NDIS progress report: what to include (with template)

An NDIS progress report should cover six things, according to the NDIA's guidance for therapy providers: the goals being worked towards; the supports delivered in the period; progress towards those goals; challenges and how they were addressed; risks and how they were addressed; and the supports you recommend for the next period, with the progress you expect. A plan reassessment report adds the participant's functional capacity at the start of the plan, the assessment tools used, and justification for more or different supports. Write for the family and for NDIA staff who may not be clinicians: explain terms and tie each claim to a goal.

The NDIS website carries a notice that its pages are being updated to reflect new NDIS legislation. Check the current guidance before you submit anything. This article is general information, not legal advice.

What should an NDIS progress report include?

The NDIA's guide to report writing describes a progress report as a summary of the supports provided, what has been achieved, and the goals still being worked towards. It lists what the report should do:

• Summarise the participant's goals.
• Summarise the supports delivered in the reporting period.
• Describe progress towards the goals.
• Describe challenges and how they were addressed.
• Describe risks in delivering the supports and how they were addressed.
• Summarise the supports recommended for the next period and the progress you expect.

Use the participant's own words for the goal where you can, so a family reading the report recognises their child in it.

Progress report, plan reassessment report or early childhood report: which one?

The NDIA describes three related reports. Which one you write depends on why the report is needed and the participant's age.

• Progress report: Who it relates to: Any participant receiving supports in a reporting period; What the NDIA says it should include: Goals; supports delivered; progress; challenges and how addressed; risks and how addressed; recommended supports and expected progress for the next period
• Plan reassessment report: Who it relates to: Therapy providers supporting a participant towards a plan reassessment; What the NDIA says it should include: Service details; goals; functional capacity at the start of the plan period; assessment tools used; supports provided; progress with a summary of assessment measures; barriers and how addressed; risks and how addressed; recommended supports; justification for more or different supports, with proposed outcomes and effects on other supports
• Early childhood provider report: Who it relates to: Participants younger than 9; What the NDIA says it should include: Supports delivered to the child; outcomes the child and family achieved; how supports helped the child and family work towards goals; future goals; recommendations

Check the NDIA's plan reassessment report page, which walks through six steps: understand the report, describe the service, show progress, list additional supports, make evidence-based recommendations, and share the report with the participant.

How to show functional capacity and progress

Functional capacity means what the person can do in daily life, such as dress, communicate or join in at school. The NDIA asks for it at the start of the plan period, with the measures used, and then progress against those same measures.

Measure at the start and again at the end, and name the tool each time. Paediatric examples:

• A standardised language assessment, for a speech pathology goal.
• A fine motor or self-care measure, for an occupational therapy goal.
• Parent-reported goal attainment ratings, which show change from the family's point of view.

Say which tool you used, when, and what the result meant for the child's day. Where you have no score, say what you observed and how.

Link the therapy outcome to the NDIS goal. The NDIA's own example structure does this: the therapy outcome supports the participant's goal. For instance: "Independent dressing (therapy outcome) supports the goal of getting ready for school without help (NDIS goal)."

Where an outcome was not achieved, say why. The NDIA asks whether the therapy approach was reviewed, what was trialled and what the barriers were.

How to write recommendations the NDIA can act on

The evidence in your report helps the NDIA decide whether recommended supports meet its "reasonable and necessary" criteria. The NDIA suggests you ask four questions of each recommendation:

1. Are the supports within your scope of practice?
2. How do they link to the therapy outcomes and goals?
3. How do they fit the participant's life and environment?
4. What are the risks if the supports are not provided?

Then be specific. For each recommended support, state the frequency, the duration, who will deliver it and the outcome you expect. Say which other supports are in play (NDIS, informal, community and mainstream). If you are asking for more or different supports than before, give the reason.

Template: NDIS progress report

Copy this and replace the bracketed guidance. Delete the plan reassessment section if it does not apply.

NDIS PROGRESS REPORT

Participant name: [full name]

NDIS number: [number] Date of birth: [date] Reporting period: [start date] to [end date] Provider: [organisation name] Clinician: [name, discipline, registration or membership details] Consent to share: [who consented, when, and who the report may be shared with]

1. Goals

[List the participant's NDIS goals being worked towards, in their own words where possible.]

2. Supports delivered in this period

[Type of support, approach, sessions, duration, frequency, who delivered them.]

