How to find NDIS service providers and start support
How to Find Service Providers
By Tristram Peters · Originally published 17 April 2020
Original article and dated context
Tristram Peters is a writer, podcaster, and disability advocate with a keen passion for sport. He’s played powerchair football for Australia and sits on the executive board for the sport in the Asia Pacific Oceania region. Most importantly, he’s part of the Clicka-family!
Whether you’re new to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) or wanting to change supports, finding a service provider can be a frustrating process. Simply, how do you find what’s out there? And what do you do once you’ve found them?
In this blog, we’re going to step you through the process. We’ll show you how to find potential providers, what questions you should ask them, and how to sign them up. It’s the complicated made simple!
If you have any specific questions, comment below, drop us an email at hello@clickability.com.au or call us on 1800 414 616. But in the meantime, let’s show you how to find your perfect provider.
Where do you find providers?
The NDIS has turned the disability sector into one big ‘marketplace’, where you can look around and choose a provider that suits you. Cool, right? It’s all about giving you choice and control.
You can ask your support coordinators or local area coordinators (LACs) to help you navigate this ‘marketplace’, but what if you wanted feedback about a service before you agreed to use them? Or wanted a virtual marketplace to look at yourself?
This is where Clickability comes in. We’re a platform where you can find and connect with rated and reviewed providers. This includes, support workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, gardeners, cleaners, and much more.
Even better, people with disability and their carers can review service providers they’ve used before. This means when you search providers, you can read other people’s reviews of that service.
To find a service, head to www.clickability.com.au and type in the search on the homepage. If you want to narrow your search, you can select a category (e.g. ‘personal care’), the type of funding you wish to use to access a service (e.g. your NDIS funds) or enter your postcode!
If you’d like assistance, simply ring 1800 414 616 or type in the chat and one of our team will give you three potential service providers to choose from.
[Clickability update, September 2026: This phone and chat description is historical. Use the current service-request link at the end of this article; provider availability and responses are not guaranteed.]
What questions should you ask them?
Once you’ve found a service provider, you might want to ask them some further questions to ensure they’re a good match. If you’ve spoken to one of our team, we might already have answered some of these for you, but they’re good to keep in mind:
For all categories, what’s the provider’s minimum shift length? What is their $ rate? Do they ask to see your Plan before taking you on as a client?
For support worker agencies, does the provider allow you to give your preferences for support workers? (E.g. male/female or age.)
For plan management providers, do they make you approve every invoice before paying? Or provide you with a dash to check your spending?
These are just a few of the questions you can ask, but they’ll give you a better gauge of whether a provider is the right fit for you. And remember: what might be right for me might not to be right for you.
For instance, I like not having to approve every invoice that goes to my plan manager; I prefer checking via a dash. However, you might want to approve every invoice. Think about your preferences when talking to a provider.
If you’re happy and want to go with a provider, you’ll need to sign a service agreement. This is the agreement between you and the provider, noting all the important things they’ll do for you.
[Clickability update, 6 October 2026: Current NDIA guidance requires service agreements for SIL and SDA and recommends them for other supports. Read the current provider-choice guidance.]
A service agreement includes:
Your name and contact details
Your provider’s name and contact details
When your service starts and ends, being within the range of your existing NDIS Plan
The services that will be provided (e.g. the NDIS Support Item Numbers)
How much these services will cost
How you and the provider deal with any issues that might arise
Terms & Conditions, including relevant cancellation policies
Where to next?
That’s up to you! If you’ve found a service that suits, ask them questions and sign a service agreement to begin receiving supports. If you need further help, drop us an email at hello@clickability.com.au or call us on 1800 414 616
Clickability editorial update: September 2026
How participants can turn a shortlist into a workable service
Contact providers with the same short description of the support you need. Ask whether they have capacity for the location and times that matter to you, then compare the answers rather than relying on a profile alone.
Before support starts, clarify the agreed tasks, rate, cancellation terms and how you will raise a concern. Keep the written information somewhere you can use it. If a term is unclear, ask the provider to explain it before you agree.
What families can organise for the first conversation
With the participant’s agreement, collect the practical details they want shared: access requirements, preferred contact method and the support they are looking for. You do not need to circulate an entire plan simply to describe a need.
Help record each provider’s answers and leave room for the participant’s own judgement. A convenient appointment is only one part of deciding whether the service suits.
Questions readers ask
Must every participant sign a written service agreement?
The NDIA requires a written agreement for SDA and recommends written agreements for most other supports. The original general statement is too broad. Official guidance
Can a directory profile confirm a provider has capacity now?
No. Ask the provider to confirm current availability, location and the support it can offer.
Start your provider search with a clear request
Describe the service and location you need through Clickability. Browse profiles and reviews while you prepare the questions that will help you choose.
