Free template · progress notes
Progress notes template for NDIS support workers.
A one-shift note that carries what a claim needs — who, when, how long and which support — and what a good note needs: the goal it worked towards, the person's own words kept apart from yours, what changed, and who you told.
Who it is for: Support workers writing up a shift, and the coordinators who read their notes. It works as a shift note or a case note too.
No email, no sign-up. Checked against the rules on 26 September 2026.
What's in it
5 sections, built on the rules.
- 01The shiftParticipant name · NDIS number · Date of support · Start and finish time · Hours or quantity, and ratio if shared · Support type and item · Worker name and role · Location · Note written at (date and time)
- 02Goals and what happenedGoal this support worked towards · What we did · What the person said · What I noticed · Progress, and anything that got in the way
- 03Changes, concerns and incidentsAnything different from usual · Incident or concern · Incident record number, or who you told and when · Medication support
- 04Sleepover and billing notesSleepover: times woken · Travel or non-face-to-face time
- 05Handover and sign-offHandover and next steps · Worker signature and date · Participant or nominee signature · Corrections
What every record of support should show
The NDIA expects providers to keep complete, accurate records of the supports they deliver, and each record should identify the participant, their NDIS number, the date, how much support was delivered and the support type. A case note records what the participant did and how it relates to the support item and their goals. A support log is signed by the participant or their representative. Incomplete records found in a payment review can mean paying funds back.
What are the record keeping requirements? — NDIAAccurate, respectful and written at the time
The Commission's guidance on the Code of Conduct asks providers for accurate, up-to-date and legible records, written at the time or as soon as possible afterwards, free of demeaning language, and detailed enough for someone else to carry on the support. It also says to keep participant records for at least seven years after the service.
NDIS Code of Conduct: guidance for providers (PDF) — NDIS Quality and Safeguards CommissionInformation handled with consent
Under the Practice Standards, registered providers need the participant's consent to collect, use and share their information, tell them how it's stored and how they can see or correct it, and record information accurately and on time.
NDIS (Quality Indicators for NDIS Practice Standards) Guidelines 2018, section 14 — legislation.gov.auClaims within 90 days, from 1 December 2026
From 1 December 2026, claims for NDIS payment must be made within 90 days of the support, down from two years — so the notes behind a claim need finishing promptly. The Act also makes it an offence to conceal, alter or falsify a record it requires you to keep, to defraud or to obstruct an audit or investigation.
NDIS Act 2013, sections 45A and 59AE — legislation.gov.auThe template
Use it here, or take it with you.
Print it, save it as a PDF, or download the Word file and put your own name and logo on it.
Progress note
Organisation: ______________________________
01 The shift
Participant name
NDIS number
Date of support
Start and finish time
Hours or quantity, and ratio if shared
Support type and item
Worker name and role
Location
Note written at (date and time)If it's well after the shift ended, say why.
02 Goals and what happened
Goal this support worked towardsIn the person's own words, from their plan.
What we didThe support you gave, and the activities the person took part in.
What the person saidTheir choices, preferences and feedback, in their words — kept apart from what you noticed.
What I noticedFacts and times, in respectful, neutral words. Describe, don't label.
Progress, and anything that got in the way
03 Changes, concerns and incidents
Anything different from usualHealth, mood, behaviour or routine: describe what changed, and who you told and when.
Incident or concern
- None
- Incident record made
- Concern raised
Incident record number, or who you told and when
Medication supportRecord it on the medication chart. Here, note only that support was given and where it's recorded.
04 Sleepover and billing notes
Only if they apply — leave blank otherwise.
Sleepover: times woken
| Woke at | Why | Minutes of support | Back to sleep at |
|---|---|---|---|
Travel or non-face-to-face timeOnly where the service agreement says it can be charged: what it was, and how long.
05 Handover and sign-off
Confidential. Store it securely and keep it for at least 7 years.
Handover and next stepsWho needs to know what before the next shift.
Worker signature and date
Participant or nominee signatureOnly if this note is also your support log.
CorrectionsNever rub out, overwrite or backdate. Add the correction here with the date and your name, and leave the original readable.
A free template to adapt — not an official form, and not legal or compliance advice. Corella is not affiliated with the NDIA or the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. The rules behind it change, so check the current guidance and your own obligations before you rely on it. A free template from Corella — corellacare.com.au/templates/ndis-progress-notes/
Filling it in
What makes it a good record.
Write it before the shift closes
A note written at the end of the shift is more accurate, and it's ready when the claim is. If you have to write it later, say when and why.
Their words, then yours
Keep what the person said apart from what you noticed. Their choices and feedback go in their own words; your observations are facts and times.
Write as if they'll read it
Participants can ask to see their records. Describe behaviour instead of labelling it — “raised their voice and left the room”, not “aggressive”.
Tie it to the goal
Name the goal the support worked towards and what moved. That's what turns a diary entry into evidence of progress, and what the next plan review draws on.
Incidents go in the incident record
A progress note isn't an incident report. If something happened that's an incident, write the incident record as well and put its number in the note.
Stay out of clinical territory
No pain scores, vital signs or diagnoses in a support worker's note. Describe what changed and who you told; clinical observations belong in records kept by qualified staff.
A free template to adapt — not an official form, and not legal or compliance advice. Corella is not affiliated with the NDIA or the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. The rules behind it change, so check the current guidance and your own obligations before you rely on it.
In Corella
The same record, kept for you.
In Corella, the progress note is written on the shift it belongs to, from the worker's phone, and lands on the person's record behind the same privacy walls. Goals and tasks from the support plan are on the shift, and the worker picks the sentence that fits each goal. Once a note is final, a correction is an addendum and the original stays. If you switch the rule on, a worker can't clock off without a note.
Fair questions
Before you use it.
Sources
- What are the record keeping requirements? — NDIA
- NDIS Code of Conduct: guidance for providers (PDF) — NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- NDIS (Quality Indicators for NDIS Practice Standards) Guidelines 2018 — legislation.gov.au
- NDIS Act 2013 — legislation.gov.au
- Sleepover shifts — NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Is there a required format for NDIS progress notes?
What's the difference between a progress note and a support log?
How long should we keep progress notes?
Can a worker fix a mistake in a note?
Should medication go in the progress note?
What about sleepover shifts?
Keep this record in one system.
See how Corella keeps the same record on the shift it belongs to — book a walkthrough, or try a live demo with a time-boxed pass.