NDIA Accountability Project

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NCC Team Leader Guidance

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DOCUMENT 17

NCC Team Leader Guidance

May 02, 2025 02:14

Team Leader Guidance

The Team Leader Guidance provides information for:

  • Operational procedures, and
  • Knowledge articles for system and processing of enquiries for Team Leader’s.

NCC Team Leader Operational Procedures

Select a heading from the below list to expand and view the content.

Team Leader (TL) role and responsibilities

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NCC Team Leaders are responsible for:

  • Approving all priority enquiries.
  • Ensuring NCC Service Officers do not save templates or resources to their desktops as processes change daily.
  • Ensuring NCC Service Officers do not memorise processes or content and instead remember where to find the information.
  • Making all required phone contact in relation to priority enquiries with regions, NDIA staff and partners.
  • Not distributing or disclosing contact numbers for priority enquiries to NCC Service Officers.
  • Providing coaching and/or feedback to staff who have incorrectly referred enquiries.
  • NCC Team Leaders can were appropriate contact additional NDIA business areas to assist them to resolve a caller at first point of contact.
  • Liaising with operations to allocate and re-allocate email enquiries including, when an enquiry has been reassigned to a NCC Team Leaders. Following the Enquiries Email Inbox Team Leader KA.

Completing a welfare check

What is a welfare check?

  • A welfare check is contact with a third party, most often emergency services, to ensure an individual’s safety. The individual in question may be the caller themselves or another party they are raising concerns for.

Why is a welfare check necessary?

  • We have a duty of care to our callers and must respond any time their safety is in question.
  • Emergency services can intervene, so the caller is unable to carry out the threat.

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  • Emergency services can provide the appropriate support required and refer the participant or caller to community support organisations.

What is an emergency incident?

  • If a call presents any risk of self-harm and/or threat to others, a welfare check request to emergency services (000) is required.
  • If the caller presents an immediate threat to themselves or others 000 should be called.
  • If attempts to have the threat retracted doesn’t occur, you must proceed with the welfare check request.

What is a non-emergency incident?

  • Alternatively, the non-emergency number, 131 444, can be used for police assistance where there is no immediate danger, but a threat is identified.
  • The key to understanding the difference between an emergency and a non-emergency incident is how immediate is the risk to safety. If unsure it is best to err on the side of caution and use 000.
  • Examples of non-emergency incidents are:
    • A caller informing that they have been assaulted recently but the offending party is no longer present, and they do not require medical assistance.
    • A third hand threat of self-harm which occurred previous, for example, a caller stating they heard a participant threatening suicide yesterday.
  • With a non-emergency incident alternative contacts may be utilised to check a participant’s welfare. For example, if it was reported that a participant has threatened self-harm a week ago the participants support coordinator could be contacted to find out if they had spoken to the participant since the threat was made.
  • If a third party is unable to be contacted or is unable to confirm the safety of a participant the non-emergency number, 131 444, should be contacted for a welfare check.

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Information required when calling emergency services (000) to request a welfare check:

  • Location: the address to attend where participant is at time of call.
  • Name, Disability and DOB: this is the participants details not yours.
  • Is participant alone or is there anyone else present: if someone else present, how do they relate to participant.
  • If threats of harm to others: who, are they and are they present?
  • If threatening harm to self: are there any current injuries?
  • Any plan on how they intend to self-harm?
  • Are there any weapons involved?
  • Are they drug or alcohol affected? (Do not necessarily ask directly, take note of signs of this).
  • If you are having difficulty obtaining information when speaking to the participant, ask to speak to someone else who may be present that can give this information.

Keep in mind that even if you do not have this information available the police will have their own resources and will still be able to take action should the subject of the welfare check be deemed to be at immediate risk.

Participant Critical Incident (PCI)

A report of a PCI is any information provided to the NDIA or its Partners in the Community that alleges a NDIS participant:

  • Has died.
  • Has suffered a serious injury.
  • Has suffered abuse or neglect.
  • Has suffered unlawful sexual or physical contact, or assault.
  • Has been subject of sexual misconduct committed, including grooming for sexual activity.
  • Has suffered from unauthorised use of a restrictive practice, being any practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability.

