Who can audit you
This step comes after the self-assessment and sits within the process in our audit preparation checklist. The NDIS Commission says only approved auditing bodies, called approved quality auditors, can assess whether a provider complies with the Practice Standards. They are not part of the Commission. Their work is regulated by the Approved Quality Auditors Scheme Guidelines 2018, and the Commission says they are accredited by JASANZ and subject to the Australian Consumer Law.
The Commission publishes its current list of approved quality auditors, with their contact details and the year each was approved. It says all the auditors on the list provide services Australia-wide. The same page records auditors that have since left the list, so use the live page rather than an old list or a search result, and check that any auditor you consider is still on it. We do not name or rank auditors here.
Start with your Initial scope of audit
When you submit your application, the Commission emails an Initial scope of audit document. It explains your audit type (verification or certification), your registration groups, your types of service delivery, the relevant Practice Standards and the information to share with your auditor. The Commission says to use that document to request quotes.
The auditor then reviews it with you. The audit rules say they confirm that your registration groups reflect your actual or intended services, and check the types of participants you support, the geographic coverage of your services, the location and number of sites, the number of participants and the number of workers. The final scope of audit is agreed once those are settled. If anything in your Initial scope looks wrong, raise it before you accept a quote. Not sure what your scope will be? Our registration pathway checker gives a guide.
Get more than one quote
The Commission recommends getting more than one quote and asking auditors questions to make sure they suit your organisation. It does not set audit prices, and says cost depends on the size and scale of your organisation and the number of participants you support. To compare fairly:
- Send every auditor the same Initial scope of audit and the same facts about sites, participants and workers.
- Ask each to list what is included: Stage 1, Stage 2, the report and any follow-up on non-conformities.
- Ask how travel and extra sites are charged.
- Ask when they could start, and how long between Stage 1 and Stage 2.
- Compare the scope assumptions as well as the price. A low quote based on a smaller scope is not a saving.
What drives the cost
Because the audit is scoped to your organisation, the factors above move the price: your registration groups, the modules they bring in, the number of sites and how they are sampled, and how many participants and workers you have. A certification audit has two stages and a verification audit is a desktop review, which also changes the work involved. We do not publish audit prices, because the Commission does not and we have not found an official source for them. Our registration cost calculator shows which costs have a source and which need a quote, and our registration cost guide gives wider planning context.
Questions to ask before you engage an auditor
- Do you audit my registration groups and every module in my scope?
- Who will be on the audit team, and what experience do they have with my kind of supports?
- How will you sample sites, participants and workers for my organisation?
- When can Stage 1 start, and when would Stage 2 follow? The audit rules say Stage 2 should start within three months of Stage 1.
- What happens if you find a non-conformity? Is the follow-up review in the quote? Our guide to non-conformities explains the timeframes.
- What would change the price after the quote, and how will you tell me?
- When will the report go to the Commission? The Commission says within 14 days of a verification audit and within 28 days of a certification audit.
- Have you or anyone on the team given me readiness advice or a gap analysis before?
Independence matters
Auditors assess you independently. They are not there to write your documents or coach you. The audit rules also protect impartiality: auditors declare conflicts of interest before every audit, and an auditor that provides a gap analysis to a provider cannot provide auditing services to that provider for at least two years afterwards. If you want readiness help, get it from a consultant or use documents you adapt yourself, and keep your audit independent. See our comparison of templates, consultants and doing it yourself.
Working well with your auditor
The Commission suggests being prepared, explaining clearly how your service operates, asking questions if you are unsure, keeping records up to date and using each audit as a learning opportunity. It also notes that staying with the same auditor across your audit cycle can bring more consistent audits and clearer feedback. If you are unhappy, the Commission's page sets out the complaint steps, ending with JASANZ.
Before you contact anyone, make sure your documents are ready. Our package of 220+ editable Word documents covers the Core Module and Modules 1 to 5, and our self-assessment guide shows how to describe your practice.
This page is general information based on NDIS Commission and government sources at the date shown. It is not legal or professional advice, and the rules can change. Check the NDIS Commission's current requirements and read our disclaimer.