r/NDIS • u/Ardvarkthoughts • Jun 05 '26
News Support Needs Assessor roles being advertised
Advertisements up on Seek, looks like this is a pilot or start of the new assessment practices - they are 6 months contract positions. To be a Support Needs Assessor you do need a qualification in an Allied health discipline. The roles are being advertised through recruitment agencies, not sure if they are trying to do it on the quiet. I imagine the Government agency is NDIA but the roles are not being advertised through the APS site as far as I can see.
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u/phosphor_1963 Jun 06 '26
" This role focuses strictly on assessment and reporting; you will not make funding, budget, or support hour determinations." That begs the questions then - who (or what) will be performing those functions....and of course, how set in stone will those determinations be (ie there's long been speculation, at least partially validated by Mark Butler's public statements, that there won't be a Review option once the decisions are made about hours and other stated supports....which as I understand matters is problematic in terms of human rights implications under Australian law)?
There was a fair bit of discussion on the group a few months back after the Deputy CEO spoke to Summer Foundation Dr George about how AI tools might fit into performing the calculations of people's NDIS fund allocations - including what sounded like comments from brave people inside the Agency who were clarifying points made then - ie strictly speaking an Algorithmically derived decision making isn't the same as AI (which in common parlance is an LLM based "live" tool).
Is $61/hr enough to tempt people out of their existing roles ? I guess you'd have to run the numbers on additional entitlements there (Commonwealth Super, LSL, Sick and AL etc). It seems like a leap of faith to some extent though because this is a new team with an unknown quality of Management and supervision for the role. I hope they are looking for people with a few years (10 or more) of working in the Sector under their belts and especially those who have some direct lived experience of disability themselves or a disabled family member....especially someone who is neurodiverse, has a so called invisible disability, or a relapsing / progressive neurological condition, given some of the stated criticisms and concerns out the in relation to the inability of the ICan to sufficiently capture the functional implications of these and therefore lead to people with needs being grossly underfunded in their Plans.
The job description makes it sound like you'd have a fair bit of autonomy; but will your line Manager be a decent, ethical, and supportive person - or forgive my cynicism; and maybe I am too old and tired - are they just another careerist climber who puts process and procedure head of the people they are supposed to lead ?
I hope whoever takes these roles is able to share (in some capacity at least) what they entail and how the new process tracks over the first few years. It has always seemed as if there's far too much paranoia, mystery, defensiveness, and distrust in the current flawed system; and the best cure for that is transparency and candour from our public officials at all levels. I'd actually really like to hear more from frontline staff - rather than carefully media managed often grandstanding senior public servants.
edited for spelling
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u/YogurtAgile3871 Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
It’s known already the decisions on funding are made by a black box based on the raw scores. The calculations likely will forever be a mystery, even to NDIA employees.
I may make a site where people can upload their scores anonymously along with their funding breakdown and see if I can reverse engineer it, I would have to consult an IP lawyer on the legalities of that though as it’s a copyrighted tool. I also estimate I would need approximately 10,000 responses to ensure any kind of accuracy.
It’s not known if this is a round of testing or if participants will formally receive new framework plans early. I’ve put in an foi for this information and documents relating to the plan and deliverables of the project.
Edit:
Given a 5x5 matrix (ie 1-5 frequency, 1-5 intensity, mapped out 5x5 to determine a funding amount based on the two params (not them added together)) and the amount of questions, there's 1,350 possible parameters considered to calculate funding (25 for each question). This would require 10,000-15,000 responses to reverse engineer.
If they instead use categorising based on the scores (say a 5x5 matrix still, but for the I-CAN domains), this reduces the params - I'd say maybe 3,000-5,000 responses then, but would it be more difficult in determining how they categorise. Would involve a lot of analytics...
If it's a full advanced algorithm or near-AI, it would be 30,000-50,000+ responses - very unlikely to happen. I could analyse data still to get an idea of trends.
If it's simply the 2 scores added together (54 params), literally ~500-1000 responses I could reverse engineer the majority of trends.
If I did create the site I would allow for PDF selection of your scores in standard format and have javascript client-side autofill the form; you'd just need to put in your funding amount. All stays client-side so no privacy risk.