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  • Is threatening or attempting self-harm, even if the threat is retracted.

Important

A PCI allegation may involve any stakeholder including NDIS providers, NDIA staff, informal supports, family or other person/s.

If the participant / caller is at risk of immediate harm take action and contact emergency services.

If you have identified the enquiry is a PCI, refer to the Participant Critical Incidents (PCI) for Team Leader KA.

Priority enquiry

A priority enquiry is an enquiry that requires escalation from the NCC for actioning.

Priority enquiries must be approved by a NCC Team Leader before cases are reassigned.

Priority enquiry timeframes and CSO processes are listed within the Priority Enquiry KA.

If 3 business days have passed and the priority enquiry has not been actioned the NCC Team Leader will need to consider if the participants situation has changed during this timeframe.

  • If circumstances have changed, consider if the situation is a PCI following the Participant Critical Incidents (PCI) for Team Leader KA.
  • If it is not a PCI, the NCC Team Leader can escalate using NCC Team Leader contacts or by referring to the Serco Quality and Knowledge team who will escalate to the NDIA Service Support team.

If the call enquiry fits the criteria for a Participant Critical Incident (PCI), you should complete the Critical Incident form and not refer as a priority enquiry.

Priority enquiry types:

  • Plan has no funds.
  • Plan due to expire in under 3 weeks.
  • Elderly parents / carers struggling to continue care.
  • Sudden loss of informal supports.
  • Loss of support coordinator.

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  • Complaints.
  • Appointment cancellation in under 48 hours.
  • Priority eligibility / urgent access decision.
  • Identifying a vulnerable participant.
  • Threat to accommodation.
  • Threat to site, staff, partners or others.
  • Risk to self or others in the community.
  • Media calls.
  • Non-participant that is vulnerable.

Persistent and repeat callers

Check the Service Officer has:

  • Asked their reason for calling.
  • Checked participant streaming.
    • If the participant is streamed general or supported:
      • Check they have referred the caller to contact their support coordinator or processed their enquiry.
    • If the participant is streamed intensive or super intensive:
      • check they have referred the caller to contact their support coordinator or processed their enquiry.
    • If the participant is streamed complex:
      • Check they have created a case and assigned using the NCC PACE Enquiry Categorisation Guide.

Team Leader Process

  • If the NCC Service Officer has completed the above, follow the relevant process based on streaming.

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  • You can refer to Participant streaming in the NCC Team Leader Guidance page.
  • General and supported streaming, if:
    • the participant has a support coordinator or advocate, attempt to contact the support coordinator or advocate to advise of the issues and discuss how they can best support the participant.
    • the participant does not have a support coordinator or advocate, view the caller’s contacts (for example, parents) to consider contacting them to discuss the repeat calling and request assistance to stop the persistent and repeat contact.
  • Intensive and super intensive streaming:
    • Attempt to contact the support coordinator or advocate to advise of the issues and discuss how they can best support the participant.
  • Complex streaming:
    • If the previous case remains open and the issue unresolved, contact the Complex Support Needs (CSN) team to discuss a resolution.
  • For all streaming:
    • Always handle a calls based on the priority of the enquiry:
      • review if the call is a different priority enquiry using the Priority Enquiry KA.
      • If the call is a participant critical incident (PCI), follow the Participant Critical Incidents (PCI) for Team Leader KA.
      • If is not a priority enquiry or PCI, it is appropriate to follow another process to assist the caller, for example, submitting a complaint following Feedback and Complaints Knowledge Article.
      • You can provide any external national contact numbers for extra support from the External Referral Points for Enquiries QRG.

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  • When all escalation pathways and applicable processes have been followed and the call is unable to be resolved, escalate to the Quality and Knowledge Management team (QMT) who will reach out to the NDIA Contact Centre Branch (CCB) Service Support team for guidance.

Participant streaming

Streaming is an internal Agency descriptor used to identify the needs of each participant. The NCC is not to mention or discuss streaming with participants.

