NDIS Restrictive Practices Reduction for Providers
Positive behaviour support that puts dignity first. NDIS restrictive practices should be a last resort. Our plans set out clear steps that work toward using them less.
A plan is due and your roster is full. We visit in person across the Grampians and Central Highlands. Telehealth is available too, though it may not suit every situation.
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NDIS Restrictive Practices Providers Must Report and Reduce
A restrictive practice is anything that limits the rights or free movement of a person with disability. The NDIS Rules regulate five types. Each one must be used in line with a behaviour support plan and, in Victoria, be authorised.
The five regulated NDIS restrictive practices are:
• Seclusion: keeping a person alone in a room or space they are not able, or not allowed, to leave
• Chemical restraint: using medication to change behaviour, when it is not prescribed to treat a diagnosed condition
• Mechanical restraint: using a device to restrict a person’s movement, to change their behaviour
• Physical restraint: using force on a person’s body to stop them moving, to change their behaviour
• Environmental restraint: limiting a person’s free access to places, items or activities
Reducing NDIS Restrictive Practices Starts With Rights
Restrictive practices limit a person’s rights and freedom. They can cause harm, fear and a loss of trust. That is why NDIS restrictive practices are a last resort.
They are only for use when there is a risk of harm. They should be the least restrictive option, used for the shortest time.
Using them less can open up daily life. When we understand a person’s needs, the reason for a restriction can change. Each step is planned and agreed with the team.
What counts as a restrictive practice in everyday support?
Many restrictive practices look ordinary. A locked kitchen cupboard can be one. So can taking away a phone.
Giving medication mainly to calm someone can count too. What matters is the effect on the person’s rights, and the reason behind it.
NDIS restrictive practices providers often miss
Some practices creep in over time. Staff may use them with good intent. If they are regulated restrictive practices, they still need a plan and authorisation.
- Locking the fridge, pantry or snack cupboard
- Holding on to a person’s phone, tablet or TV remote
- Giving as-needed (PRN) medication to settle behaviour
- Keeping a person in their room and not letting them leave
Sound familiar? Call us or send a referral. We can review the practices in use and start a plan for change.
Plans That Work Toward Less Restriction
We build each plan on a thorough functional behaviour assessment. Behaviour is a message. The assessment helps us understand what a behaviour of concern is telling us.
Then we write strategies that meet the person’s needs in less restrictive ways. Where a regulated restrictive practice is in place, we work toward reducing and ending it. This follows NDIS Commission requirements.
- Find the reasons. We look at triggers, health, routines, the setting and how the person communicates.
- Build proactive strategies. Skills, supports and changes that lower the need for restriction.
- Set out the least restrictive option. Each practice is clearly described, with when it may be used and for how long.
- Plan the steps down. Each practice has review points, so it can be used less over time.
- Walk the team through it. We explain the plan to support workers in plain English.
- Review and adjust. We check progress with the team and update the plan when needs change.
Want the full picture? Read about our positive behaviour support plans.
How are NDIS restrictive practices reduced?
By working on the reasons behind a behaviour of concern. That can mean changing the setting, building skills, supporting communication and guiding staff.
The plan sets small steps to use the practice less. Progress is checked with the person, their family and the team.
Support for families
Families are part of the team. You know the person well, and that knowledge helps shape strategies that fit their life. We explain each part of the plan in plain words.
Change takes time, and each step is planned with care. Here are some questions you can ask about any restrictive practice:
- What is this practice for, and what risk does it address?
- What was tried before it?
- How will we know when it can be used less?
- When is the next review?
- Who can I talk to if I have a concern?
Have a question about a plan? Call our team for a chat.
Providers: Get Your Referral Ready
We work with SIL and accommodation teams, day programs and support coordinators. A good start saves your team time.
We meet the staff who will use the plan, so the strategies fit how your shifts run. Not sure if you need a referral yet? Call us and we can talk it through.
How quickly does a plan need to be in place?
Some plans will include a regulated restrictive practice. For these, the Rules set timeframes. An interim plan is due within one month of the practitioner being engaged.
A comprehensive plan is due within six months. Both start from engagement, so an early referral helps.
Provider checklist before you refer
Gather what you can from this list. A missing item should not hold up your referral.
- The participant’s NDIS plan, including Improved Relationships funding
- Consent, and contact details for the person, family, guardian or decision maker
- A clear description of the behaviours of concern, with recent incident reports
- Any practices in use now, even if you are not sure they count as restrictive
- Current medication charts and any PRN protocols from the prescriber
- Past behaviour support plans, health reports and assessments
- The name and contact details of your Authorised Program Officer
- Key support workers and rosters, so we can meet the people who use the plan
We support people with a wide range of needs. This includes behaviour support for people on the autism spectrum and behaviour support for people with intellectual disability.
Checklist ready? Fill in the referral form, or give us a call.