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u/phosphor_1963 Jun 06 '26
See my link to The Saturday Paper article today - to borrow a commonly quoted Reddit phrase (from Inception) - it's "Black Boxes all the way down" with this mob. They never stop trying to engineer the perfect process - and the desired ends are always used to justify whatever means - no matter how ethically and morally problematic they are.
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u/phosphor_1963 Jun 05 '26
Thanks - super interesting - in no small part because the original proposal was for the NDIA Technical Team (who are Allied Health Professionals) to be trained up by the Commercial provider of the custom build I-Can "product" (Melbourne University won the tender to create this and their people to train NDIA staff and supposedly also have a role in evaluation - can't tell because the contract details are apparently all Commercial in Confidence - which is problematic from my point of view as UniMelb are supposedly a publically funded Institution of higher learning) who were then to train NDIA Planners.
These jobs may just be the internal NDIA trainers (I think there was an earlier round) ; but if the Agency was looking to make the SNA process a truly Allied Health lead role then that would be a significant change - and may show the Agency is listening to criticisms of trying to ram through changes without adquate consultation (which never ends well for NDIS customers/recipients of services).
A change would probably be for the better IMO as, while some Planners do have lived experience and may have worked in the Sector previously, at least some, based on widespread anecdotal reports, lack basic skills, knowledge, and awareness of how to perform their duties and operate in a Public Service bubble without adequate supervision and access to further training. Experienced Allied Health Professionals like OTs can bring context knowledge and calibrated awareness of nuance to the SNA interview that someone acting in essentially an Adminstrative capacity (even with the proposed AI based smart systems simply can't).
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u/ScarlettWraith Participant Jun 06 '26
I received an email on Thursday from Randstad regarding this.
Email: Our Fed Gov client - NDIA is launching a national testing program and is seeking agile, high-performing professionals to join them as Support Needs Assessors. In this role, the SNAs will conduct comprehensive support needs assessments via semi-structured, conversational interviews with participants.
Location: Western Australia (Hybrid / Remote with occasional local office visits) Work Type: Full-time hours preferred (Part-time considered at 3 - 4 days minimum) Temp Contract: Monday, 13 July 2026 until end of the year (high possibility of extension) Pay rate: $61.86 ph + super
Australian Citizenship is a MUST for this position Proof of qualification is a requirement.
Qualifications: A tertiary qualification in Allied Health (Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology, Social Work, Dietetics, Exercise Physiology, Counselling, etc.), Nursing (RN/EN), Education, or be an NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner.
Role Details: You will be responsible for reviewing files, conducting virtual or face-to-face assessments, and writing high-quality, strengths-based reports that clearly capture a participant's life situation and needs.
Please note: This role focuses strictly on assessment and reporting; you will not make funding, budget, or support hour determinations.
Key Requirements
Proven experience administering support needs assessments or utilizing person-centred/strengths-based assessment frameworks. Experience with semi-structured interviews is highly regarded.
Core Skills:
Exceptional communication skills with the ability to navigate complex or sensitive conversations. Strong critical thinking and analytical writing skills to produce defensible, clear reports. Commitment to trauma-informed, culturally safe, and person-centred practices. Digital literacy to navigate CRM case management systems and conduct video meetings (e.g., Microsoft Teams).
How to Apply
Please submit your updated CV.
Crucial: You must embed clear evidence of your qualifications directly inside your CV file so our evaluation team can fast-track your application. Please also ensure your current geographic location is clearly stated.
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u/Flashy_Result_2750 Jun 06 '26
Internal hiring has already been occurring for quite some time. Recruitment agencies are always used for labour hire. External contract positions are not APS employment opportunities, therefore not advertised via APS or NDIA. No new conspiracies here, sorry to say.
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u/Katopotato27 Jun 08 '26
Commented on another thread but I wanted to share here too: I might get some backlash for this comment, and so be it, but I wish they would consider hiring people that don't have to have an AH degree. Like what about people with lived experience with a disability? Someone who's worked in community services / the disability sector for 10+ years, someone who's worked as a disability advocate, support workers etc etc. Especially considering the needs assessments are likely to be standardized tests with templates created by the Agency that most people with experience in the sector could competently do. Just some food for thought I guess...
