Your Right to Safe, Dignified Care: What to Do Fast

Right in plain English: safe, respectful support

Safe, respectful care means you are treated like a person, not a task. Your support should be delivered with care, skill, and the right level of support for your needs. This includes respecting your choices, privacy, culture, and dignity. It also means staff should talk with you in a clear, calm way, ask consent before providing support, and avoid anything that causes harm, embarrassment, or fear.

You should be able to rely on supports that keep you physically and emotionally safe. That includes safe manual handling, correct use of equipment, clear infection control, and appropriate behaviour. If something feels wrong (for example, you’re being rushed, spoken to disrespectfully, or your boundaries are ignored), trust that feeling. You have the right to ask questions, request a different approach, or ask for the support to stop while you raise your concern. If your plan uses plan management, you can also check how services are set up through MyMoney NDIS (www.planmanager.net.au) so you understand what supports are being funded.

Key takeaway:

Don’t wait for “later” if you feel unsafe—raise it quickly, ask for consent, and request the support you need in a respectful way.

If you’re unsure whether a provider is meeting safe and respectful standards, you can compare options. My Care Finders can help you look at different providers and supports side-by-side, so you can choose someone whose approach matches your values and needs. If you have a problem, write down what happened (date, time, who was there, what was said or done) and contact the provider to resolve it. If it’s not fixed, you can use your NDIS complaints process and seek advocacy support to keep your rights protected.

• Before support: ask what will happen, who will support you, and how consent will be handled.
• During support: you can pause or request changes if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
• After incidents: document details and report using the provider’s complaint process.