What you need to know

• Volunteers needing an NDIS Worker Screening Check can now apply online.
• The check is free and valid for five years from the date of clearance.
• People under 18 years still need to complete a manual (paper) application form.
• The online check is expected to cut processing delays.

After strong advocacy by NDS, Volunteering Victoria and Inclusion Melbourne, volunteers needing an NDIS Worker Screening Check can now apply online.

Since 1 February 2021, everyone in Victoria who works for a Registered NDIS Provider in risk-assessed roles must have undergone an NDIS Worker Screening Check. The check is an important measure to ensure the safety of people with disability. However, NDS continues to hear of significant delays in processing applications, delaying recruitment and exacerbating workforce challenges.

Early findings from the Independent Review of the NDIS, ‘Building a more responsive and supportive workforce’, found that the median time to process applications in Victoria was 11 days — longer if the time for workers to lodge their application and have their identity verified is also counted. Processing for manual (paper) applications can take as long as five weeks.

Until recently, volunteers could only apply for an NDIS Worker Screening Check manually, significantly slowing recruitment. Now, just as with paid employees, adult volunteers can create a Service Victoria account, prove their identity, and fill an online form. Once submitted, their employer has 28 days to verify them.

For more about NDIS Worker Screening Check for volunteer applications, go to the Service Victoria webpage.

The NDIS Worker Screening Check for volunteers is free and valid for five years. Regretfully, people under 18 years still need to contact Service Victoria for a paper application form.

NDS welcomes this long-awaited announcement. It follows other significant steps that Service Victoria has recently taken to speed up the processing of NDIS Worker Screening Check applications. Earlier this year, for instance, Service Victoria launched a contact centre to address delays through their chat function, ‘Vicky’ (or 1300 652 879).

Since the launch of the centre, we hear there of an improvement in the resolution of queries. We are keen to know if members are also seeing an improvement in the processes.

If you have any further questions or feedback, or if you have not been able to contact the team at Service Victoria, please contact Lourdes Zamanillo, Senior Policy and Project Officer at NDS.