Free checklist

Support worker onboarding checklist

Use this checklist for every new support worker, before their first shift. It covers the checks a registered NDIS provider has to keep records of, the employment paperwork most employers must give, and the training the Practice Standards expect.

Ticks are saved only in your browser, on this device. Print a copy for each worker's file if you need a record.

Updated 7 October 2026 · Free to use, no sign-up

What the rules expect

Summarised from the sources listed at the end of this page. Check the current versions before you rely on them.

→Workers in risk-assessed roles hold an NDIS Worker Screening clearance, and you keep records of it under the Worker Screening Rules.
→Records of pre-employment checks, qualifications and experience are kept (Practice Standards — Human resource management).
→Orientation and induction include the mandatory NDIS worker orientation program.
→Training is planned and recorded, including infection prevention and control (with refreshers) for everyone providing supports.
→Each worker's contact details and any secondary employment are recorded and kept up to date.

How to fill it in

Step by step

1
Decide whether the role is risk-assessed
Key personnel, direct delivery of specified supports, or more than incidental contact with people with disability need a clearance.
2
Check the clearance before the first shift
Confirm the worker's NDIS Worker Screening clearance and link them to your organisation in the NDIS Worker Screening Database.
3
Collect the paperwork
Contract, information statements, tax and super forms, ID, right to work and qualifications.
4
Complete mandatory training
The NDIS Worker Orientation Module, Code of Conduct, infection control and your incident and complaints procedures.
5
Induct into the role
Position description, policies, participant introductions, a buddy shift and system access.
6
Diarise expiries and reviews
Enter clearance, first aid and licence expiry dates, supervision and probation review dates.

Questions

Can a worker start before their NDIS Worker Screening clearance comes through?

Not in a risk-assessed role for a registered provider, apart from limited exceptions set out in the Worker Screening Rules. Check the current rules and your state or territory's requirements before relying on an exception.

Is the NDIS Worker Orientation Module mandatory?

The Practice Standards expect orientation and induction to include the mandatory NDIS worker orientation program. It is free online through the NDIS Commission.

Do volunteers need onboarding too?

Yes, if they are in risk-assessed roles they need a clearance, and they should get induction and training proportionate to what they do.

Where are the ticks saved?

Only in your browser, on this device. Nothing is sent to Suppora. Print the checklist or save it as a PDF for each worker's file.

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References

Sources checked 7 October 2026.

Worker screening — NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
National Disability Insurance Scheme (Practice Standards — Worker Screening) Rules 2018 — Federal Register of Legislation
NDIS Practice Standards — Core module: Provider governance and operational management — NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Fair Work Information Statement — Fair Work Ombudsman

This checklistis general information, not legal advice. Adapt it to your organisation's policies and the supports you deliver.

In Suppora

Onboarding that tracks itself.

In Suppora, candidates upload their Worker Screening, first aid, licence and other documents through a portal. Credentials are tracked with alerts before they expire and a warning on the roster if one has lapsed.

Recruitment & onboarding in Suppora See pricing

Support worker onboarding checklist

What the rules expect

The checklist