General or Supported

  • Supported or general streamed participants can be transferred to their Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or early childhood partner via warm transfer.
  • When you transfer the call, ensure you have introduced yourself and the caller to the LAC and provided all details that you can before completing the transfer.
  • If you have been on hold/phone ringing for two minutes, take the caller off hold and ask if they would like to be put in the queue to wait for the LAC / early childhood partner.
  • If they are unable to wait, offer to provide them the contact number so they can call direct at a convenient time.
  • Offer to complete a case and assign to the my NDIS contact.
  • Advise the callers to allow three days for a response, before following up.

Intensive or Super Intensive

  • Intensive and super intensive participants are usually serviced by staff at the local NDIA office.
  • Not all sites have reception phones, so you will need to complete a case in PACE to the my NDIS contact using the NCC PACE Enquiry Categorisation Guide.
  • Advise the caller that you are unable to transfer their call, but you will complete request to let them know they have called and to call them back /complete the request.

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  • The queues are monitored daily so their enquiry will be referred to the right person quickly and they should expect a response within approximately 3 days. If they haven’t heard from them within 3 days, they can call back to have their request followed up.

Complex Support Needs

  • For participants who have been streamed as complex support needs (CSN) you will need to reassign using the NCC PACE Enquiry Categorisation Guide.

Risk escalation and acceptance guidance

Based on the risk rating determined for each risk the following risk acceptance and escalation guidance will be used. This is not prescriptive and is meant to be used as a guide only.

Risk Rating Risk acceptance and escalation guidance Escalation to CMT Escalation to Minister / Board
Extreme • Risks with this rating are unacceptable and urgent action should be taken to avoid or reduce the risk as soon as possible. Avoiding a risk may mean deciding not to start or continue with the activity where this is practicable.

• In relation to health and safety risk, the activities that give rise to the risk must NOT be performed.

• The CEO and Chairman must review the risk and the CEO must provide direct oversight of the response.		 Yes Yes, within 1 hour
High • Risks with this rating are typically undesirable.

• Cost/benefit analysis required to assess extent to which risk should be treated — monitor to help ensure risk does not adversely change over time.

• In relation to health and safety risk, the task must NOT be performed or substantial revision to activities must be performed without the approval from the Regional/Branch Manager and General Manager; who will verify that all reasonably practicable treatments have been implemented.		 Yes Yes, within 4 hours
Medium • Risks with this rating may or may not require further mitigation and require ongoing monitoring.

• Constant/regular monitoring to ensure that exposure to the risk is managed effectively, disruptions are minimised and outcomes monitored.		 No

(At the discretion of the incident leader)		 Typically, no, but follow advice of Specialists (notify within 24 hours)

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Risk Rating Risk acceptance and escalation guidance Escalation to CMT Escalation to Minister / Board
Medium (cont.) • In relation to health and safety risk, activities must NOT be performed without the approval from the Regional/Branch Manager and General Manager; who will verify that all reasonably practicable treatments have been implemented.
Low • Risks with this rating are typically acceptable.

• Treatment measures should be subject to monitoring by the General Manager.

• Effectively manage through routine procedures and appropriate internal controls.

• In relation to safety risk, control measures should be effective and reliable and subject to appropriate monitoring.		 No

(At the discretion of the incident leader)		 Typically no, but follow advice of Specialists.

NDIA escalation prioritisation risk matrix

Timeframe (business days) Response due in 5 days and resolution due in 15 days Response due in 24 hours/same day and resolution due in 10 days
RISK CATEGORY RISK LEVEL LOW RISK LEVEL MEDIUM RISK LEVEL HIGH RISK LEVEL EXTREME
Risk to health and wellbeing • No risk to life of participant or another.

• Failure to action the request is unlikely to result in a negative impact on a participant’s health/well-being.		 • No risk to life of participant or another.

• Failure to action the request is likely to/has negatively impacted the participants health/well-being.		 • Potential risk to life of participant or another.

