NDIS Commission’s Statement of Intent: a stronger future for quality, safety, and integrity

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has released its 2025–2027 Statement of Intent, outlining how it plans to meet government expectations and strengthen its role as the national regulator of the NDIS market. At its core, this new direction reinforces a simple but powerful message: participants’ safety, rights, and dignity come first.

A regulator evolving with purpose

Commissioner Louise Glanville has made it clear that the Commission is entering a new phase – one defined by maturity, accountability, and risk-responsive regulation. While its core purpose remains the same – to uphold the rights of NDIS participants and ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality supports – the way it operates is set to become far more data-driven, strategic, and formidable.

The Commission plans to release its Strategic Roadmap 2025–27, which will guide the final two years of its current five-year strategic plan. This roadmap will focus on practical, measurable outcomes that ensure the regulator continues to grow alongside the rapidly evolving disability sector.

Key priorities: safety, quality, and fraud prevention

1. Safety

The Commission isn’t mincing words: it intends to be a formidable regulator. Using the full range of its statutory powers – from compliance notices to banning orders and civil penalties – it will act decisively against violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
The Commission’s approach will be risk-proportionate, focusing its resources on the areas and providers that pose the highest risks to participants.

2. Quality

Quality is no longer just a compliance box to tick. The Statement of Intent positions quality as a human rights obligation. Providers will be expected not only to meet but to continuously improve.

Through engagement, education, and updated guidance, the Commission aims to promote innovation and continuous improvement, ensuring every participant – no matter where they live – receives the high-quality support they deserve.

3. Fraud and Integrity

Fraud is more than a financial issue – it’s a trust issue. The Commission’s collaboration with the Fraud Fusion Taskforce underscores its commitment to protecting both participants and the integrity of the NDIS.

By detecting and disrupting fraudulent or exploitative practices, the Commission will ensure NDIS funds are used for their intended purpose: empowering people with disability.

Smarter regulation through data and collaboration

A major transformation is underway through the Data and Regulatory Transformation (DART) Program. This initiative will connect the Commission’s data systems and sector intelligence to identify hidden risks and systemic issues before they escalate.

It’s a move toward evidence-based, risk-responsive regulation – one that’s proactive rather than reactive.

In short, DART will enable the Commission to “shine a light on the shadows” of the NDIS market.

Building capacity and confidence across the sector

The Statement also outlines a renewed focus on workforce capability and participant empowerment. Through initiatives such as the Workforce Capability Framework, behaviour support training, and community outreach campaigns, the Commission aims to build a market where everyone – participants, providers, and workers – understands their rights and responsibilities.

This isn’t just about compliance. It’s about building a culture of safety, respect, and continuous improvement that runs through the heart of the NDIS.

Commitment to reform and accountability

The NDIS Commission will also play a central role in broader government reforms, including the response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability and the Independent Review of the NDIS.

Transparency and accountability are being built into every layer of the regulator’s operations. Quarterly performance reports will be published, detailing compliance and enforcement actions, and progress on restrictive practices will be monitored closely.

Listening to the disability community

Importantly, the Statement reinforces the Commission’s obligation to engage directly with people with disability, their families, and advocates – ensuring that diverse voices, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQA+ communities, culturally and linguistically diverse participants, and those in rural and remote areas, are heard and represented in regulatory decisions.

A stronger future for the NDIS

The message from the 2025 Statement of Intent is clear:

The NDIS Commission is not standing still. It’s taking decisive steps to become a more powerful, transparent, and participant-focused regulator. Through stronger partnerships, smarter data use, and a human-rights-led approach, it’s paving the way for a safer, fairer, and more sustainable NDIS for all.