The NDIS Code of Conduct
The Code sets out how every NDIS provider and worker must behave. This page takes each of its eight elements and sets out what Inspire Clinic does about it — the policy, the document, the step in our process. Not a statement of intent.
The NDIS Code of Conduct is made under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Code of Conduct) Rules 2018. It applies to every NDIS provider — registered and unregistered — to their key personnel, and to every person they employ or engage. It applies to Inspire Clinic and to each of our physiotherapists.
Our physiotherapists are also bound by the Physiotherapy Board of Australia Code of Conduct through Ahpra registration. Where the two overlap we meet both; where the NDIS Code asks for something specific to disability supports, that is what we do. A concern can be raised with either body, and with us.
You can raise a concern with us at any time on 0402 166 415 or reception@inspireclinic.au, and it will never affect the supports you receive. You can also go straight to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544 — you do not have to come to us first.
Act with respect for individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making
Support people to make their own decisions, communicate so they can understand and be understood, and take account of their values, culture, faith, gender and age.
| Supported decision-making | Assessment findings, options, likely outcomes and cost are explained before treatment starts, and consent is recorded in the service agreement. A participant can decline or stop any treatment at any time, without it affecting anything else. |
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| Someone with you | A family member, carer, advocate or support worker is welcome at any appointment. We will work with a nominee or guardian where one is appointed, and their details are recorded in the service agreement. |
| Explaining it properly | Our resource library exists for this: every condition, medicine and technique we treat is written in plain language, so a participant can read about their care in their own time rather than only hearing it once in a session. |
| Choice of provider | Participants choose their provider and can change at any time. Our agreement can be ended by either party with 20 business days' notice, and no reason is needed. |
The clinic does not provide interpreting services directly. Where a participant needs an interpreter, we work with them to arrange one before the appointment — we do not rely on a family member, which is not appropriate for conversations about oxygen, ventilation or airway clearance. Where interpreting is funded in the participant's NDIS plan it is claimed against that funding; where it is not, the cost is confirmed in writing beforehand. Where communication support is a reasonable adjustment for a disability, the clinic arranges and meets that cost. We will not proceed with an appointment where we cannot communicate safely and accurately.
Respect the privacy of people with disability
Comply with privacy law, and deliver supports in a way that maintains personal privacy and dignity.
| Privacy law | Personal and health information is handled under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. Our privacy policy sets out what we collect, why, and who it goes to. |
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| Consent before sharing | Information is not disclosed to a third party without written consent, except where the law requires it. Where a plan manager or support coordinator is involved, only what is needed for service planning and invoicing is shared. |
| Records | Clinical records are kept for at least 7 years from the last date of service. A participant can ask to see or correct their record by emailing reception. |
| Dignity in the session | Physiotherapy involves physical contact and often undressing to the waist for chest assessment. We explain what we are about to do and why, offer a gown or towel, use a private treatment room, and ask before every examination. |
Provide supports and services in a safe and competent manner, with care and skill
Workers must have the training, competence and qualifications for what they deliver; services must meet professional codes and work health and safety duties; records must be accurate; insurance must be held.
| Qualified clinicians | All supports are delivered by Ahpra-registered physiotherapists with cardiorespiratory experience. Registration is public and can be checked on the Ahpra register. |
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| Worker screening | Every person delivering supports holds a current NDIS Worker Screening Check. Where a participant is under 18, a Queensland Working with Children Check (Blue Card) is also held. |
| Scope of practice | We say what we do not do. Lung function testing is referred to CQ Respiratory and Sleep Clinic, sleep studies go through the participant's GP, and we do not provide services into residential aged care facilities. Oxygen and BiPAP need a medical prescription before we begin. |
| Evidence, kept current | Our editorial policy governs the clinical content we publish and the guidelines we work from, with a stated review cycle. Treatment follows current Australian guidance, not habit. |
| Records and outcome measures | Progress notes and outcome measures are recorded each session, and a written progress report goes to the participant and their plan manager at least every six months or at plan review. |
| Safety in the home | Home visits are assessed for access and safety, and we discuss any concern with the participant rather than simply declining to attend. |
| Insurance | Professional indemnity, public liability and medical malpractice insurance are held and current. |
Act with integrity, honesty and transparency
Recommend only what suits the participant's needs, declare and avoid conflicts of interest, and avoid sharp practices.
