Terms of Service - NDIS funded participants
These Terms of Service apply to all NDIS-funded participants accessing services through Next Challenge.
By accessing services at Next Challenge, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to these Terms of Service. These Terms are intended to provide clear information about how services are provided, funded and charged at Next Challenge. These terms are perpetual, until replaced by an updated version.
If you would like to receive a copy of these Terms of Service by email or request a printed copy, please contact enquiries@nextchallenge.com.au.
1. Schedule of Supports
Under current NDIA guidelines, a formal written Service Agreement is only required for participants accessing Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). For other NDIS-funded supports, a Service Agreement is not a mandatory requirement.
Where requested, or where recommended by Next Challenge, we can provide a Schedule of Supports outlining the services that may be provided within a participant's available therapeutic budget, Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living.
A Schedule of Supports is intended to help participants and families understand the anticipated services, frequency of supports and use of available NDIS funding. It does not guarantee a particular level or frequency of service. Services remain subject to clinical recommendations, participant needs and goals, therapist availability, service capacity and available NDIS funding.
2. Information we require
Next Challenge requires a copy of a participant’s NDIS plan to be on file prior to commencing services, and updated copies to be provided as the plan changes. Services cannot continue without this information as it is essential that Next Challenge therapists are working in a way that aligns with the participant’s NDIS goals, and to ensure the service frequency is appropriate for the budget.
The minimum information Next Challenge requires includes:
Participant’s NDIS number
NDIS plan dates
NDIS plan goals
Plan manager’s details
Budget available for Improved Daily Living
Details of stated and unstated supports with the Improved Daily Living budget
3. Changes to Services and NDIS Plans
Services may need to change where there are changes to:
the participant's therapeutic needs or goals;
the type, level, frequency or location of services required;
the participant's available NDIS funding;
the participant's NDIS plan or funding period;
the way services are funded or paid; or
Next Challenge's staffing or service capacity.
Minor changes may be discussed and agreed in person, by telephone and email, and confirmed vial email; and do not necessarily require a new Schedule of Supports.
NDIS pricing arrangements, price limits and other policies may change from time to time. Where an NDIS change affects the cost or delivery of services, Next Challenge will provide notice where reasonably practicable and discuss how the change may affect the participant's services and available funding. An updated Schedule of Supports will be provided when deemed necessary, or on request.
Participants and their representatives must notify Next Challenge of any changes to personal information, NDIS plans, plan management arrangements or available funding and provide updated information or documentation where requested.
4. Service Provision and Charges
All appointments with your therapy team are chargeable in accordance with Next Challenge's current NDIS Fee Schedule and the applicable NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Please contact us for a detailed breakdown of current fees.
4.1 Joint Sessions - Your therapy team may recommend joint sessions where this is considered appropriate to support the participant's goals. Where more than one therapist is required to attend a session, each therapist's time will be charged.
4.2 Non-Face-to-Face Supports - Next Challenge may charge for reasonable non-face-to-face supports provided by therapists and/or allied health assistants where these supports are necessary to deliver, coordinate, monitor or review the participant's therapy.Depending on the participant's needs, this may include:
communication between members of the participant's therapy team regarding goals, strategies and progress;
liaison with people involved in the participant's care or support, including doctors, teachers, schools and other professionals;
telephone calls and emails required to support the participant's therapy;
development of individualised resources and documentation;
support with assistive technology and resource requests;
assessment, progress, review and summary reports;
communication with the NDIS, plan manager, support coordinator or other relevant parties at the participant's request; and
other reasonable indirect supports related to the participant's funded therapy.
Non-face-to-face supports form an important part of service provision. Your therapy team will discuss these supports with you when they are required, and wherever possible they will seek your approval in advance for using funds for this purpose.
4.3 Travel Charges - Next Challenge will claim travel time and mileage for eligible community visits, including visits to a participant's home, school or daycare, in accordance with the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and Next Challenge's NDIS Fee Schedule.
Next Challenge can claim a maximum of 30 minutes of travel in each direction for community visits. This means a maximum of 60 minutes of therapist or allied health assistant travel time may be charged for a single community visit.
Where travel is shared between appointments at the same or nearby location, the travel time and mileage charged to each participant may vary depending on the circumstances of the appointments. If multiple therapists attend the same community visit, travel time will be charged for both therapists. Therapists will endeavour to carpool where possible, in which case mileage will only be charged once, but this cannot be guaranteed.
Travel and mileage charges will be documented and recorded in accordance with applicable NDIS requirements.
4.4 Cancellation and Non-Attendance Charges - Cancellation charges will apply to scheduled appointments that are:
cancelled after 9:00am on the day prior to the scheduled appointment; or
not attended without notice.
