The EFQC Enquirer: 11 November 2025

In this edition

EFQC Diary

• November Highlights

Important Information

• Have Your Say: NDIS Practice Standards Reform
• Get Ready for the myID/RAM Transition
• Important Update for Providers – “Short Term Accommodation” is now “Short Term Respite”
• New NDIS Code of Conduct Video – Integrity, Honesty and Transparency

Ask the Experts

• Ask the Experts: Building Resilience in the NDIS Sector Stacey Copas, resilience expert.

EFQC Diary

November Highlights

As we start to wrap up another productive year, EFQC is thrilled to share some exciting updates from our November calendar!

Wrapping Up AQA Training for 2025

We’re closing out the year with our final NDIS Auditor Training session for 2025 in November, facilitated by our awesome Director Sharon Floyd and in house audit whiz Technical Manager Patty Wassenaar. EFQC is proud to be the only NDIS consultancy to have trained every registered NDIS auditor in Australia — a distinction that reflects our deep expertise and leadership in the sector. This final session will bring our total to over 1,600 auditors trained since 2018.

What an outstanding achievement for the team and the broader NDIS community!

NDS Executive Leaders Conference 2025

We’re also proud to be sponsoring the upcoming NDS Executive Leaders Conference 2025 24-25 November 2025 Brisbane, where Sharon Floyd will be presenting alongside an impressive line-up of sector leaders.

The full program is now live, showcasing thought-provoking sessions, expert speakers, and valuable networking opportunities. If you can make it to Brisbane, we highly encourage NDIS providers to attend this event.
November is shaping up to be an inspiring month of learning, leadership, and sector collaboration — a perfect way to finish the year strong!
 

Important Information

1. Have Your Say: NDIS Practice Standards Reform

At EFQC, we’re passionate about quality, safety, and continuous improvement across the NDIS sector. As part of that commitment, we want to make sure NDIS providers have their voices heard in the latest review of the NDIS Practice Standards, currently underway through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

The NDIS Practice Standards outline the quality and safety requirements all registered providers must meet when delivering supports and services. This national review responds to findings from the NDIS Review, the Disability Royal Commission, and the Commission’s own inquiries — all highlighting the need for stronger, clearer, and more human rights–focused standards.

The review is exploring:

• Whether the Practice Standards are focused on the right things to improve quality, ensure safety, and embed human rights.
• If provider and worker obligations are clear, practical, and proportionate.
• How improved guidance could support providers to deliver high-quality, participant-centred supports.
• It will also consider whether developing a new NDIS Quality Framework could help achieve these aims.

Why this matters for providers:
This is your opportunity to share real world insights about what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to change. Your feedback can help shape the future of compliance expectations, quality measures, and sector support.

The consultation process, supported by KPMG, includes national engagement sessions, submissions and online surveys for both participants and providers.

🕒 Don’t miss your chance to contribute — the Participant and Provider Survey closes on 13 November, and consultation sessions are filling fast.

Find out more and have your say here: NDIS Practice Standards Reform – NDIS Commission
At EFQC, we strongly encourage all NDIS providers to get involved. This is your opportunity to influence how quality and safety are defined in the next phase of the NDIS.

2. Get Ready for the myID/RAM Transition

The way NDIS providers access government portals is changing — and it’s important to get prepared early.

Both the NDIA and the NDIS Commission are introducing myID (the Australian Government’s Digital ID) and Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) to replace PRODA. These changes aim to strengthen identity verification and improve protection against scams, fraud, and data breaches.

Key dates for providers:

• NDIA Portals: From 10 November 2025, all providers and authorised staff must use myID and RAM to log in. PRODA will no longer be accepted after this date.
• NDIS Commission Portals: Changes start from 7 December 2025, with a transition period until 30 September 2026.

Self-managed participants can continue using PRODA until further notice.
To help you prepare, the NDIA has released a step-by-step guide and is running information sessions for providers.

• Learn more and access resources: myplace provider portal and resources | NDIS
• Need help? Contact the NDIA National Contact Centre on 1300 311 675.

Now is the time to plan your transition — so you and your team are ready before the deadline.

3.  Important Update for Providers – “Short Term Accommodation” is now “Short Term Respite”

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has updated how this support is described and documented. What was formerly called Short Term Accommodation (STA) will now be known as Short Term Respite (STR).