| Published prices | Every fee is published in full on our schedule of fees before anyone books. NDIS supports are billed at the NDIS price limit — never above it. |
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| Agreed before it is charged | Travel, non-face-to-face time and report writing are agreed in writing in the service agreement before they are delivered. We do not add a charge to an invoice that was not agreed. |
| Conflict of interest — declared | We sell the e-chamber Portable Nebuliser Pro and PARI MucoClear® hypertonic saline at the clinic, so we have a commercial interest in them. That disclosure is printed on every page where we teach nebulised therapy. Other devices and solutions are available through pharmacies and other suppliers, participants are under no obligation to buy anything from us, and our clinical advice does not depend on where equipment is bought. |
| No overservicing | We recommend the number of sessions the assessment supports, and we discharge when goals are met. If a participant is not benefiting, we say so and stop or refer on. |
| Funding used honestly | We tell the plan manager promptly if the funding available appears insufficient, and we do not deliver supports we know cannot be funded. |
Promptly raise and act on concerns about quality and safety
Foster an environment where people feel safe to complain, operate effective complaints and incident systems, and act on what they find.
| A published process | Our concerns and complaints policy is public. Complaints are acknowledged within 2 business days and resolved within 20 business days. |
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| Safe to complain | Raising a concern never affects the supports a participant receives. A complaint can be made by the participant, a family member, a carer, an advocate or a worker, and can be made anonymously. |
| External bodies, named | We publish the contact details for the NDIS Commission, Ahpra and the Queensland Health Ombudsman on the complaints page, and a participant may go to any of them directly. |
| Incident system | Incidents and hazards are recorded on standard forms and reviewed by the Director. Our NDIS incident register is maintained separately from clinical records so that patterns are visible rather than buried. |
| Acting on it | Where a complaint or incident shows something in our process is wrong, the process changes and the change is recorded — the outcome is not simply an apology. |
Prevent and respond to violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse
Commit to eliminating all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation; identify and report incidents; reduce and eliminate restrictive practices.
| Zero tolerance | Violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of a participant are never acceptable, whoever the source — a worker, a family member, another provider or a member of the public. |
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| Recognising it | Our clinicians see participants in their own homes, which is often where signs first appear: unexplained injury, malnutrition, untreated pressure areas, equipment withheld, medication not given, isolation, or fear of a carer. Staff are expected to act on what they see, not wait for certainty. |
| Reporting | Reportable incidents are notified to the NDIS Commission under the NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018, within the required timeframes, and to police or child protection authorities where the law requires it. Mandatory reporting obligations under Queensland law are observed by all staff. |
| Restrictive practices | Inspire Clinic does not use regulated restrictive practices. Nothing in our treatment restrains, secludes or restricts a participant's free movement. If a support we were asked to deliver would amount to one, we would decline and refer to the participant's behaviour support practitioner. |
| Where equipment is involved | Ventilation, oxygen and airway clearance equipment must never be used to control or contain a participant. Devices are set to a prescription, and settings are changed only on clinical grounds. |
Prevent and respond to sexual misconduct
Have clear guidance for staff behaviour, and effective processes for dealing with sexual misconduct.
| Clear boundaries | Any sexual or romantic relationship between a clinician and a participant is prohibited, and remains prohibited after discharge. Sexualised language, comments about a participant's body beyond what the assessment requires, and personal contact outside the therapeutic relationship are all breaches. |
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| Consent for physical contact | Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy involves hands-on chest work and often requires undressing to the waist. We explain what we are going to do and why, ask before we start, and stop the moment a participant asks. Consent is not assumed from a previous session. |
| A support person present | A participant may ask for a support person or chaperone at any appointment, for any reason, and does not have to explain why. We will offer one where an examination is intimate or where a participant appears uncomfortable. |
| If it happens | An allegation of sexual misconduct is a reportable incident. It is notified to the NDIS Commission and to Ahpra, and reported to police where the participant wishes or the law requires. The worker is removed from contact with participants while it is investigated. |
No higher prices for NDIS participants
Providers must not charge, or represent that they charge, a higher price to an NDIS participant for the supply of goods than they charge to anyone else.
| One price for goods | This element matters to us because we sell goods. The e-chamber Portable Nebuliser Pro and PARI MucoClear® hypertonic saline are sold at the clinic at the same price to everybody — NDIS participant, aged care client or private patient. There is no NDIS price for a product. |
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| Buy them anywhere | Participants are told plainly that other nebulisers and solutions are available through pharmacies and other suppliers, and that they are under no obligation to buy from us. Where a participant already has a device, we help them use it well. |
| Goods are separate from fees | Product costs are not part of any service fee, are itemised separately on the invoice, and are never bundled into a support item. |
| Services at the price limit | For supports, we bill the NDIS price limit — $183.99 per hour for physiotherapy and $92.00 per hour for provider travel — and never more. |
Who to contact
You can come to us, or go straight to any of these. You do not need to raise it with us first, and doing so will not affect your supports.
Free, independent advocacy is available through the National Disability Advocacy Program. An advocate can help a participant raise a concern and speak on their behalf.
This page describes how Inspire Clinic applies the NDIS Code of Conduct, made under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Code of Conduct) Rules 2018. It summarises our processes and is not a substitute for the Code itself, which is published by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Related documents: Concerns & Complaints, Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, Schedule of Fees.