Why this matters for your practice
Which audit you face is not a choice. It is determined by the registration groups you apply for, and the certification pathway applies to the higher-risk, more complex supports (for example Supported Independent Living, behaviour support, or high-intensity daily personal activities). Certification is more demanding, more expensive, and more frequent than verification, so knowing in advance that you are on this pathway changes how you prepare and budget.
If any of your registration groups fall in the certification pathway, your whole registration is assessed against the certification process.
The two stages
- Stage 1 (desktop review): an approved quality auditor reviews your policies, procedures, and documentation against the NDIS Practice Standards that apply to your registration groups.
- Stage 2 (on-site audit): the auditor visits, interviews key personnel and workers, and (with consent) participants, and observes how supports are actually delivered. Stage 2 should occur within about 3 months of Stage 1.
The auditor assesses against the Core Module plus any Supplementary Modules that match your registration groups.
The 3-year cycle and the mid-term audit
Certification is granted for a registration period of up to 3 years. Around the 18-month point, certified providers undergo a mid-term audit, a lighter check that confirms you are still conforming and that any non-conformities from the initial audit have been closed out. A full recertification audit then occurs before the registration period ends.
What auditors look for
- Documentation that maps to every applicable Practice Standards outcome.
- Evidence the documented systems are actually used, not just written.
- Closed-out corrective actions from any previous audit.
- Worker screening, incident management, and complaints systems operating in practice.
Common mistakes
- Assuming you can pick the lighter pathway. Registration groups decide it.
- Preparing only for the desktop stage and being caught out by the on-site interviews.
- Letting non-conformities drift between the initial and mid-term audits.
- Underbudgeting. Certification involves more auditor time than verification.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a certification and verification audit?
A certification audit is a two-stage assessment (a desktop review plus an on-site visit with interviews) for higher-risk, more complex supports. A verification audit is a document-only desktop review for lower-risk supports, with no on-site visit. Your registration groups determine which pathway applies.
When does the NDIS mid-term audit happen?
Providers on the certification pathway have a mid-term audit around 18 months into their registration period. It confirms ongoing conformity and that non-conformities identified at the initial audit have been addressed, ahead of a full recertification audit before the period ends.
Who decides whether I need a certification audit?
Your registration groups decide. Each registration group is assigned to either the certification or verification pathway, and the assignment is fixed. If any of your groups sit in the certification pathway, your registration is assessed through the certification process.
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