• Failure to action the request is likely to/has resulted in an immediate risk to severe harm or permanent effect on a participants health/well-being.		 • Failure to action the request is likely to/has resulted in loss of life.
Risk to ability to live an ordinary life • The plan is due for a scheduled reassessment and there is no risk to employment or critical supports. • The plan will expire, or funds will be exhausted within a month so that critical supports cannot be accessed resulting in a potential risk to employment and/or a minor impact on the individual’s day to day life. • The plan is about to expire (within a week) or funds are almost exhausted so that supports that are immediately needed will not be able to be accessed resulting in a loss of employment and/or a sizable impact on the individual’s day to day life. • The plan has expired, or funds exhausted so that critical supports that are immediately needed but cannot be accessed impacting on day-to-day life.

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Timeframe (business days) Response due in 5 days and resolution due in 15 days Response due in 24 hours/same day and resolution due in 10 days
Change of care arrangements • Care arrangements unlikely to change. • Absence of supports (formal and informal) is contributing to care arrangements potentially changing in the next 6 months.

• Absence of supports (formal and informal) is contributing to care arrangements changing, or likely to change in the next 6 weeks.

• Absence of supports (formal and informal) is contributing to an immediate risk of family (informal) or formal care breakdown.
Change of accommodation arrangements • Accommodation arrangements unlikely to change. • The participants accommodation may be at risk due to changes in accommodation arrangements or inappropriate housing solutions within the next 6 months.

• The participant may be at risk of experiencing homelessness due to changes in accommodation arrangements or inappropriate housing solutions within the next 4 weeks.

• The participant is at immediate risk of experiencing homelessness due to changes in accommodation arrangements or inappropriate housing solutions.

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Timeframe (business days) Response due in 5 days and resolution due in 15 days Response due in 24 hours/same day and resolution due in 10 days
Risk to Agency reputation • No expected escalation of the complaint. • Risk of an escalation of the complaint or significant risk to Agency reputation if escalated.

• Significant impact on public confidence or trust and/or Agency reputation. Escalation received for Ministerial or media involvement.

• Where a failure to respond or act in the timeframe would lead to the NDIA breaching mandated timeframes:
* Where the Minister or NDIA will be engaging with the media.
* Where the Ministers office (MO) have identified specific sensitivities with extreme timeframes e.g., Question time brief (QTB).

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Timeframe (business days) Response due in 5 days and resolution due in 15 days Response due in 24 hours/same day and resolution due in 10 days
Deterioration of key stakeholder relationships • No expected escalation of the complaint. • Where a failure to respond or act would prevent the NDIA effectively engaging with the stakeholder.

• Where a failure to respond or act in the timeframe would breach convention or agreed timeframes.

• Where a failure to respond or act in the timeframe would lead to the NDIA breaching mandated timeframes.

Team Leader Guidance - Knowledge Articles

  • Page:Amazon Connect Team Leader Guidance KA
  • Page:Appointment cancellation or change within 48 hours Team Leader KA
  • Page:Call drop outs Team Leader KA
  • Page:Elderly Parent / Carer Team Leader KA
  • Page:Enquiries Email Inbox Team Leader KA
  • Page:Feedback and Complaints Team Leader KA
  • Page:Identifying a Vulnerable Participant Without Express Consent Team Leader KA
  • Page:Loss of Support Coordinator Team Leader KA
  • Page:NCC Team Leader Guidance

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  • Page:Participant Critical Incidents (PCI) for Team Leader KA
  • Page:Persistent and Repeat Callers Team Leader KA
  • Page:Plan Due to Expire in Under 3 Weeks Team Leader KA
  • Page:Plan Has No Funds Team Leader KA
  • Page:Priority Access Knowledge Article
  • Page:Priority Enquiry Escalation Contacts Team Leader QRG
  • Page:Reporting Fraud, Conflict of Interest and Non-Compliance Team Leader KA
  • Page:Risk to Self or Others in the Community Team Leader KA
  • Page:Sudden Loss of Informal Support Care Team Leader KA
  • Page:Team Leader Templates and Forms
  • Page:Threat to Accommodation Team Leader KA
  • Page:Threat to Site, Staff, Partners, or Others Team Leader KA
  • Page:Vulnerable or in Danger Member of the Community NCC Team Leader KA
  • Page:Webchat Team Leader KA

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