Restrictive practices and behaviour support: what NDIS participants need to know

If you or someone in your family has ever been restrained, secluded, or had your choices limited by a disability support worker, you may have encountered what the NDIS calls a "restrictive practice." This is one of the most heavily regulated areas of the NDIS scheme, and for good reason. Restrictive practices carry real risks of harm, and every participant has the right to be treated with dignity, to make their own choices, and to have any restrictions reduced over time. This article explains what restrictive practices are, how the rules work in Australia, and what you can do if you have concerns.

What is a restrictive practice?

A restrictive practice is any intervention that limits a person's rights or freedom of movement. Under the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission framework, five types of regulated restrictive practices are recognised:

1. Seclusion - confining a person alone in a room or area they cannot freely leave.
2. Chemical restraint - using medication to control a person's behaviour (not for a diagnosed medical condition).
3. Mechanical restraint - using devices or equipment to restrict movement (for example, lap belts used to prevent a person from standing, rather than for postural support).
4. Physical restraint - using bodily force to restrict movement.
5. Environmental restraint - restricting access to parts of an environment or to certain objects (for example, locking a kitchen or limiting access to a phone).

It is important to note that not every safety measure is automatically a restrictive practice. A seatbelt worn for road safety is not a restrictive practice. A locked medicine cabinet in a shared home is not necessarily a restrictive practice either, depending on context. The key question is whether the measure limits a person's rights or freedom beyond what is genuinely necessary for safety.

Why does this matter for NDIS participants?

Restrictive practices matter because they can cause harm, both physical and psychological. They can also become normalised within support settings, applied out of habit or convenience rather than genuine necessity. Historically, people with disability in Australia faced practices that would now be considered unacceptable, and the NDIS framework exists partly to prevent that from continuing.

The NDIS Commission's approach is built around one central idea: restrictive practices should be reduced, and ideally eliminated, over time. They are never meant to be a permanent solution.

For participants and families, understanding this matters in several ways:

• You have the right to know if a restrictive practice is being used with you or your family member.
• Any regulated restrictive practice must be authorised under the law of the relevant state or territory.
• A qualified behaviour support practitioner must be involved.
• Providers must report the use of restrictive practices to the NDIS Commission.

If you are choosing a provider and want to understand how they approach participant rights and safety, the OpenWay trust and safety information explains how providers on the platform are expected to operate.

What is a behaviour support plan?

A behaviour support plan (BSP) is a personalised document developed by a qualified behaviour support practitioner. Its purpose is to understand why a person behaves in a particular way, address the underlying causes, and reduce or eliminate the need for any restrictive practices over time.

A good behaviour support plan is not simply a list of rules about what workers should do when a person becomes distressed. It goes much deeper than that.

What a behaviour support plan should include

A thorough BSP typically covers:

• A description of the behaviours of concern and what they look like in practice.
• An assessment of what triggers or contributes to those behaviours (this is called a functional behaviour assessment).
• Proactive strategies, meaning changes to the environment, routines, or communication that reduce the likelihood of distress in the first place.
• Reactive strategies for when a behaviour does occur, including any regulated restrictive practices that have been authorised.
• A plan for reducing and eventually eliminating any restrictive practices.
• The views and preferences of the participant themselves.

That last point is critical. A behaviour support plan developed without meaningful input from the participant is unlikely to be effective, and it may not meet the NDIS Commission's requirements. Participants have the right to be involved in their own plan, and families and carers can also contribute.

Who can write a behaviour support plan?

Only a practitioner who meets the NDIS Commission's competency requirements can develop a behaviour support plan that involves regulated restrictive practices. These practitioners are sometimes called specialist behaviour support providers. They are separate from the support workers who deliver day-to-day care, though they work closely with those workers to make sure strategies are implemented consistently.

If you are looking for a behaviour support practitioner, you can browse NDIS providers across Australia to find specialists listed in your area.

How do restrictive practices get authorised?

This is where things can feel complicated, because the rules vary by state and territory. Australia does not have a single national authorisation framework for restrictive practices. Instead, each state and territory has its own laws, and NDIS providers must comply with both those local laws and the NDIS Commission's requirements.

