Your Rights to Consent & Privacy in the NDIS

Consent in plain English (what it means in real life)

Consent means you say yes (or you don’t) to a decision about your supports, your information, and your care. In the NDIS, consent should be informed, meaning you’re given clear information about what will happen, why it’s needed, how it will affect you, and any risks or alternatives. It also needs to be voluntary, so you’re not pressured or “tricked” into agreeing.

In real life, consent should be checked before key steps like personal care, support worker changes, sharing your information with another provider, taking part in a new program, or using an assistive technology feature that collects data. You can also change your mind. If something doesn’t feel right, you can ask questions, request a pause, and withdraw consent for future actions (where it’s appropriate and lawful). If you’re unsure, ask for plain-language explanations and take your time.

Key takeaway:

“No consent means no action—your agreement should be clear, informed, and you can say yes, no, or change your mind.”

Privacy and consent go together. Providers should only collect and share your information for NDIS-related reasons and use the least amount of information needed. If you’re plan-managed, budgeting and payments still involve rules around what can be shared to support services—this may be handled through MyMoney NDIS (www.planmanager.net.au). If you want to compare how different providers handle consent and privacy, use My Care Finders to ask questions early, like: who can access your records, how consent is recorded, and how they respond when you request changes.

• Ask: “What are you asking me to agree to?”
• Check: “Will my information be shared? With who and why?”
• Request: “Can you explain this in plain language?”
• Decide: “If I say no (or later change my mind), what happens next?”