Education for NDIS Audit and Registration

What are the high intensity support skills descriptors?
The high intensity support skills descriptors (skills descriptors) are supplementary guidance for NDIS
providers and workers supporting participants with high intensity daily personal activities (HIDPA).
They describe the skills and knowledge that NDIS providers should ensure their workers have when
supporting participants who rely on HIDPAs. These supports present some of the highest risks for
participants. Many of these supports are intensely personal in nature, and require workers to
communicate and work closely with the participant to understand when and how to deliver supports
safely in ways that meet the participants’ preferences and daily routines.
Which supports do the skills descriptors apply to?
High intensity skills descriptors apply to providers required to be audited against the NDIS Practice
Standards, Supplementary Module 1: High Intensity Daily Personal Activities (HIDPA), relevant to the
high intensity supports they provide.
The skills descriptors provide further explanation of the skills and knowledge expected when supports
are delivered by a competent worker who is not a qualified health or allied health practitioner. NDIS
providers registered for these should ensure workers meet the expectations of the relevant skills
descriptors. The relationship to the HIDPA practice standards is provided in each skills descriptor.
Other providers and workers may also use this guidance to ensure best practice when supporting
people who require these supports. The support activities described in these skills descriptors are
likely to form part of a participant’s integrated support network and not necessarily as a standalone
support. These supports can carry significant risk to the person and their workers and it is important
that NDIS providers and workers ensure quality and safety in the supports they provide.
Who should use the skills descriptors?
• Participants, their family and their support network can use the skills descriptors to
understand the quality of support they can expect and as a reference when talking with
service providers and selecting workers.
• Auditors use the skills descriptors to determine if a provider has complied with the NDIS
Practice Standard requirements to provide high intensity supports for the purpose of a quality
audit.
• NDIS providers and workers can use the skills descriptors to understand the expectations they
should meet to provide HIDPAs and to help select training courses that will deliver the
relevant knowledge and skills expected to provide high intensity supports.
• Trainers should use the skills descriptors to ensure the training they offer equips workers with
the skills and knowledge expected to provide these types of supports.