The short answer
- Get an NDIS Worker Screening ClearanceApply through Disability Worker Screening, part of the Queensland Government. A provider must confirm it is engaging you.
- Get a Blue Card if you'll work with childrenYou can apply for both checks in one application.
- Hold current First Aid and CPRThe national units are HLTAID011 and HLTAID009.
- Complete the NDIS Worker Orientation Module"Quality, safety and you", from the NDIS Commission, takes about 60 minutes.
- Consider a Certificate III in Individual SupportCHC33021. Optional, but many employers ask for it.
- Have a driver licence and a carNot a legal requirement, but many in-home and community jobs need one.
Step 1: the NDIS Worker Screening Check
In Queensland the NDIS Worker Screening Check is done by Disability Worker Screening, part of the Queensland Worker Screening Unit, on behalf of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. You need a clearance if you work in a risk-assessed role with a registered NDIS provider, which includes people who deliver NDIS supports directly.
- How to apply: get a Customer Reference Number (CRN) from the Department of Transport and Main Roads, register for a Disability Worker Screening Portal account, then apply and pay online. A provider must be engaging you (or proposing to), and must verify that before your application is valid.
- Cost: $161.30 for a paid worker, from 1 July 2026. Volunteers, including unpaid students, pay no fee. The fee usually rises each 1 July.
- How long it lasts: up to 5 years. It is recognised nationally, so you don't reapply when you change employer or state.
- When you can start: with a registered provider, Queensland's no card, no start rule means your clearance must be issued before you start.
Official details: Disability Worker Screening, Workers and Fees.
Step 2: a Blue Card for work with children
A Blue Card is Queensland's Working with Children Check, run by Blue Card Services. You need one if you provide disability services or NDIS supports to a child with disability, or work for an NDIS provider and have contact with children. You don't need one if you only support adults.
- One application for both: you can apply for the NDIS Worker Screening Check and a Blue Card together through Disability Worker Screening. The combined fee for a paid worker is $176.30 (from 1 July 2026), and both expire on the same date.
- A Blue Card on its own for paid work is $108.30. Volunteers and students pay no fee.
We support children as well as adults, so we ask every applicant for a Blue Card, held or applied for.
Official details: Blue cards for disability work and Pay for your blue card application.
Step 3: First Aid and CPR
Employers usually ask for current First Aid and CPR certificates. The national units of competency are HLTAID011 Provide First Aid and HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Both are current on training.gov.au. Take a course with a registered training organisation, and keep the certificate dates current: your employer will ask to see them.
Step 4: the NDIS Worker Orientation Module
The NDIS Commission's worker orientation module is called "Quality, safety and you". The Commission says it is mandatory for staff of registered NDIS providers.
It takes about 60 minutes, at your own pace, and covers what the NDIS is, human rights, your responsibilities under the NDIS Code of Conduct, and the Commission's role. You get a certificate to give your employer.
On 10 November 2026 the Commission's training portal page said the portal was unavailable and you could request access to the module from that page: NDIS Commission worker training portal.
Step 5: a Certificate III in Individual Support (optional)
The main entry qualification is the CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support. A step up is the CHC43121 Certificate IV in Disability Support. Both are current national qualifications on training.gov.au.
The official pages we read don't list a qualification as something every NDIS worker must hold. Many employers ask for one or count it as a plus. For our roles it's desirable, not essential.
Step 6: a driver licence and a car
A car isn't a legal requirement for NDIS work, but in-home and community support often means driving between participants and sometimes taking them out. For our roles it's essential: an open Queensland driver licence (not L or P plates) and a registered, roadworthy car with comprehensive insurance. Travel between participants can take from 20 minutes to an hour.
What the job involves
Support workers help people with disability live the way they choose: personal care, daily living tasks, meal preparation and household tasks, getting out to appointments and activities, and building skills and independence. You follow each person's support plan, write progress notes, and keep professional boundaries.
Every NDIS worker must follow the NDIS Code of Conduct. Its 8 elements cover respecting people's rights and privacy, providing supports safely and competently, acting with integrity, raising concerns about quality and safety, preventing and responding to violence, exploitation, neglect, abuse and sexual misconduct, and fair pricing.