NDIS Restrictive Practices in Victoria: Who Does What
Several people share responsibility for regulated restrictive practices. Knowing who does what helps providers meet the rules. It also protects the person’s rights.
Who authorises restrictive practices in Victoria?
In Victoria, authorisation happens under the Disability Act 2006. The provider’s Authorised Program Officer (APO) considers and authorises the practice in the person’s plan.
The Victorian Senior Practitioner oversees this system. The Senior Practitioner must approve seclusion, mechanical restraint and physical restraint. Behaviour support practitioners write plans, but they do not authorise practices.
| Who | Main role |
|---|---|
| Behaviour support practitioner | Assesses the person, then writes and reviews the plan |
| Provider using the plan | Uses a practice only as the plan and authorisation allow, and reports its use |
| Authorised Program Officer | Considers and authorises the practice for the provider in Victoria |
| Victorian Senior Practitioner | Oversees the Victorian system and approves seclusion, mechanical and physical restraint |
| NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission | Receives plans and monthly reports, and responds to unauthorised use |
What must providers report?
Providers who use a regulated restrictive practice must report it to the NDIS Commission each month. Using one without authorisation, or outside the plan, is a reportable incident.
The Commission must be told, generally within five business days. A shorter timeframe applies if someone was harmed.
How often must plans be reviewed?
Comprehensive plans that include one must be reviewed at least every 12 months. They must be reviewed sooner if the person’s needs or situation change. Plans are lodged with the Commission.
We set review dates early, so your team has time to prepare.
Ready to refer a participant?
Start with our NDIS client referral form. You can also meet the practitioners in our behaviour support team.
Near Ballarat? Read about our behaviour support services in Ballarat. For the wider picture, see our behaviour support services.
Call us to talk through the NDIS restrictive practices in your service.
This page is general information only. It is not legal advice. Every person is different, and a plan does not guarantee a particular outcome. Rules about restrictive practices can change. Check current rules with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. Key sources: the Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support Rules 2018 and the Disability Act 2006 (Vic). If you are in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 000 in an emergency.
Why Providers Work With Us on NDIS Restrictive Practices
Staff need a plan they can follow on a busy shift. Providers need a plan that meets the rules. We write for both.
Compassion. Care. Commitment. Here is what that looks like:
• Experienced team: Karen Ceccon, Advanced Behaviour Support Practitioner, supervises our practitioners. Lauren Walker writes behaviour support plans for people with complex needs
• Assessment first: every plan starts with a thorough functional behaviour assessment
• Reduction built in: each plan sets steps to reduce, and where possible end, regulated restrictive practices
• Plain English: strategies support workers can read and use on shift
• Rights first: behaviour is a message, and dignity guides each choice
• Team approach: we work with support staff, families, APOs and health workers
• Local and flexible: based in Ararat, with visits across the region and telehealth
Ready to talk about a participant? Send a referral or call our team.
FAQs About NDIS Restrictive Practices
What are NDIS restrictive practices?
A restrictive practice is any practice or intervention that restricts the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability. The NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 regulate five types. These are seclusion, chemical restraint, mechanical restraint, physical restraint and environmental restraint. They are a last resort, used only in response to a risk of harm, and in line with a behaviour support plan.
How are restrictive practices reduced?
Reduction starts with understanding why a behaviour of concern happens. A functional behaviour assessment looks at triggers, health, communication and the setting. The plan then builds proactive strategies and new skills. It sets small steps to use the practice less over time. The team reviews progress together and updates the plan as needs change.
Can you review the NDIS restrictive practices we already use?
Yes. We work with SIL and accommodation providers, day programs and support coordinators across regional Victoria. Our practitioners can assess a participant, look at the practices in use, and write or update their behaviour support plan. Each plan works toward reducing and, where possible, ending regulated restrictive practices. Send a referral form or call our team to start.
What does the NDIS Commission require for restrictive practices?
Regulated restrictive practices must be used in line with a behaviour support plan and any state authorisation. Where a plan will include one, an interim plan is due within one month of the practitioner being engaged. A comprehensive plan is due within six months. Plans are lodged with the Commission and reviewed at least every 12 months, or sooner if needs change. Providers report their use each month.
Who authorises restrictive practices in Victoria?
Authorisation happens under the Disability Act 2006. The provider’s Authorised Program Officer considers and authorises the practice in the person’s plan. The Victorian Senior Practitioner oversees the system. The Senior Practitioner must approve seclusion, mechanical restraint and physical restraint. Behaviour support practitioners write and review plans, but they do not authorise practices.
What happens if a restrictive practice is used without authorisation?
It is a reportable incident. The same applies if a practice is used outside the plan. The provider must tell the NDIS Commission, generally within five business days. A shorter timeframe applies if someone was harmed. It is also a sign the plan needs attention, so a practitioner can review what happened with the team.
Still unsure about a restrictive practice?
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