3. Progress towards goals

[For each goal: what changed, the measure used and when. Link the therapy outcome to the NDIS goal.]

4. Challenges and how they were addressed

[What got in the way. What you changed in response. If an outcome was not achieved, say why.]

5. Risks and how they were addressed

[Any risks in delivering the supports and what was done about them.]

6. Recommended supports for the next period

[For each support: frequency, duration, who delivers it, expected outcome, link to the goal, scope of practice, fit with the participant's life, risks if not provided, and other supports in place.]

ADDITIONAL SECTIONS FOR A PLAN REASSESSMENT REPORT

7. Functional capacity at the start of the plan period

[What the participant could do at the start, in plain language.]

8. Assessment tools used

[Each tool, the date and what it showed. Repeat the same tools to show progress.]

9. Justification for more or different supports

[Why, the proposed outcomes, and the effect on other supports.]

Signed: [clinician name, date]

Worked example

This example is fictional. Child B is a made-up seven-year-old. The brackets stand in for results you would take from your own assessment.

Goal: Child B will dress independently for school.

Progress paragraph: "At the start of this plan period, Child B needed [level of help] to put on a school shirt and shorts, based on [name of fine motor or self-care measure] and the parent-reported goal attainment rating of [rating]. Over [number] sessions we worked on [approach in plain words]. At review, Child B managed [specific tasks] with [level of help], and the family rated the goal at [rating]. Buttons remained the main difficulty, so after [number] sessions we changed to [new approach]. This progress supports Child B's goal of getting ready for school without adult help."

Recommendation paragraph: "I recommend [frequency] sessions of occupational therapy for [duration], delivered by [role], to build [specific skill]. The expected outcome is that Child B dresses for school with [level of help] by [date], measured with [tool]. This is within occupational therapy scope. It fits Child B's morning routine at home and school. Without this support, there is a risk that [specific risk, such as dressing remaining a daily barrier to a calm start to school]."

Sharing and submitting your report

The NDIA's process starts with the participant. Share the report with the participant or their family, and they can share it with the NDIA at a plan reassessment or a check-in. With the participant's consent, the provider can upload it to the provider portal. Record the consent in the case file, and check the portal steps on the NDIA's page at the time.

Case notes that make reports easier

A report is easier to write when the case notes have done their job. The NDIA's record-keeping requirements set out the minimum identifying information on records: the participant's name, NDIS number, the date or dates of support, the amount, quantity or hours, and the support type.

Case notes should outline the activities and how they relate to the support item and the participant's goals, and can record progress and plans for future sessions. If each note names the goal it served, the progress section is largely a matter of reading the notes back.

If records are incomplete in a payment assurance review, funds may have to be repaid.

In short

• An NDIS progress report covers goals, supports delivered, progress, challenges, risks and recommendations for the next period.
• A plan reassessment report adds functional capacity at the start of the plan, the assessment tools used, and justification for more or different supports.
• Measure at the start and end with a named tool, and link each therapy outcome to the participant's NDIS goal.
• Share the report with the participant first, and upload it to the provider portal only with their consent.
• Check the current NDIA guidance before you submit, as the NDIS website is being updated for new legislation.

FAQ

What should be in an NDIS progress report?

The NDIA says a progress report should summarise the participant's goals and the supports delivered in the period. It should describe progress, challenges, risks and how each was addressed, and summarise the supports recommended for the next period with the progress you expect.

What is the difference between a progress report and a plan reassessment report?

A progress report summarises the period and recommends next steps. A plan reassessment report goes further by summarising functional capacity at the start of the plan, naming the assessment tools used, and justifying any request for more or different supports, with proposed outcomes and effects on other supports.

Is there a different report for young children?

The NDIA describes early childhood provider reports for participants younger than 9. They cover the supports delivered to the child, the outcomes the child and family achieved, how supports helped them work towards goals, future goals and recommendations.

How do I submit an NDIS therapy report?

Share the report with the participant, who can pass it to the NDIA at a plan reassessment or a check-in. With their consent, the provider can also upload it to the provider portal.

Syntropic Health drafts reports inside the case from the notes and measures already recorded there, and the clinician reviews, edits and signs before anything is shared.

Sources

• ndis.gov.au
• ndis.gov.au
• ndis.gov.au