NDIS Service Agreement Template: What It Must Include

A service agreement is where a participant learns what they will get, on what terms. Auditors read it for clarity as much as for legal detail. Here is what it must establish, where agreements go wrong, and how to adapt one to your services.

Last updated: 8 October 2026

What it is and who needs it

A service agreement is the document in which you and a participant agree the supports you will deliver and the conditions that apply. Registered providers need one for each participant they support, and unregistered providers working with self-managed or plan-managed participants will usually want one too. It is the main reference point when a participant or provider later disagrees about what was promised.

What it provides evidence for

The outcome on service agreements with participants in the Core Module is that each participant has a clear understanding of the supports they have chosen and how they will be provided. The indicators ask for collaboration in developing the agreement, support to understand it, a signed copy for the participant, and emergency arrangements. A related outcome, access to supports, expects your entry criteria, any costs and the circumstances in which supports can be withdrawn to be defined and explained. Our guide to policies and procedures shows where agreements sit in the wider document set.

What auditors check

In Stage 2 an auditor takes a sample of participant files and reads the agreements against what the participant says. Do they know what is in it? Were they given a copy? Does the agreement match the supports actually delivered and the plan? A signed form with a participant who cannot describe it is a weak result.

Must-include checklist

Names of the participant and the provider, and who is acting for the participant if anyone.
Each support to be delivered, in words the participant understands, and how and when it will be provided.
Any conditions attached to the supports, with the reason for each.
Costs, how you will charge them, and how any changes will be agreed.
The circumstances in which supports can be withdrawn, and how that would be handled.
How the agreement is reviewed and changed, and by whom.
Arrangements in an emergency or disaster.
How to give feedback or make a complaint, including outside your organisation, and the right to an advocate.
How the participant's information will be used and shared, and how they can see or correct it.
Signature lines for both parties, or a record of why there is no signed copy.

Common mistakes

Legal language the participant cannot follow. The standard measures understanding, not length.
Supports described only as a price list. The agreement should explain what the support is, not just the item and rate.
Conditions with no reason. The standard expects the agreement to say why a condition applies.
No copy given. Files hold a signed agreement but nothing shows the participant has one.
Signed before the participant was ready. Pressure to sign on the first visit undermines informed choice.

How to adapt it to your organisation

Start with your service list and make each support a plain-language entry rather than a catalogue code. Add the conditions your service really has, such as notice for cancelling a shift, and justify each one. Check the costs and cancellation terms against the current NDIS pricing rules rather than copying figures from an old document. Prepare an accessible version for participants who need one, and decide how workers will talk a new participant through the agreement. If you also deliver SIL or work with specialist disability accommodation, the Core Module asks for documented arrangements with each participant and the dwelling provider, so add those. Keep a record of the day the participant received their copy.

How the package covers it

The Core Module documents in the package include service agreements, together with the consent and information documents that sit around them. See what is included and pricing. Edit the agreement to match your services before a participant sees it.

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. The checklists on this page describe good practice, not an official list of requirements, and our documents do not guarantee registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every participant need a signed service agreement?

The Core Module says that where an agreement is in writing, each participant receives a copy signed by the participant and the provider. If that is not practicable, or the participant chooses not to have an agreement, you record the circumstances in which they did not receive a copy.

Can one agreement cover several supports?

Yes. The agreement must explain the supports to be delivered and any conditions attached. It does not have to be limited to a single support, provided each one is clear to the participant.

What if the participant cannot read a long agreement?

The Core Module expects you to help each participant understand their agreement using the language, mode of communication and terms they are most likely to understand. That can mean an Easy Read version, an interpreter, or going through it together and recording that you did.

Does the agreement need to mention emergencies?

Yes. The Core Module says service agreements set out the arrangements for providing supports in the event of an emergency or disaster, which links the agreement to your emergency and disaster management plan.