Service agreements, notes and invoices: the paperwork independent workers need

A service agreement

The NDIS Practice Standards define a service agreement as a written agreement between the provider and the participant on the supports to be provided and the conditions surrounding those supports. Even where you are not required to follow the Practice Standards, a written agreement is the simplest way to avoid misunderstandings.

A useful agreement says what you will do, when, and how often; what it costs and how you will invoice; what happens if either side cancels at short notice; how privacy is handled; how to raise a concern or complaint; and how either side can end the arrangement. Our guide to what to check before signing is written from the participant’s side and is a good checklist from yours too.

Shift notes

Keep a short factual note of each shift: the date and times, what you did, anything that changed, and anything that worried you. Write what you saw and did rather than judgements, and avoid details that are not needed. Notes help you remember, help a replacement worker to continue the support, and can matter a great deal if something is questioned later.

Store them securely, because they contain private information. A locked phone or computer and a password are the minimum, and sending identifying details through unsecured messaging apps is best avoided.

A written process for incidents

The Commission defines an incident as an act, omission, event or circumstance that has or could have caused harm to a person with disability, or where a person with disability has caused serious harm or the risk of serious harm to another person. It says all NDIS providers should have an incident management system, and that registered providers must have one and must report certain incidents.

For one worker that can be a one-page procedure: make sure everyone is safe and call 000 if someone needs urgent medical care or a crime may have happened, write down what happened as soon as you can, tell the participant or their representative, and tell the organisation or registered provider you work under straight away if there is one. If you work under another provider’s registration, they may have reporting timeframes that start from when they become aware.

Invoices

An invoice should let the person, or their plan manager, see what was delivered without needing to ask. Include your name and ABN, the participant’s name, the date and times, the support delivered, the rate and the total, and the support item name or number where the claim is plan-managed. Invoice only for supports you actually delivered and at the rate agreed.

Send invoices promptly and keep a copy. Chasing and correcting old invoices is harder than getting them right the first time.

Privacy and how long to keep records

The Code of Conduct requires you to respect the privacy of people with disability, so share records only with people who need them. How long you must keep records depends on the arrangement and on tax rules, so ask the organisation you work under, check the Australian Taxation Office’s record-keeping guidance, and keep documents until you are certain they are no longer needed.

Frequently asked questions

What should a service agreement for an independent worker say?

What you will do, when and how often; what it costs and how you will invoice; what happens if either side cancels at short notice; how privacy is handled; how to raise a concern or complaint; and how either side can end the arrangement.

What should shift notes include?

A short factual note of each shift: the date and times, what you did, anything that changed and anything that worried you. Write what you saw and did rather than judgements, and avoid details that are not needed. Store them securely, because they contain private information.

What should an invoice include?

Your name and ABN, the participant’s name, the date and times, the support delivered, the rate and the total, and the support item name or number where the claim is plan-managed. Invoice only for supports you actually delivered and at the rate agreed.

What should I do if there is an incident?

Make sure everyone is safe and call 000 if someone needs urgent medical care or a crime may have happened. Write down what happened as soon as you can, tell the participant or their representative, and tell the organisation or registered provider you work under straight away if there is one.

Keep learning

• Starting as an independent support worker: what to set up first: Working for yourself brings freedom and responsibility. This checklist covers the checks, paperwork and boundaries to get right before you take on your first client.
• Registered or unregistered? Which path suits your NDIS support business: Some supports can only be delivered by registered providers, and others can be delivered either way. Here is what each path allows, what it asks of you, and a third option.
• Setting your rates: NDIS price limits and fair pricing for independent workers: A price limit is a ceiling, not a target. How the NDIS pricing schedules apply, when they do not, and how to set a rate you can explain.
• Independent contractor or employee? Getting your support work arrangement right: Calling someone a contractor does not make them one. Here is how the Fair Work Ombudsman describes the difference, the questions to ask before you agree, and what changes if you work under another provider’s registration.

More in our NDIS updates and insights, our step-by-step guides, or the NDIS and aged care provider directory.

Official sources

• NDIS Commission: NDIS Practice Standards
• NDIS Commission: Incident management
• NDIS Commission: NDIS Code of Conduct

Source checked 13 October 2026. Rules and guidance can change; verify current details with the responsible agency. How we write and check our guides.