredibly distressing. Not only is it distressing, but it is also downright unfair and can affect their wellbeing and safety in ways that are to numerous to mention. Just open Google and start searching for the provider horror stories.
Imagine being a participant who wants to move to a new provider to continue with a support they have been receiving, only to be told that what they thought was a legitimate service or support, is against the guidelines, or that the previous provider was not allowed to use their funding in that way. Need an example? "Equine therapists" lacking any Allied Health qualifications are charging participants a staggering $193.99 per hour just for the opportunity to interact with horses." Then we have art “therapists” charging the same rate and setting participants up to paint clay statues. In a group, no less. It’s not that social activities aren’t valuable to many people. The issue is your inflated ego convincing you that spending five days and $1000 to earn an unaccredited certificate somehow qualifies you as a therapist. That’s not just misleading; it’s downright fraudulent.
Imagine the sense of betrayal, the frustration, the fear of being left without the support they desperately need and were told was an acceptable use of their NDIS funds. This isn’t just a hypothetical situation; it’s happening right now, every day. And it’s happening because some providers are choosing to play fast and loose with the rules. Then there are the other providers who do absolutely no research at all in setting up their business, except for asking on Facebook: “Can someone tell me how I set up my business?!” and just literally bumble their way through the rest.
Right now, people are having their funding pulled and their support cut. Moving forward we are about to see big changes within the NDIS. These providers who have set these people up to fail are about to become an even bigger problem.
But it’s not just the participants who are affected.
When providers exploit these grey areas, it also impacts the broader community. It sets a dangerous precedent, one that other providers may feel pressured to follow just to stay competitive. This creates a race to the bottom, where everyone is trying to outdo each other in finding ways around the rules. In the end, this only serves to weaken the entire system, making it harder for everyone to deliver the quality of care and support that participants deserve.
So where do we go from here? How do we address this issue and ensure we’re all working to the highest ethical standards? It starts with a commitment—every one of us needs to commit to doing the right thing, even when it’s hard, even when it’s unpopular, even when it feels like it’s costing us in the short term. We need to remember why we got into this line of work: to help people, to make a difference, to support those who need it most. And we can’t do that if we’re constantly looking for ways around the rules.
Another fun one to navigate is group support. I have had some very uncomfortable conversations with providers in this space. I've been accused of being terrible at my job by providers who have said to me: “Well I cannot provide a sustainable group support if I must split the cost between 5 people. I refuse to do that” and they follow that up with: “Anyway I rang the NDIS, and they said I could charge the full cost charge per person, so that’s what I am doing”
I get it, you rang the NDIS, and they said you can do what you want. Let’s keep circling back here, never ring the National Call Centre (NCC) for anything; it is an exercise in pointlessness. Harsh words? Yes, they are, and I am sorry for anyone reading this who is an employee of that very call centre. However, my NCC readers, the call centre is a shambles, nobody can give consistent information, and nobody knows what they are doing. That is probably not your fault. Everything in the NDIS is a shambles. But I am not going to sugarcoat it. I am very apologetic about one thing. The NDIS have clearly not worked out how to train their staff effectively, and that is not the fault of the staff.
However, those same providers get shown the group pricing rules, and they will still fight with you. I did not write the guidelines, I do not have an opinion on the guidelines, I can’t change the guidelines. All I can do is point you to where they are and help you understand the reality of them. When you choose to get upset that the support you deliver is not sustainable, that’s not my fault. I can’t change it. If enough people refused to bend the rules and work in those grey areas, the NDIS would be forced to consider why nobody provides any group supports anymore. And this is the problem. Working under the radar, and in the grey zone means the NDIS is never fully aware of just how much pain and problems they are inflicting upon just about everyone across the whole sector.
And finally, let's talk about the impact on Support Coordinators.
They are about to become the messengers of doom in this whole scenario. Who is it that stands by many participants when they are told they can no longer have funding for certain supports, or their supports are drastically cut? Support Coordinators. Who has the finger pointed squarely at them when it goes wrong? Support Coordinators. Who has participants walk away from them because a less skilled or fraudulent provider says they can link them with an SC who will get them all the funding they need? The good Support Coordinators. And who is the government pointing the finger at as being one of the main reasons it is all going pear shaped? Support Coordinators. We need to build a culture of accountability within all people and organisations working within the NDIS scheme. This means more than just paying lip service to ethical practice—it means living it, every single day. It means being transparent with our participants about what’s possible and what’s not. It means educating our teams about the importance of following the guidelines, not just because it’s required, but because it’s the right thing to do. And it means holding each other accountable when we see practices that don’t align with our values.
And hey you, yes you, the provider who is taking advantage of those grey areas. It means that when you are told, by someone who has been working in this scheme since day one, that what you are doing is incorrect, could you think about taking a learning stance, rather than a fighting stance? Your arrogance and anger are driving the good people out of the sector. We are sick of fighting with you. Bashing your head against a brick wall every day for years and years, just different brick walls, with different variances of the same “caring” name, is exhausting.
If you have a problem with understanding and interpreting the guidelines, that is fair enough. They are not clear! I get it.
But you then have a responsibility to advocate for clearer guidelines and better support from the NDIS. You have a responsibility to stop seeking out the grey areas where you don’t need to justify what you are doing.
The rules may not always make sense, and they’re not always easy to follow, but instead of looking for loopholes, we should be pushing for improvements in the system. We should be working together to raise the bar, so why are so many providers taking part in a race to the bottom? Ignorance is not an excuse for anything.
The future of the NDIS depends on providers who are willing to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. It depends on those of us who are committed to building a system that is fair, transparent, and truly participant-centred. A system where participants don’t have to worry about whether their providers are playing by the rules because they know that every provider is held to the highest standard. The NDIS and the NDIS Commission cannot do this right now. It has all fallen apart for them. They cannot halt the train that has gotten out of control and continues to get further and further away from the train station.
The only people left to make the NDIS scheme better, are the providers themselves. Every single provider has a moral and ethical obligation to reach the highest standards for the people we support. Every provider needs to aspire for greater outcomes for themselves and their participants. Every single provider has a moral obligation to be a role model to others, by being competent and accountable for all the supports they deliver.
Some of my previous readers will know that I can sometimes take on what seems to be the more insignificant problems, rather than tackle the big issues. I am not going to back down from my stance that if we cannot start to make the small, but very needed changes within our own backyards, this scheme has no hope. Plants grow from the ground up. The way they grow depends on how you feed and nurture them and the type of environment you provide for them from day one. There is no point in even worrying about that plant growing into a tree, if you neglect to do the basic things to make it thrive.