Create a professional profile for independent support work

Help organisations understand how you can contribute

Keep structured information about your work preferences and professional background. Organisations remain responsible for their own recruitment, screening and engagement decisions.

• Services and experience. The supports you deliver, relevant experience and the participant groups you work with.
• Location and availability. Your suburb, service area, preferred schedule and current availability.
• Languages and transport. Languages spoken, and whether you can travel or provide transport where appropriate.
• Rates and contact preferences. An indicative hourly rate, and how eligible organisations can contact you.

From registration to professional contact

SolDirectory provides the profile and search tools. Any engagement is arranged directly between you and the organisation contacting you.

• Create your account. Register as an Independent Worker with your name, email address and mobile number.
• Complete your profile. Add your services, experience, location, languages, availability and indicative rate.
• Keep it current. Update availability and professional details whenever your circumstances change.
• Assess each opportunity. Discuss requirements directly and complete your own suitability, safety and contractual checks.

How contact works

Contact details are not displayed publicly.

• Organisations request contact. Authorised organisations can search the worker directory and request contact after considering the profile. Browse worker profiles
• You decide. Workers decide whether an opportunity fits their availability and professional scope.
• Looking for a worker?. Participants and representatives looking for provider services should use the public provider directory or submit an enquiry. Search the provider directory
• Listing a provider business?. Provider organisations looking to list services should instead review the provider listing information. Provider listing information
• Your profile. Workers can create an account to maintain their profile. Publishing a profile is not an endorsement and does not guarantee an engagement.

Checks and arrangements remain important

• Checks you may need. Depending on the role and supports delivered, you may need an NDIS Worker Screening Check, Working with Children Check, professional registration, first aid training, insurance or other evidence.
• A profile does not replace verification. Organisations should confirm credentials directly, and both parties should document the scope of work, rates, cancellations, privacy, incidents and complaints before support begins.
• No endorsement. SolDirectory does not endorse individual workers or determine whether a worker is suitable for a particular person or role.

Six things to settle before your first shift

• Decide how you will work. Contractor or employee is decided by how the arrangement really works, not by what it is called. Settle it before the first shift. Contractor or employee?
• Get your business basics in place. An ABN if you are entitled to one, a plan for tax, GST and super, and a conversation about insurance with whoever engages you. ABN, tax and insurance
• Understand worker screening. Whether you need an NDIS Worker Screening Check depends on who engages you. Find out before you pay for one. The screening check explained
• Know the Code of Conduct. It applies to workers as well as providers, and it covers privacy, safety, honesty, raising concerns and fair prices. The Code in everyday work
• Set a rate you can explain. Price limits are a ceiling, not a target. Know which limits apply to the participant, and what your rate has to cover. Setting your rates
• Keep simple, safe paperwork. A written agreement, short factual shift notes, a one-page incident process and invoices that match what was delivered. The paperwork you need

Guides for independent workers

• 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. Starting as an independent support worker: what to set up first
• A plain-English guide to the NDIS Worker Screening Check for independent workers and small providers: when one is required, how to apply, and what happens after a decision. NDIS Worker Screening Check: who needs one, how to apply and how long it lasts
• The Code of Conduct applies to registered and unregistered providers and to the workers who deliver NDIS supports. Here is what each commitment looks like on an ordinary shift. The NDIS Code of Conduct for support workers: what it means in everyday work
• Working for yourself means the business basics are yours: an ABN, tax, super, records and insurance. A calm checklist, and where to confirm each point. ABN, tax and insurance for independent support workers: what to sort out first
• 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. Independent contractor or employee? Getting your support work arrangement right
• 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. Setting your rates: NDIS price limits and fair pricing for independent workers
• Good paperwork protects you and the person you support. A practical set: an agreement, simple notes, a written incident process and invoices that match what was delivered. Service agreements, notes and invoices: the paperwork independent workers need
• 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. Registered or unregistered? Which path suits your NDIS support business

Looking for a worker rather than offering work?

This page is for workers. Participants and families can search the public directory, send one request to matched providers, and read what to ask before choosing.

Search the provider directory · Questions to ask a worker

Frequently asked questions

Who can create an independent worker profile?

Support workers, nurses and allied health assistants who work independently can register. You are responsible for holding the checks, qualifications, insurance and registrations required for the supports you offer.

Does SolDirectory employ independent workers?

No. SolDirectory is an independent directory and connection service. It does not employ workers, set employment conditions, supervise support delivery or act as a registered NDIS provider.

Does a profile guarantee work?

No. A profile makes your information searchable to eligible organisations using the worker directory. Contact, engagement and ongoing work depend on each organisation’s requirements and your suitability and availability.

What should I confirm before accepting work?

Confirm the support requirements, role expectations, location, schedule, rate, insurance arrangements, service agreement and whether the engagement is employment or independent contracting. Obtain professional advice if you are unsure.

Can participants use this page to hire a worker directly?

This page is for worker registration. Access to worker profiles is currently available to authorised organisations through the worker directory. Participants and representatives can use the public provider directory or submit a provider enquiry request.

Do I need an ABN to work independently?

Working independently usually means invoicing under your own Australian Business Number, but not everyone is entitled to one, and applying when you are not can have serious consequences. Read the Australian Business Register’s guidance and our guide to ABN, tax and insurance, and ask a registered tax agent if you are unsure.

Do I need an NDIS Worker Screening Check?

It depends on who engages you. Registered providers must have workers in risk-assessed roles screened. Unregistered providers and self-managed or plan-managed participants can choose to require one, and some self-employed workers need one themselves. Ask the person or organisation engaging you before you apply, because a check costs money.

Do I have to be registered with the NDIS Commission?

Not to work as an individual delivering supports that do not require registration for participants who self-manage or plan-manage. Some supports can only be delivered by registered providers, and if you work under another provider’s registration, that provider is responsible for the supports and for claiming payment. Our guide to registered and unregistered paths explains the difference.

Am I a contractor or an employee?

That depends on how the arrangement really works, not on what it is called. The Fair Work Ombudsman lists factors such as control, financial risk, equipment and whether you can send someone else. Our guide sets out the questions to ask before you agree, and legal advice is the safe way to be sure.

How do I set my rates?

NDIA price limits apply to NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants and are a ceiling, not a target. Work out what your rate has to cover, such as tax, super, insurance, travel and unpaid time, and be ready to justify it, because the Code of Conduct expects fair pricing.

What records should I keep?

A written service agreement, short factual notes for each shift, a written process for incidents, and invoices that match what you delivered. Keep them private and secure, and ask the people you work for how long they expect them to be kept.

Which guides should I read first?

Start with setting up as an independent worker, then worker screening, the Code of Conduct and your rates. All are in the guides section of this page, with links to the official pages they rely on.

Helpful reading

• Personal care and daily living supports: what to ask a provider: Help with showering, dressing, meals and the household is personal. These are the questions that help you set routines, protect your dignity and keep control.
• Hiring an independent support worker: what to ask and check: Some people choose to work directly with an independent worker rather than a larger provider. Here is what to look at first, and what to put in writing.
• 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.

All NDIS and aged care articles