Behaviour support practitioners in Sydney
We connect people in Sydney with registered NDIS behaviour support practitioners. Tell us what's going on and where you are, and a practitioner from a provider that covers Sydney will contact you to talk about assessment, a behaviour support plan and when they can start. It's free to use.
- Registered NDIS providers only
- Free to use
- Independent, not a provider
Where we cover in Sydney
We connect people right across Sydney, including:
- Sydney CBD
- Inner West
- Eastern Suburbs
- North Shore
- Northern Beaches
- Hills District
- Parramatta
- Blacktown
- Penrith
- Liverpool
- Campbelltown
- Sutherland Shire
- Canterbury-Bankstown
If your suburb isn't listed, put your postcode in the form anyway. We'll check which registered providers cover it.
What happens when you get in touch
Tell us what's going on
Who the support is for, the postcode and what's needed. About two minutes.
We find a provider
We pass your details to one registered behaviour support provider that covers your area and is taking new clients.
A practitioner contacts you
To talk through assessment, a behaviour support plan, funding and when they can start.
Need a practitioner in Sydney?
Free and independent. About two minutes.
Restrictive practices in New South Wales
| Scheme | Restrictive Practices Authorisation (RPA) |
|---|---|
| Who authorises | RPA panels run by each registered NDIS provider, under policy set by the Central Restrictive Practices Team, Department of Communities and Justice |
| Law or policy | NSW Restrictive Practices Authorisation Policy and Procedural Guide (government policy, not legislation) |
The provider that will use the practice, called the implementing provider, runs the RPA panel. The panel needs at least two people: a senior manager from the provider, who chairs it, and an experienced behaviour support practitioner who is independent of the provider and the person. The NSW Government keeps a pool of independent specialists that providers can ask for.
The panel looks at the person's behaviour support plan, which must be written by a practitioner the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) considers suitable. The panel also needs evidence of consent. Its decision must be unanimous, and authorisation lasts no more than 12 months.
Consent comes from the person if they can make the decision. For a child, it's usually a parent or guardian. For an adult who can't decide, it depends on the practice. It may be a guardian with a restrictive practices function appointed by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), or for chemical restraint, the person responsible.
The provider should invite the person to the panel meeting, and family members are encouraged to attend. NSW has consulted on a law to regulate restrictive practices. The DCJ website says the Government will use that feedback to decide whether to go ahead. For now, the RPA policy applies. For questions, email DCJ's Central Restrictive Practices Team at restrictivepracticesauthorisation@facs.nsw.gov.au.
Read more about restrictive practices under the NDIS.
What a behaviour support practitioner does
A practitioner usually starts with an assessment to understand why behaviours of concern happen, then writes a behaviour support plan with the person and the people around them. They train family and support workers to use it, check how it's going, and work to reduce any restrictive practices.
Sydney questions
Do you cover all of Sydney?
We connect people across Sydney, including Sydney CBD, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, North Shore. Put your postcode in the form and we'll check which registered providers cover your area.
Can the practitioner come to our home or school?
Many behaviour support practitioners work where the person spends their time, including at home, at school, at day programs and in supported living. Tell the practitioner what suits you when they contact you.
Can a family member consent to a restrictive practice in NSW?
Sometimes. A parent or guardian usually consents for a child. For an adult who can't make the decision, consent may come from a guardian with a restrictive practices function or, for chemical restraint, the person responsible. An RPA panel's authorisation isn't valid without the right consent.
Does it cost anything?
Using this service is free. Behaviour support itself is paid for from the capacity building part of an NDIS plan, at or below the NDIS maximum prices, and it has to be delivered by a registered behaviour support provider.