Typical shifts
Work is often casual, with shifts at people's homes and out in the community. At Psych Connect, 25 to 38 hours a week may be available, with flexible shifts including weekends, across Ipswich and Springfield, Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast. Some shifts are in Supported Independent Living (SIL) homes, where support can include sleepover shifts.
Pay: our rate and NDIS price limits
Our rate is A$36–A$40 per hour (casual, weekdays), with higher rates on weekends, especially Sundays. Where you sit in the range depends on your experience.
That is what we pay our workers. It is not the same as the NDIS price limits.
The NDIS pricing schedule sets the most a provider can charge for an hour of support. It does not set what a worker is paid: a worker's pay is set by their employer and employment agreement. Our support worker rates guide explains the difference.
More detail: how pay works for our support workers.
Do I need a Cert III to be an NDIS support worker?
No, it isn't required by law, but many employers ask for one. The official pages we read don't list a qualification as mandatory for every NDIS worker. The NDIS Worker Orientation Module is mandatory for staff of registered providers. For our roles, a Certificate III or IV is desirable, not essential.
How long does the NDIS Worker Screening Check take?
It varies, and the clock starts only once your employer confirms your application. Disability Worker Screening checks your application only after the provider engaging you has verified it, so apply as soon as you have an offer. For Blue Cards, the Queensland Government says most applications are approved within 5 business days when there is no criminal history or other concerning information, and most risk assessments are finished within 21 business days.
How much does the NDIS Worker Screening Check cost in Queensland?
$161.30 for a paid worker, from 1 July 2026. A combined NDIS check and Blue Card costs $176.30. Volunteers, including unpaid students, pay no fee for the NDIS check.
Can I start work before my NDIS Worker Screening Clearance is issued?
Not with a registered provider in Queensland. Queensland applies a no card, no start rule for risk-assessed roles with registered NDIS providers, so your clearance must be issued first.
Can I do support work without a car?
Not with us: a car is required for our roles. Our shifts mean driving between participants, so we need an open Queensland driver licence and a registered, roadworthy, comprehensively insured car. Other employers' requirements vary, so check each job ad.
Is support work a good job?
It suits people who want flexible, people-focused work, and demand is growing. Jobs and Skills Australia counted about 376,300 aged and disabled carers in February 2026, up 27,100 in a year, and 60% work part-time. You help people live the way they choose, and casual shifts can fit around study or family.
How much do NDIS support workers get paid?
Our rate is A$36–A$40 per hour (casual, weekdays), with higher rates on weekends, especially Sundays. It depends on your experience. NDIS price limits are what providers can charge, not wages. See how pay works for our support workers.
Sources
- Disability Worker Screening (Queensland Government), Workers. www.workerscreening.qld.gov.au (last reviewed 1 November 2025; read 10 November 2026)
- Disability Worker Screening, Before you start. www.workerscreening.qld.gov.au (last reviewed 1 July 2026; read 10 November 2026)
- Disability Worker Screening, Fees. www.workerscreening.qld.gov.au (last reviewed 1 July 2026; read 10 November 2026)
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Worker screening. www.ndiscommission.gov.au (last updated 23 October 2026; read 10 November 2026)
- Queensland Government, Blue cards for disability work. www.qld.gov.au (last updated 19 August 2026; read 10 November 2026)
- Queensland Government, Pay for your blue card application. www.qld.gov.au (last updated 3 September 2026; read 10 November 2026)
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, NDIS Code of Conduct. www.ndiscommission.gov.au (last updated 25 May 2026; read 10 November 2026)
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Worker training portal. www.ndiscommission.gov.au (last updated 10 November 2026; read 10 November 2026)
- training.gov.au, CHC33021, CHC43121, HLTAID011 and HLTAID009. training.gov.au (all current; read 10 November 2026)
- NDIS, Pricing arrangements. www.ndis.gov.au (no date shown; NDIS pricing schedule 2026-27 effective 24 September 2026; read 10 November 2026)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 4231 Aged and Disabled Carers. www.jobsandskills.gov.au (ABS Labour Force data, February 2026; read 10 November 2026)
- Queensland Government, Processing times for blue card applications. www.qld.gov.au (last updated 15 October 2026; read 10 November 2026)