In general terms, the process works like this:

1. A behaviour support practitioner assesses the participant and identifies that a restrictive practice may be necessary as a short-term safety measure.
2. The practitioner develops or updates the behaviour support plan to include the proposed practice.
3. The provider seeks authorisation from the relevant state or territory authority (this might be a guardianship tribunal, a disability services authority, or another body depending on where you live).
4. Once authorised, the provider can use the practice, but must report its use to the NDIS Commission.
5. The plan is reviewed regularly to assess whether the practice can be reduced or removed.

Providers who use restrictive practices without proper authorisation, or who fail to report their use, are in breach of the NDIS Practice Standards and can face action from the NDIS Commission.

What are your rights as a participant?

Every NDIS participant has rights that must be respected, regardless of their support needs or the complexity of their behaviour. These rights are not optional extras, they are embedded in the NDIS Act and the NDIS Practice Standards.

Key rights relevant to restrictive practices include:

• The right to be free from abuse, neglect, and unlawful restraint.
• The right to have your dignity and privacy respected.
• The right to make decisions about your own life, with support if needed.
• The right to have any restrictive practice reviewed regularly with a view to reducing it.
• The right to raise concerns or complaints without fear of negative consequences.

If you are a support coordinator helping a participant navigate these issues, the OpenWay support coordinator workspace can help you find and compare providers with the right capabilities for complex support needs.

What to do if you have concerns

If you believe a restrictive practice is being used without proper authorisation, or in a way that is causing harm, there are several steps you can take:

• Speak directly with the provider's management and ask to see the relevant behaviour support plan and authorisation documentation.
• Contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. You can make a complaint online or by phone, and complaints can be made anonymously.
• Contact your state or territory disability advocacy organisation. Independent advocacy is free and can be invaluable when navigating a complex situation.
• If you believe a person is in immediate danger, contact emergency services.

What good behaviour support looks like in practice

It can be helpful to think about what a well-supported situation looks like, compared to one where practices may be misused.

In a well-supported situation, a participant who becomes distressed in certain environments has a behaviour support plan that identifies those environments as triggers. Workers are trained to recognise early signs of distress and to use agreed communication strategies. The plan is reviewed every six months, and over the past year, the frequency of distressing episodes has reduced significantly. No restrictive practices are currently in use.

In a situation where things are not working as they should, a participant may be regularly placed in a separate room when they become distressed, with no formal authorisation in place, no behaviour support plan, and no review process. Workers may believe they are acting in the participant's best interests, but without proper oversight, the practice continues unchecked and the underlying causes of distress are never addressed.

The difference between these two situations is not just about compliance. It is about whether the participant's life is genuinely improving.

Participants and families looking for providers who take a thoughtful approach to behaviour support can explore NDIS provider profiles to read about how different organisations describe their approach to complex needs and positive behaviour support.

Frequently asked

Can a provider use a restrictive practice without telling me?

No. Providers are required to be transparent about any restrictive practices used with a participant. You have the right to see the behaviour support plan and the authorisation documentation. If a provider is not willing to share this information, that is a serious concern and you should contact the NDIS Commission.

What if I disagree with a behaviour support plan that has been written for me or my family member?

You have the right to raise concerns and to request changes. A behaviour support plan should always reflect the participant's own views and preferences. If you feel your input has not been taken seriously, an independent disability advocate can support you to have your voice heard. The NDIS Commission can also receive complaints about behaviour support practitioners.

Does every NDIS participant need a behaviour support plan?

No. Behaviour support plans are developed when a participant has what the NDIS calls "behaviours of concern," meaning behaviours that cause risk of harm to the person or others, and especially when restrictive practices are being considered or used. Many participants will never need one. If you are unsure whether a behaviour support plan is appropriate for your situation, a support coordinator or your NDIS planner can help you think through the options.

How OpenWay can help

Finding the right behaviour support practitioner or a provider with genuine expertise in complex needs can take time, especially if you are navigating this for the first time. OpenWay is a free-to-use marketplace for NDIS participants, families, and support coordinators to browse and compare disability service providers across Australia.

You can browse NDIS providers by support category and location to find behaviour support specialists, or explore providers who work with participants with complex needs. Provider profiles include information about their services, experience, and how to get in touch directly.

If you are a support coordinator managing multiple participants, the OpenWay coordinator tools are designed to help you shortlist providers, share options with participants, and track enquiries in one place.

OpenWay is not part of the NDIS, NDIA or NDIS Commission. Final scope, pricing, travel, cancellation rules and non-face-to-face charges must be confirmed in a written service agreement between the participant (or their authorised support person) and the provider.