What this means for providers

• While the term has changed, the essence of the support remains: enabling a break for informal carers (family/friends) whilst the participant receives appropriate support.
• The updated guideline explains who can access STR, what it may include, where it can be used, and how funding is allocated.
• Key eligibility points to note: participants who live with or receive daily support from primary informal supports for more than 6 hours a day may be eligible.
• STR is not designed for holidays, skill-building, or as a substitute for paid supports.
• Funding is generally from the Core budget under “Assistance with Daily Life” and commonly capped at up to 28 days per calendar year, typically with a max of 14 days at a time (unless exceptional circumstances apply).

Action required for your organisation

• Update your policies, procedures, service descriptions and contracts to reference “Short Term Respite” instead of STA.
• Review your eligibility screening, service design and claims processes to align with the updated guideline rules (especially the focus on break for informal supports, not holiday or skill-building).
• Ensure your invoicing, scheduling and documentation clearly demonstrate alignment with the updated definitions and funding boundaries.
• Communicate with participants and their informal supports about the terminology and purpose change—clarifying that the support remains, but the framing has shifted to reflect its core purpose.
• For providers seeking a deeper dive, the official NDIA factsheet is available here: Short Term Respite – NDIA Factsheet

4.  New NDIS Code of Conduct Video – Integrity, Honesty and Transparency

The NDIS Commission has produced a video series to educate providers on their responsibilities under the NDIS Code of Conduct, with the latest focusing on the principles of integrity, honesty, and transparency.

All NDIS providers, registered or unregistered, must deliver supports safely and competently according to the NDIS Code of Conduct, which applies uniformly to uphold participant rights and quality service delivery.

Providers are reminded to:

• Recommend the most suitable supports based on the individual needs of participants.
• Disclose and avoid all conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived.
• Avoid any undisclosed benefits accruing to themselves or their staff.

Upholding these principles protects participant autonomy and ensures informed decision-making. Providers who breach the Code of Conduct risk penalties including fines or bans following investigations by the Commission.

The video uses practical examples to highlight how adopting this approach builds trust and delivers high-quality, ethical services aligned with NDIS standards.

Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts: Building Resilience in the NDIS Sector Stacey Copas, resilience expert.

Running an NDIS business isn’t easy. Between compliance demands, workforce pressures, and financial uncertainty, many providers are asking: how do we keep going and stay strong for the people we support?

We sat down with Stacey Copas a resilience expert, to talk about what resilience really means — and how providers can build it in themselves, their teams, and their organisations.

Q: What does “resilience” mean to you, and why is it so important in the disability and community services sector?

A: I’ve come to resilience from a different path to most. My approach has come from the personal experience of overcoming a devastating accident that left me a quadriplegic and needing a wheelchair for life at just 12 years old. I reverse engineered how I got from the lowest of the lows to being someone with a genuine love and passion for life with great relationships, health and business. To me, I see resilience as growing through challenges rather than just going through them. I see it as being 75% proactive and 25% reactive. It is capacity building rather than just surviving.

That’s why I believe resilience is the most important skill in the disability and community services sectors. Because when you’re navigating constant change, complexity, and pressure, it’s what keeps people safe, ongoing services viable, and leaders grounded.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you see NDIS providers and their leaders facing right now?

A: Ongoing uncertainty and constantly shifting goal posts, often with little notice are recurring themes. Pricing pressures and concerns around financial viability especially in such a competitive market. Balancing service delivery with admin and trying to get more participants and staff. Increasing compliance enforcements and changes including registration requirements. Attracting and retaining quality staff and then burnout of staff leading to staff turnover.

Q: When things feel overwhelming, what are the first small steps leaders or staff can take to build resilience?

A: Stop for a moment. Just a few seconds. I sometimes say, “stop” out loud to myself. Then take a few deep breaths to get back into the present. I use a gratitude mantra in conjunction with the few deep breaths and either say in my head, or out loud, “thank you for the opportunity to be who I am, where I am, with what I have at this moment in time.” It shifts the energy from panic to presence. It’s easier to make good decisions about what to do next from this state.

Q: How can providers bounce back from setbacks like compliance notices, funding pressures, or staff turnover?

A: I’m not a fan of the “bouncing back” phrase. I feel it sells resilience short and is more about survival and coping. There is a different way of looking at these setbacks. Instead of seeing them as obstacles, reframe them as opportunities. Stop and ask, what can we learn from this, how can we grow from this, how could we improve. Seeing a challenge as something to welcome can take some of the stress out of them. It may take a while to realise the opportunities but asking the question plants seeds that shift to a mindset of possibilities and abundance.

