NDIS Business: Visual Blueprint

This document provides visual representations of the core operational structures, business processes, and the necessary licenses and systems required to run a standard NDIS services company.

1. Standard NDIS Company Organizational Chart

Based on standard industry structures for mid-sized NDIS providers, here is a typical organizational hierarchy. Note how compliance and rostering are separated from direct support to maintain quality control.

graph TD
    %% Styling
    classDef exec fill:#1565c0,color:#fff,stroke:#0d47a1,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef management fill:#64b5f6,color:#000,stroke:#1e88e5,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef staff fill:#e3f2fd,color:#000,stroke:#64b5f6,stroke-width:2px;

    CEO[CEO / General Manager]:::exec
    
    %% Department Heads
    COMP[Quality & Compliance Manager]:::management
    OPS[Operations / Service Delivery Manager]:::management
    FIN[Finance & Billing Manager]:::management
    HR[HR & Recruitment Coordinator]:::management

    CEO --> COMP
    CEO --> OPS
    CEO --> FIN
    CEO --> HR

    %% Operations Branch
    ROST[Rostering & Scheduling Team]:::staff
    CS[Client Intake / Support Coordinators]:::staff
    SW[Support Workers / Allied Health Professionals]:::staff

    OPS --> ROST
    OPS --> CS
    OPS --> SW

    %% Compliance Branch
    COMP --> INC[Incident Reporting & Auditing]:::staff

    %% Finance Branch
    FIN --> PAY[Payroll & NDIS Claiming]:::staff

2. Key Business Processes

Operating an NDIS business requires strict adherence to documented processes. Below is the lifecycle of the core operational engine—from acquiring a client to getting paid.

sequenceDiagram
    participant Client as NDIS Participant
    participant Intake as Client Intake Team
    participant Roster as Rostering / Ops
    participant Worker as Support Worker
    participant Finance as Finance / Billing
    participant NDIS as NDIS PRODA Portal

    Note over Client,Intake: 1. INTAKE & ONBOARDING
    Client->>Intake: Referral received
    Intake->>Client: Conduct Intake Assessment & Risk Profile
    Intake->>Client: Sign Service Agreement & Consent Forms
    
    Note over Intake,Roster: 2. SCHEDULING & MATCHING
    Intake->>Roster: Create Client Profile & Budget in CRM
    Roster->>Worker: Match worker (skills, clearances, availability)
    Roster->>Client: Confirm schedule

    Note over Worker,Finance: 3. SERVICE DELIVERY
    Worker->>Client: Deliver Support Service
    Worker->>Roster: Submit Shift Notes & Timesheet (via Mobile App)
    
    Note over Finance,NDIS: 4. BILLING & PAYROLL (The Financial Engine)
    Roster->>Finance: Approve Timesheets
    Finance->>Worker: Process Payroll (SCHADS Award compliance)
    Finance->>NDIS: Bulk Upload Claims (Agency-Managed) via API
    NDIS-->>Finance: Funds Deposited (Usually 48 hours)

3. Licenses, Credentials & Clearances

To legally operate, the business and its staff must hold the following credentials.

License / Clearance	Who Needs It?	Purpose	Issuing Authority
NDIS Certificate of Registration	The Company	Legally allows the business to operate as a Registered Provider and claim funds directly from the NDIA.	NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission
NDIS Worker Screening Check	All Staff	A mandatory, specialized national background and police check for anyone interacting with participants.	State/Territory Screening Units
AHPRA Registration	Allied Health Staff	Professional license required if delivering therapeutic supports (e.g., Occupational Therapists, Psychologists).	AHPRA
Working with Children Check (WWCC)	Applicable Staff	Required if the company provides any supports to participants under the age of 18.	State/Territory Governments
First Aid & CPR	Support Workers	Mandatory safety certification, usually required to be renewed annually (CPR) and triennially (First Aid).	Registered Training Organisations (RTOs)

4. Required IT Systems & Architecture

An NDIS business cannot rely on manual spreadsheets due to the complexity of the NDIS pricing limits and award wages. You need an integrated tech stack.

graph LR
    %% Styling
    classDef gov fill:#ef9a9a,color:#000,stroke:#c62828;
    classDef core fill:#a5d6a7,color:#000,stroke:#2e7d32;
    classDef support fill:#ce93d8,color:#000,stroke:#6a1b9a;

    subgraph Government Portals
        PRODA[PRODA Identity System]:::gov
        MYPLACE[NDIS myplace Portal]:::gov
        COMM[NDIS Commission Portal]:::gov
    end

    subgraph Core Business Software
        CRM[NDIS CRM & Rostering <br/> e.g., Lumary, ShiftCare]:::core
        APP[Mobile App for Workers <br/> Timesheets & Notes]:::core
    end

    subgraph Support Software
        ACCT[Accounting & Payroll <br/> e.g., Xero, MYOB]:::support
        HRIS[HR & Onboarding <br/> e.g., EmploymentHero]:::support
    end

    %% Connections
    PRODA -. Authenticates .-> MYPLACE
    PRODA -. Authenticates .-> COMM
    
    CRM <-->|API Claims & Budgets| MYPLACE
    APP -->|Shift Data| CRM
    CRM -->|Timesheet Data| ACCT
    HRIS -->|Staff Data| CRM