Helensvale · Gold Coast
Changing Providers
Thinking about moving to a different NDIS provider? It’s your choice to make, at any time, and you don’t have to explain it to anyone. Here’s how changing providers works, and how to move across without a gap in your support.
The short answer
You can change NDIS providers at any time, for any reason, and you don’t have to give a reason if you’d rather not. Your NDIS funding sits in your plan and stays with you, not with your provider. How much notice you need to give depends on the service agreement you signed, not on any NDIS rule. With a little planning, you can move to a new provider without a gap in your support. The rest of this page walks through how, including what to say and what to ask before you commit.
Your right to choose
Choice and control sit at the centre of the NDIS, and that includes choosing who supports you and changing your mind later. You can change providers at any time, including in the middle of your plan. You don’t need to wait for a reassessment, and you don’t need the NDIA’s permission.
You also don’t owe anyone a reason. You might have a very clear one, or you might simply feel the fit isn’t right, and both are enough.
Your current provider can’t stop you from leaving either. Registered providers are expected to help a transition go smoothly rather than block it. A good provider will make leaving easy, because that’s part of the job.
Common worries
This is the fear that stops most people, and it’s a fair one. The way to avoid it is simple: line up the new before you let go of the old. Find your new provider, agree a start date, and only then give notice to your current one. There’s more on how to do that further down this page.
There’s no NDIS exit fee. What you can be charged is set out in your service agreement, and it has to fit within the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. The most common situation is a notice period: if your agreement asks for 14 days and you leave sooner, you may be charged for that time. Ask your provider to point you to the exact clause.
No. You can give a reason if you want to, or you can simply say you’ve decided to move to a different provider and give your notice. Both are completely acceptable, and you don’t need to justify your decision to anyone.
This is often the hardest part, and we’ll be straight with you. Support workers are employed by the provider, so moving usually means a new worker. That’s a real loss, especially if someone has been with you a long time and knows how you like things done. It’s a fair reason to think carefully, and worth asking any new provider how they handle matching.
Your information is yours. NDIS information is treated as sensitive under privacy law, so it can’t be handed to a new provider without your consent. You can ask your current provider for a copy of your records, including support plans and progress notes. It’s worth asking before you leave, so your new provider isn’t starting from scratch.
Yes. Your plan doesn’t need to change and doesn’t need to be reassessed. Your funding stays exactly where it is, because it sits in your plan rather than with your provider. Nothing about your plan is affected by who delivers your support.
Worth thinking about
We’d rather you thought this through properly than switched in frustration and ended up somewhere no better.
Some things are genuinely fixable without changing providers. If the problem is a worker who isn’t the right match, a roster that doesn’t suit you, or communication that’s gone quiet, those can usually be sorted with one honest conversation. Most providers, including us, would much rather change a worker or a schedule than lose someone.
Other things are harder to fix, and switching may well be the right call: support that keeps arriving late or not at all, feeling talked over or dismissed, or raising the same problem and watching nothing change.
And if something has happened that made you feel unsafe, you don’t have to wait until you’ve left to raise it. You can contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission at any time.
Step by step
Notice periods
This is the thing people get told wrong most often, so it’s worth being clear. There is no universal NDIS notice period. No seven day rule, no thirty day rule. The notice you owe is whatever your service agreement says, and nothing more.
In practice, 14 or 28 days is common, but agreements vary and yours may say something different. If you never signed a service agreement, there’s no agreed notice period.
Notice can also be shortened if both sides agree, so if you need to move sooner it’s worth asking. Many providers will say yes.
No gap in support
The order matters more than the timing. Do these four things and a gap is very unlikely. If your supports include personal care, or anything you rely on daily, say so early so your new provider can plan around it.
What to say
You don’t need to write anything long, and you don’t need to include a reason. A short, plain message is enough. You may feel you owe an explanation or an apology. You don’t.
Something like this works:
Hi [PROVIDER NAME],
I’m writing to let you know I’ve decided to move to a different provider. Please treat this email as my notice, in line with our service agreement.
My last day of support will be [DATE].
Could you please confirm you’ve received this, and let me know what I need to do to finalise things? I’d also like a copy of my records, including my support plan and any progress notes.
Thank you for the support you’ve provided.
Before you commit
These are worth asking whoever you’re considering, including us. If a provider is uncomfortable answering any of them, that tells you something useful.
Ask to see it in writing before you sign, not after. It should be easy to find and easy to read.
Look for an answer about personality and communication, not just who happens to be available.
Consistency is what makes support feel like a relationship rather than a roster of strangers.
Ask how you raise it and how fast it gets sorted. It shouldn't feel like making a complaint.
Ask for a name and a number, and what happens outside business hours or on a weekend.
Registration covers specific supports only, and it's checkable on the NDIS Commission register.
What to expect
If you’re considering us, here’s what actually happens, so there are no surprises. We’re based in Helensvale and support participants across the Gold Coast.
Your first call isn't a sales pitch. We're working out what you need and whether we genuinely fit.
You can meet your support worker before anything begins, or just have a chat with our office.
The first few weeks are a learning period, so we keep asking how it's going and change what isn't working.
Our registration is in force until 27 March 2029 and checkable on the register.
We're audited against the NDIS Practice Standards and work under the NDIS Code of Conduct.
All our support workers hold the checks and clearances required of registered NDIS providers.
We match on personality and communication style, then work to keep that same face with you.
Your culture, faith, language and preferences shape how your support is delivered.
If we're not the right fit for you, we'll say so, and help you find someone who is.
Why families trust us
FAQs
Most of the time it comes down to your notice period. If your agreement asks for 14 days and your new provider can start straight after, two to three weeks is realistic. It can be quicker if your current provider agrees to shorten the notice, and slower if the supports you need take longer to staff.
The NDIA doesn’t need to approve the change, but your provider details do need updating so payments go to the right place. Depending on your plan, that means confirming your providers in the my NDIS portal or updating a service booking. If you’re plan managed, tell your plan manager too.
It stays in your plan. Funding isn’t held by your provider, so it doesn’t leave with them. Your new provider claims against the same plan, for the same supports, with the same budget.
Yes, and many people do. You might use one provider for community access and another for personal care. It can also be a low risk way to try a new provider before you move everything across.
It affects who you can choose. If your plan is NDIA managed, your provider must be a registered NDIS provider. If it’s plan managed or self managed, you can choose either. We’re registered, so we can support participants however their plan is managed.
Yes. There’s no limit on how many times you can change, and no penalty for changing your mind. The same steps apply each time: check the agreement, line up the next provider, then give notice.
That’s a completely reasonable place to be. Say plainly what isn’t working and give your provider a real chance to fix it. If nothing changes, every option is still open to you. You can read more about how we work in our NDIS FAQs.
Here to help
If you’d like to talk it through, we’re happy to have that conversation, with no expectation that you move to us. Sometimes people call, talk it over and decide to stay where they are. That’s a good outcome too.
Support coordinator? Send a referral and we’ll be in touch.
This guide is general information, not advice about your individual plan. For anything specific to your situation, speak to the NDIA, your plan manager or your support coordinator.