Q: What role does mindset play in staying resilient, and how can leaders shift theirs in tough times?

A: Mindset is everything. How we think about a situation and how we talk about a situation is how we experience it. Being conscious of the language used and the impact of it is helpful. Take some time to feel the feelings but don’t dwell in them. Use them as feedback. Self-awareness is important for leaders. A great way to improve that is through journalling. I teach a one sentence journalling ritual that can be done in as little as 30 seconds.

Q: How can leaders build resilience not just for themselves, but across their teams?

A: It starts with being intentional about it. Simple rituals done consistently over time builds resilience before it is needed. Often resilience is thought of when things go wrong. Having it as a value, personally and as an organisation. Leading by example, staying grounded and open even when things are difficult. Use structure to reduce chaos, clear roles, realistic expectations, and repeatable rhythms. I had a podcast guest share that his approach with leadership is “to be clear is to be kind.” Let people feel seen and heard, especially when things go wrong. Emotional safety builds trust.

Having great support outside of the organisation is vital for leaders, especially with leaders in similar situations. It isn’t healthy to lean everything on family or a spouse, and most of the time they can nod along but they can’t relate to their loved ones’ circumstances or provide constructive suggestions. It’s one of the reasons I started my Inner Circle community to provide that environment.

Q: What practices help teams maintain morale and motivation when resources feel stretched thin?

A: Celebrating effort and progress, small wins and resourcefulness, not just the big outcomes. It’s easy to beat ourselves up about what we haven’t done so stopping to take stock of progress and what has been done, the lives impacted is a great morale booster. Helping people understand how their specific role connects with the organisation’s purpose. Feeling like you’re doing something meaningful is a motivator.

Regular informal conversations to keep a finger on the pulse of how people are doing, to understand what support and encouragement helps them. Providing opportunities as a group for education and inspiration, bonus if it is fun too. Music can bring the sense of togetherness and connection up a level. I’ve suggested to teams I’ve worked with to curate their own playlists.

Q: How can providers encourage open conversations about stress and burnout without fear of stigma?

A: Say it first, something like “I’ve been feeling stretched lately” invites openness from others. Normalise asking questions like “Where do you feel overwhelmed at the moment?” Make journalling, check-ins, and informal debriefs part of the culture, not just crisis responses. Remind your teams that needing support isn’t weakness, it’s wise. Responding to all contributions with curiosity, not correction will help people feel more comfortable to bring things up before being asked.

Q: What are some habits or routines that help leaders and organisations sustain resilience over the long haul?

A: My go-to is starting with one sentence journal every night with the prompt: “Today I had the opportunity to…” Schedule short periods of stillness. Resilience requires recovery, not constant grind. Prioritise completing what is already in motion. Don’t start more than you’re finishing, it creates overwhelm.
Create a culture of gratitude. Say thank you, well done, great job, and mean it. Gestures of appreciation go a long way to building the resilience and sense of value in a team. One organisation I know do a Friday afternoon “made it happen” circle where people take turns to share examples of when they saw a colleague doing a great job. It helps to get people to look for the good in others and build team resilience.

Q: How does resilience link to organisational success and viability in the NDIS environment?

A: Resilient and grounded teams make fewer mistakes, communicate better, and stay together longer. Structure and emotional safety reduce risk, and burnout. Services can keep running through crisis because there are proactive reserves of resilience both organisationally and individually. Resilience means everything doesn’t collapse when the NDIA changes something, which let’s face it, they’ll keep doing.

Q: What’s one resilience strategy you personally use that NDIS providers might find helpful?

A: The one sentence journal has been the most powerful resilience ritual I have. I haven’t missed a night in over ten years now. The place to start is a commitment to complete the following sentence: “Today I had the opportunity to…” Doing this shifts my focus from stress to growth. I recently created a training around this that has led to many attendees who had not journalled before committing and sticking to the process with great outcomes.

Q: If you could give providers just one piece of advice right now, what would it be?

A: Resilience isn’t built by doing everything, it’s built by choosing one thing at a time, doing it consistently, and letting the compounding effect shift the rest. If you try to do everything, you’ll do nothing.
To start:
Pick one team ritual. That could be journalling, it could be the appreciation, it could be shared music etc.
Stick with it for a defined period.
Watch how much changes from just that.

If you’d like more ideas or to go deeper into resilience, feel free to download a complimentary copy of Stacy’s book, How To Be Resilient, at www.howtoberesilient.com.au or can connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceycopas/.