Where permitted under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, these appointments will be invoiced at 100% of the total planned direct activities allocated to the session.
To cancel or change a booked appointment, you must contact the Next Challenge office directly by telephone (required if same day), or email (enquiries@nextchallenge.com.au). Many therapists work part-time and so may not see emails about cancellations that are sent to them directly.
Frequent cancellations or changes to appointments may result in the therapy team discussing adjustments to the frequency, type or timing of services to better support the participant's needs and make effective use of available service capacity.
In accordance with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, travel and mileage can only be charged where the therapist or allied health assistant has attended the participant's location to deliver the scheduled support.
4.5 Ending the service - You can request an end to services at any time. Please provide as much notice as possible and do so in writing wherever possible. Any services provided during this notice period (e.g. final therapy session / handover / completion of a final outcome report if applicable) will be charged.
We may end services due to a number of factors ( e.g. unforeseen changes in staffing capacity; consistent cancellations; or when the participants' needs are beyond Next Challenge’s scope of practice) and will provide you with as much notice as possible when this is the case.
5. Service Meetings
Next Challenge may recommend a service planning or review meeting where this is clinically or administratively appropriate, as well as in the 2-3 months prior to the NDIS plan end date. More information about service meetings is available on our website here.
These meetings may be used to discuss:
the participant's progress and current needs;
goals and priorities;
service recommendations;
available NDIS funding; and
ongoing therapy requirements.
Time spent by the relevant clinician or Service Manager in these meetings will be charged in accordance with the applicable NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and Next Challenge's current NDIS Fee Schedule.
6. Managing NDIS Funding
We do not manage your budget. Participants and their representatives are responsible for ensuring that sufficient NDIS funding is available for the services they request or access.
If a participant’s NDIS budget is exhausted, unavailable or cannot be claimed for a particular service, the parent/guardian/representative will be liable for all accrued outstanding costs, regardless of whether they are self managed or plan managed.
If a participant’s NDIS budget is exhausted, the parent/guardian/representative will be required to fund ongoing services privately in order to maintain the participant's place in the service. Places can not be held and will be offered to new clients.
If services are accessed with other service providers using the participant’s NDIS budget, the parent/guardian/representative is required to inform Next Challenge and arrange services accordingly to ensure the budget is not exceeded.
For plan-managed participants, Next Challenge will submit invoices to the participant's nominated plan manager. Participants and their representatives remain responsible for monitoring available funding and ensuring sufficient funds remain available for ongoing services. You must have a plan manager in place before services commence, and inform us of any changes.
For self-managed participants, services must be paid directly by the participant nominee / representative. The representative will need to process claims via their participant portal.
7. Purchasing Equipment
Next Challenge does not supply or purchase equipment on your behalf. We will help you determine the best equipment/ source to purchase. The participant must have funds in the appropriate category in their NDIS plan for these purchases to be made
8. Rights and Responsibilities
We both have rights and responsibilities. ”The team” referenced below refers to all members of the participant’s family and NC therapists.
To honestly and openly communicate about how the participant is progressing and any concerns or preferences we have for their therapy,
To be respectful and polite to all members of the team and wider support network,
To voice any concerns or complaints with the therapy team, service manager, a member of the Next Challenge management team, or the participant’s caregivers,
To give notice of our inability to attend a session,
To clearly communicate with one another if a member of the team is needed at a meeting,
To be confident that all members of the team will support any changes, if the agreement must be amended or ended at any time,
To be respectful and supportive as partners in the participant’s journey,
To embrace and build upon the team’s strengths, culture and diversity,
To work collaboratively, free from discrimination, harm and abuse,
To ensure the team’s privacy is met based on our described privacy policy,
To keep checking that both parties have been clear and transparent,
To embrace family-centred goal setting and to work together when these goals shift and change,
To keep checking that we are working as a team,
To be upfront when either party needs to stop the service agreement, or when a service can no longer be provided.
9. Feedback and Complaints
Next Challenge welcomes feedback from participants, families and representatives. Feedback helps us understand what is working well and identify opportunities to improve our services. Please contact us for a copy of the Next Challenge Complaints Policy.
9.1 Next Challenge - You can provide feedback or make a complaint directly to Next Challenge through your therapist, Service Manager or by contacting us on (08) 9201 0707 or enquiries@nextchallenge.com.au, or by directly contacting Julie Hunt (Director) on julie.hunt@nextchallenge.com.au
9.2 NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission - Participants also have the right to provide feedback or make a complaint directly to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. You can submit feedback or make a complaint to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission here.
10. More information about the NDIS
Next Challenge can support you in understanding how NDIS funding can be used at Next Challenge. For more information about the NDIS systems and rules, there are several websites available that provide more information:
Last updated: November 2026