NDIS worker screening checks: what they are and how to check
What an NDIS worker screening check covers, who must have one, and how to confirm a worker's clearance is current before they start supporting you.
- Step 1
Know what the check covers
A state or territory screening unit assesses suitability to work with people with disability.
- Step 2
Understand who must have one
Workers of registered providers in risk-assessed roles must hold a clearance.
- Step 3
Ask to see the clearance
If you're self-managed or plan-managed, ask the worker directly before they begin.
- Step 4
Verify it
Ask for proof, or check the status through the worker screening database.
- Step 5
Set a renewal reminder
Clearances expire after five years — expired screening is no screening.
What the check is (and isn't)
An NDIS worker screening check is a background check run by your state or territory's worker screening unit. It looks at criminal history and other relevant information to decide whether a worker is cleared or excluded from working with people with disability. It's a check for risk, not a rating of how good they are at the job.
It is not a substitute for references, interviews, or your own judgement. Screening answers one question — "could this person harm a person with disability?" — and it answers it well. Every other quality you care about, you still check the normal way.
Who must have a clearance
The legal requirement lands on registered providers. Workers in risk-assessed roles — roles that involve more than incidental contact with people with disability, like support work or certain therapy roles — must hold a current clearance, and the provider must keep records. Key personnel at registered providers are screened too.
Unregistered providers and sole traders aren't legally required to hold clearances. That matters if you self-manage or use an unregistered provider: the legal floor drops away, so your standards have to become the floor instead. Require the clearance anyway — the check is your call, and it's a reasonable one.
How to check a worker before they start
Verify before the first session, in this order
01Ask in writing
Make a current clearance a condition of the arrangement, and ask them to show it.
02Look at the details
Check the name, the clearance number, the issue date, and the expiry date.
03Verify it
If you self-manage or plan-manage, apply for access to the official NDIS Worker Screening Database, link the worker, and confirm their current status there. A provider-registration search cannot verify an individual worker.
04Keep the proof
File a note or a copy with your records, alongside the service agreement.
What a clearance shows you
Verified- Full name
- Matches the worker you're hiring
- Worker Screening ID
- The clearance's unique reference
- Status
- Clearance — not pending or excluded
- Issue date
- Confirm it was issued, not just printed
- Expiry date
- Five years from issue — mark it now
Read every field before the first session, then set a reminder for the expiry date.
Interactive checklist
Worker clearance check
Run through it for each new worker — your progress is saved on this device, and you can download the finished list to file with the service agreement.
Tick items as you work through them — your progress is saved on this device. Download or print when you're ready.
Worker clearance check
Check that the clearance is current
The most common mistake is assuming an old clearance is still valid. Clearances last up to five years, and they can be reviewed at any time if new information comes up. "I used to be cleared" isn't the same as "I'm cleared now", so always check the current status.
A clearance has an expiry date. It isn't a lifetime pass.
Frequently asked questions
What is an NDIS worker screening check?
It's a criminal-history and suitability check run by your state or territory's worker screening unit that decides whether a worker is cleared or excluded from working with people with disability. It focuses on the risk of harm, not on skills or personality.
Do I have to use screened workers?
Workers engaged by registered providers in risk-assessed roles must hold a clearance — that's the provider's responsibility. If you're self-managed or using an unregistered provider, screening isn't legally required, but you're free to require it and the NDIS Commission recommends you do.
How long is a clearance valid?
Up to five years, and it can be re-assessed at any time if new information comes to light. A clearance from five years ago doesn't tell you about today — always check the current status and expiry date.
How do I check a worker's clearance?
Ask to see it directly. If you self-manage or plan-manage, you can also verify status through the NDIS worker screening database. For registered providers, the employer is required to keep clearance records themselves.
What does 'excluded' mean?
The worker has been assessed as not cleared to work in specific roles with people with disability. A provider assigning an excluded worker to you is a serious matter and can be reported to the NDIS Commission.
Official sources
This guide is checked against these official pages.
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