The NDIS is Australia’s most significant social policy reform of the past fifty years. NDIS participants receive a package of funding to purchase required disability services in an open market.

The market includes providers who are registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and those who are not (known as unregistered or non-registered service providers. Service providers must undertake various compliance and auditing processes in order to identify themselves as NDIS registered service providers.

There has been some debate concerning the quality and safety of unregistered providers compared to that of registered providers. While these debates generally feature the voices of providers and public servants, the voice of NDIS participants is often absent.

This research aimed to capture the voices of NDIS participants, and some plan nominees, explaining why they choose to use unregistered providers and the steps that they take to ensure the quality and safety of services for themselves and their workers.