What to check in an NDIS service agreement

Last checked: 2 September 2026. General information only. Not legal advice. Not a quote from the NDIA. Not a funding promise.

When a Brisbane family starts with a new support worker, the NDIS plan is not the contract. The plan is issued by the NDIA and lists funded goals and budgets. A service agreement is a separate signed record between you and one provider about what they will actually do, what it costs, and what happens if something changes. This page is for self-managed and plan-managed families. Horizons Support Network is a non-registered Brisbane provider. We cannot support NDIA-managed funding.

What a service agreement is

The NDIS page What is a service agreement says a service agreement is a signed agreement between you and your provider. It describes the supports, how they will be delivered, how much they cost, how the provider will get paid, and how to make changes.

You, a nominee, or someone you have authorised can sign it. Ask for a format and language you understand. You do not have to accept a provider's standard terms if they do not fit. A written agreement is not required for every support. The same official page says it is only mandatory for specialist disability accommodation (SDA). For everything else, the NDIS still recommends creating one every time you start with a new provider. Horizons does not provide SDA.

Eight checks before you sign

These eight checks follow what the NDIS lists on that page.

1. The supports. Exact description, where, when, and how often. "Personal care" is not enough. "Morning routine, three weekdays, 7:00 to 8:30" is a line you can check against a week.
2. The price, who pays, and GST. The rate, the unit, and who pays: you if self-managed, or your plan manager if plan-managed. Name whether GST applies. The ATO's NDIS GST page lists a written agreement as one of the tests for GST-free NDIS supports. Check that page. We will not pretend an HSN line is an ATO quote.
3. Travel and other fees. Materials, products, travel, and any other charges should be written down, not assumed.
4. Cancellation and notice. How much notice either side must give, and what a late cancellation costs. Those conditions sit in current NDIS pricing rules. What the NDIS pricing schedule is in 2026 is the HSN page for ceilings versus quotes.
5. How changes are made. Official pricing updates say providers must talk with participants about proposed changes to existing service agreements, and participants must agree before those changes are made. A 1 July schedule update is not a free pass to raise an old rate.
6. How long it lasts, and when it is reviewed. Put the review date in the calendar. A new plan or a new support is a reason to look again.
7. How to end it. Notice period, outstanding invoices, and written confirmation that the arrangement is closed.
8. What happens if something goes wrong. A named contact, a realistic response time, and the path to a complaint. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission receives concerns about providers and workers. You can raise a concern with the Commission even if you have not finished an internal complaint.

Keep a signed copy. Both sides should hold the same version.

Who pays, and who Horizons can support

Self-managed vs plan-managed vs NDIA-managed is the closer read on invoices.

• Self-managed: you (or your nominee) pay the provider and keep the records.
• Plan-managed: your plan manager pays invoices raised against the agreement.
• NDIA-managed: payments go through NDIA systems, and that usually means registered providers. Horizons cannot support NDIA-managed funding.

A service booking in the NDIA portal is a payment tool for NDIA-managed plans. It is not a substitute for a service agreement, and it is not how Horizons is paid. Non-registered vs registered explains why that matters. Making the most of your NDIS budget covers fit, invoices, travel, and cancellations before support starts.

Someone who can help you read it

You do not have to read a contract alone. A support coordinator can help a family make sense of a clause. Horizons does not provide Support Coordination. Working with NDIS support coordinators is how we work alongside coordinators when a family already has one. Ask for Easy English if the wording is foggy, and ask which named worker will actually turn up. If a provider cannot explain a clause in plain terms, pause.

How Horizons actually works with families

The Horizons Method is the seven steps we follow with every participant. It is live practice, not a slogan for this page.

1. Work out what is getting in the way.
2. Get to know them.
3. Plan it together.
4. Work alongside your allied health team. We are support workers, not therapists. Clinical guidance stays with your OT, physiotherapist, or other allied health professional. We help carry it through day to day.
5. Make what helps, such as visual guides, simple step-by-step plans, and everyday routines.
6. Put it into practice, and keep adjusting until it works.
7. Celebrate the wins.

A service agreement should match that work: a named worker, a clear week, a rate you have agreed, and a way to change it. We keep the same named workers where we can. Getting started with NDIS support in Brisbane is the first-weeks guide. Daily personal activities is often the first support a family wants written down.

Who Horizons is, and who we are not

Horizons Support Network is a family-run, Brisbane-based team. We are a non-registered NDIS provider for self-managed and plan-managed participants only.

We do provide daily personal activities, independent living skills, social and community participation, and planned Short Term Respite when it matches the funded plan and service agreement.

We do not provide Support Coordination, plan management, Supported Independent Living (SIL), specialist disability accommodation, clinical care, high-intensity supports, emergency care, or support for NDIA-managed participants. We cannot decide what the NDIA will fund.

If we are not the right fit, we will say so. Check current support availability, or browse the resource library.

Talk it through

If you want to walk through a service agreement before anyone signs, make an enquiry or call 0450 780 086. Email hello@horizonssupportnetwork.com.au. A real person replies within one business day. Usually Chris, the founder. No pressure, no obligation.

Questions families ask

Do I have to have a written NDIS service agreement?

The NDIS says a written service agreement is only mandatory for specialist disability accommodation. For other supports it is recommended every time you start with a new provider. The ATO also lists a written agreement as one of the tests for GST-free NDIS supports. Horizons does not provide SDA. We still use a written agreement.

Can Horizons support NDIA-managed funding?

No. We cannot support NDIA-managed funding. We are a non-registered Brisbane provider for self-managed and plan-managed participants only.

What if the provider wants to change the price?

The NDIA's pricing updates page says participants must agree to changes to existing service agreements before they are made. A new pricing schedule does not automatically rewrite an old rate. Ask for the change in writing.

Can a support coordinator help me read the agreement?

Yes. A support coordinator can help translate a contract into plain terms. Horizons does not provide Support Coordination. If you already have a coordinator, we work alongside them.

Official sources

• What is a service agreement | NDIS
• Pricing updates | NDIS
• National Disability Insurance Scheme | Australian Taxation Office
• Report an issue or make a complaint about a provider or worker | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

This page is general information, not a substitute for advice from a qualified lawyer. Check the official pages before you act.

Further reading (not an HSN recommendation)

An external article, TrueCare Media's provider guide on explainer videos in the NDIS, sits in a partner reading network. It is not written by Horizons, and it is not an HSN recommendation. We do not endorse TrueCare Media.