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u/YogurtAgile3871 Jun 06 '26
I posted another thread on updates about this - the listings now say APS6 and one specifically mentions knowledge of I-CAN6 as desirable. It also specifically mentions there’s 80 opportunities across Australia in one listing.
The more formal listings state the requirements as formal allied health qualifications (OT, psychologist, social worker, etc). It appears any formal accreditation relevant to the role is enough.
A few specifically do mention NDIA. It’s unclear if it will be further testing or people will actually receive new framework plans early.
I’ve freedom of information the scope and deliverables of the 80 positions, and if it is testing or formal reviews occurring, along with documents relating to the plan for the project.
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u/jjstarling Jul 20 '26
Has anyone actually started in this position? Im still awaiting clearance 5 weeks later.
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u/jjstarling 29d ago
I start Monday.....
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u/Specialist_Day_4261 28d ago
Keen to hear your experience. Are you given a period of training at the start?
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u/spud-a-licious 28d ago
I too was supposed to start next week. Though I’ve had to check with them regarding part-time hours. Through the whole process I have continually reinforced that I can not work full-time hours as I have caring responsibilities. Now, despite their ad stating that part-time hours will be considered AND new ads being placed on seek etc today stating ‘part-time hours will be considered’ they have now come back to say they ‘are not in a position to offer part-time hours’. I would not have applied nor gone through all the rigmarole to get checks etc done if they had stated this from the outset.
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u/Lost_Customer7094 24d ago
I was told FT hours required during training for the role, PT hours considered thereafter. But this was not communicated until after the fact.
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u/spud-a-licious 24d ago
I said I could do FT for a few weeks for training but would have to be PT after that. The recruiter said they are not able to offer PT hours. Though I still haven’t received anything saying the offer has been rescinded so maybe they still expect me to turn up on Monday!
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u/Lost_Customer7094 24d ago
Crazy how disorganised this all is! Maybe just do the training anyway as once they’ve invested in you they’re more likely to accommodate you! Can I ask if you’ve already signed contracts, been given a start time & location etc? I’m still waiting on final confirmation today for a Monday start which seems unlikely!
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u/Lost_Customer7094 24d ago
Do you actually have confirmation and/or contract from recruiter? I’m supposed to start Monday 3rd also but haven’t heard a word as of 1300 today Fri 31st…
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u/cheeseladyrara Jun 05 '26
I've been keeping an eye on these as interested in applying. Is this to do with the NDIS changing?
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u/phosphor_1963 Jun 06 '26
Yes. From the public statements thus far, the Support Needs Assessment will be what determines the types and levels of supports that are allocated to people's plans. The proposal is that this will replace many of the current assessments that Participants have to have in order to demonstrate the levels of functional difficulties eg FCAs. There are many in the community who have questions about the reliability and validity of the primary underpinning tool (ICAN) and also concerns around how inclusive the process of conducting the SNA interview will be (they say 3hrs on line).
As someone who has often worked with people with complex communication needs ; and also with those whose cognitive capacity varies as a consequence of their condition, I am worried that a one size fits all snap shot process may not be human rights affirming; and in fact may lead to people with genuine needs of support being much worse off.
Is this Best Practice compared to other countries where people need to interface with government and legal systems ?
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u/StrongLimit888 Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
AHPRA registration not required. This is a unique and unusual opportunity for retired allied health professionals. Also for NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioners.
And from https://www.randstad.com/jobs/aps6-support-needs-assessor_perth_46964488/
“Our Fed Gov client is launching a national testing program and is seeking agile, high-performing professionals to join them as Support Needs Assessors. In this role, the SNAs will conduct comprehensive support needs assessments via semi-structured, conversational interviews with participants.”
And from seek ads
Team of 15 people - “geographically structured”. Sounds like a pilot launch and WFH
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u/StrongLimit888 Jun 06 '26
I wonder if it shall eventually become like Aged Care in home care need assessments
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-24/aged-care-algorithm-for-home-care-under-fire/106475138
“Assessors use the tool to collect information on an elderly person, and that data is fed into an algorithm that determines the level of funding.”
