Worker Screening Compliance
TrustCare Support worker screening compliance — NDIS Worker Screening Clearance requirements for nursing subcontractors operating under registered NDIS providers in WA.
Worker Screening Compliance Statement
Last updated: March 2026
TrustCare's commitment: all nurses maintain a current NDIS Worker Screening Clearance.
Evidence of clearance is available to registered provider partners on request at any time. AHPRA registration does not substitute for NDIS Worker Screening in Western Australia.
1. TrustCare's Status as an Unregistered Provider
TrustCare Support operates as an independent AHPRA-registered Registered Nurse service. We are not an NDIS registered provider. Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Worker Screening) Act 2020, the legal obligation to verify that workers in risk-assessed roles hold an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance applies directly to registered NDIS providers.
As an unregistered provider, TrustCare is not legally required to obtain NDIS Worker Screening Clearances for our nurses. However, TrustCare voluntarily commits to maintaining current clearances for all nurses who deliver services, for the following reasons:
- Where TrustCare nurses deliver services under a registered provider's framework, the registered provider must verify worker screening clearances as part of its own compliance obligations — TrustCare actively supports this
- Clearances provide independent assurance to registered provider partners and to participants that TrustCare nurses have been assessed as safe to work with people with disability
- The NDIS Commission strongly recommends that all workers delivering NDIS supports hold a clearance regardless of provider registration status
- NDIS Worker Screening includes ongoing monitoring (not just a one-off check), providing continuous safeguarding throughout the clearance period
2. What is an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance?
An NDIS Worker Screening Clearance is a nationally recognised assessment conducted by a State or Territory government screening authority. It is not the same as a National Police Check.
| Feature | NDIS Worker Screening Clearance | National Police Check |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | State/Territory Screening Unit (WA: Dept of Communities) | ACIC or private providers |
| Assesses | Criminal history + full risk assessment (suitability to work with people with disability) | Criminal history record only (point-in-time) |
| Ongoing monitoring | Yes — continuous monitoring for the full 5-year validity period | No — one-off point in time only |
| Validity | 5 years, nationally recognised across all states and territories | No fixed validity; not portable as an NDIS substitute |
| Outcome | Cleared or Excluded — a definitive determination | Lists charges/convictions — no cleared/excluded determination |
| Substitutes for NDIS screening? | Yes — this is the required check | No — does not satisfy NDIS screening requirement |
3. Does AHPRA Registration Substitute for NDIS Worker Screening in WA?
No. In Western Australia, AHPRA registration does not substitute for an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. This is confirmed by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
AHPRA registration assesses a nurse's professional competence and fitness to practise as a health professional. NDIS Worker Screening specifically assesses whether a person poses an unacceptable risk of harm to people with disability. These are different assessments with different criteria and are both required.
An AHPRA-registered Registered Nurse delivering NDIS supports in risk-assessed roles in WA must hold both:
- Current AHPRA registration (professional obligation under health practitioner law)
- Current NDIS Worker Screening Clearance (NDIS obligation — separate requirement)
Note for registered providers in Queensland: Queensland had a transitional arrangement where AHPRA registration was accepted as an alternative check for specific practitioner types. This was a time-limited transitional measure specific to Queensland and does not apply in Western Australia. WA nurses require a WA NDIS Worker Screening Clearance regardless of AHPRA status.
4. Who Performs Screening in Western Australia?
NDIS Worker Screening Checks in WA are administered by the Department of Communities, Screening Unit.
- 📞 Phone: 1800 225 558 (8:30am–4:30pm, Mon–Fri)
- 📧 Email: NDISCheck@communities.wa.gov.au
- 🌐 Apply online: wa.gov.au — Applying for an NDIS Check
- 📍 Identity verification: Must attend a Department of Transport Driver and Vehicle Services Centre in person with four identity documents
Fees (WA):
- Paid employees/contractors: $145
- Volunteers/unpaid workers: $11
- Eligible concession card holders: $80
The clearance is valid for 5 years and is nationally recognised — a clearance obtained in WA is valid for NDIS work in all other states and territories.
5. Working While Application is Pending (WA)
WA operates a "work on application" arrangement. A nurse who has applied for a clearance and whose application has not yet been determined may work in a risk-assessed role, subject to the condition that they are appropriately supervised by a person who holds a current NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. This arrangement does not apply if the worker has been issued an interim bar.
TrustCare will notify registered provider partners of any nurse who is working under a "work on application" arrangement and will ensure appropriate supervision is in place.
6. TrustCare's Worker Screening Commitments to Registered Provider Partners
TrustCare makes the following commitments to every registered NDIS provider partner:
- All TrustCare nurses who deliver services under a registered provider's framework hold a current NDIS Worker Screening Clearance (WA Department of Communities)
- Evidence of each nurse's clearance will be provided to the registered provider before the nurse commences service delivery and on request at any time
- TrustCare will notify the registered provider immediately if any nurse's clearance status changes (revoked, suspended, expired, or interim barred)
- No nurse will deliver services under a registered provider's framework without a current clearance or valid "work on application" arrangement with supervision confirmed
- TrustCare maintains an internal register of all worker screening clearances and renewal dates
7. Consequences of Non-Compliance
For registered NDIS providers, allowing a worker in a risk-assessed role to deliver NDIS supports without a current clearance is a breach of registration conditions and is subject to enforcement action by the NDIS Commission, including:
- Civil penalty proceedings (financial penalties imposed by a court)
- Compliance notices
- Suspension or revocation of NDIS registration in serious cases
TrustCare's voluntary commitment to maintaining clearances for all nurses supports registered provider partners in meeting these obligations.
8. Verification and Audit
Registered provider partners may request confirmation of any TrustCare nurse's clearance status at any time. Contact:
📧 admin@trustcaresupport.com.au | ✉️ info@trustcaresupport.com.au
You can also independently verify a worker's NDIS Worker Screening Clearance through the NDIS Worker Screening Database operated by the NDIS Commission. Registered providers have access to the database to verify clearance status.
Sources: NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission — Worker Screening | WA Government — Applying for an NDIS Check | NDIS Worker Screening Act 2020 (Cth)