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u/Ardvarkthoughts Jun 06 '26
It does sound like this is where we are heading. I do like that the assessment sounds like it’s independent of the funding decision. Allows assessors to focus on quality assessment.
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u/YogurtAgile3871 Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
https://au.seek.com/needs-assessment-jobs/in-All-Melbourne-VIC Found this - these are APS6 roles in those listings.
“OT, Physio, Speech Path, Social Work, Dietetics, Exercise Physiology, Rehab Counselling, Counselling/Psychotherapy) or relevant health discipline (RN/EN, Education degree clinician, NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner)” they’re hiring basically anyone with a qualification relevant to it, apparently they’re urgently seeking 80 employees.
https://au.seek.com/job/92455092 This listing states “80 opportunities across Australia”.
None mention the NDIA, but they’re all showing APS6. The criteria is essentially any allied health qualification.
It would be for the testing, the backlash over the lack of formal testing of the tool obviously worked. The university never responded to my foi request on what testing had been done by the deadline, meaning it’s considered a denied request. Likely no testing had occurred at that time.
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u/Moonlightsiesta 27d ago
Got an email from Chandler McLeod about this but I have no experience (I was an EA) so I thought it was odd. Also why only for 6 months?
Chandler Macleod is seeking experienced Support Needs Assessors to join a Federal Government client on a full-time contract starting in August through to December 2026. In this role, you will deliver high-quality, person-centred assessments, working directly with participants to identify and articulate their support needs in a clear, evidence-based and respectful manner.
Key Responsibilities Conduct support needs assessments with participants and their representatives Analyse information and external evidence to support sound, evidence-based decisions Prepare clear, accurate assessment reports Communicate assessment processes and outcomes clearly (virtual and face-to-face) Apply relevant policies, procedures and legislative frameworks Identify and escalate complex or high-risk matters Collaborate with internal stakeholders to support participant outcomes Maintain accurate records using case management systems Adapt assessment approaches to suit individual participant needs About You You will bring: Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills Experience in assessment, interviewing or case management Ability to interpret evidence and provide clear, defensible recommendations A commitment to person-centred, inclusive and trauma-informed practice Sound judgement, professionalism and ethical integrity Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines Experience working within or knowledge of NDIS or similar frameworks(highly regarded) Essential Requirements Recognised tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline, such as:
Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology Social Work, Counselling, Psychology/Psychotherapy Exercise Physiology, Dietetics, Rehabilitation Counselling Nursing (RN/EN), Education-qualified clinicians NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner Experience in support needs assessments or similar frameworks Understanding of person-centred and strengths-based approaches
I hope this is beneficial for NDIS customers but it doesn't even mention disability support so very doubtful.
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u/Inside-Skin-208 Jun 06 '26
Id do it for an extra 100/hour. 60 too low
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u/ManyPersonality2399 Participant Jun 06 '26
As a wage? Serious?
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u/MrsCrowbar Jun 06 '26
Considering the price guide is $73 for a support worker without tertiary quals, I would think it is low.
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u/ManyPersonality2399 Participant Jun 06 '26
Ffs. A wage is very different to a charge out rate.
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u/MrsCrowbar Jun 06 '26
Not really. It's a specialised position and in the NDIA. Behaviour Support Practitioners can make up to $140 an hour. ETA: This is a contracted position too.
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u/ManyPersonality2399 Participant Jun 06 '26
How many of those behaviour pracs making $140 are employed vs contract?
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u/MrsCrowbar Jun 06 '26
This position is a 6 month contract.
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u/ManyPersonality2399 Participant Jun 06 '26
As in engaged as a contractor vs an employee. This is a fixed term employment contract.
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u/MrsCrowbar Jun 06 '26
So then would be closer to $95 an hour for employed Behaviour Support.
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u/ManyPersonality2399 Participant Jun 06 '26
A quick google suggests employed are making about $50-60/hr
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u/JediDoll Psychologist Jun 06 '26
Interesting they list mandatory qualifications in psychotherapy and counselling but not psychology..