Contents
Why Examples Matter
Understanding the difference between compliant and non-compliant notes is essential for every support worker. The examples below show real progress notes with detailed analysis of what works and what fails during an NDIS audit.
📌 Key Takeaway: The difference between a pass and fail often comes down to objective language, goal referencing, and specific details. Small changes make a big difference.
Example 1: Community Access (Shopping)
❌ NON-COMPLIANT
Date: 15/03/25 Support worker: John Participant: Sarah Took Sarah to Coles. She was anxious at first but settled. Good session. No issues.
❌ Why This Fails:
- Subjective language: "anxious", "good session"
- No goal reference
- Vague description
- No participant engagement details
- Missing times and duration
- First person writing ("I took")
✅ COMPLIANT
Date: 15/03/2026 Support worker: John Smith Participant: Sarah Shift: 10:00am - 12:30pm (2.5 hours) Support type: Community Access — Shopping SUMMARY OF SUPPORT: Supported participant with grocery shopping at Coles Main Street. Participant independently selected 8 of 12 items from shopping list, located products with minimal assistance, and managed payment at self-checkout. PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT: Participant initially presented with increased heart rate and rapid breathing upon entering the store. Support worker offered to wait in quieter area. After 5 minutes, participant initiated entry. Throughout the 90-minute task, participant maintained calm presentation and engaged in conversation. GOAL ALIGNMENT: Goal 1: Increase independence in community participation — participant demonstrated increased confidence in navigating supermarket and completing transactions independently (80% independence, up from 60% last month). INCIDENTS: No incidents to report. FOLLOW-UP: Continue community access supports with focus on building confidence in crowded spaces.
✅ Why This Passes:
- Objective language with observable details
- Specific goal reference with measurable progress
- Clear times and duration
- Detailed participant engagement
- Third person professional writing
- Complete follow-up plan
Example 2: Daily Living (Meal Preparation)
❌ NON-COMPLIANT
Date: 16/03/25 Worker: Lisa Participant: Tom Helped Tom make dinner. He did well. He's getting better at cooking.
❌ Why This Fails:
- Vague: "helped", "did well"
- Subjective: "getting better"
- No measurement of progress
- No goal reference
- Missing specific details of what was prepared
✅ COMPLIANT
Date: 16/03/2026 Support worker: Lisa Chen Participant: Tom Shift: 5:00pm - 6:30pm (1.5 hours) Support type: Daily Living — Meal Preparation SUMMARY OF SUPPORT: Assisted participant with preparing spaghetti bolognese. Participant chopped vegetables with supervision, followed recipe steps with verbal prompts, and independently set the table. PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT: Participant presented with positive affect, smiled throughout, and stated "I like cooking." Engaged in conversation about recipe modifications. GOAL ALIGNMENT: Goal 2: Develop independent living skills — meal preparation. Participant completed 70% of meal preparation independently, an improvement from 50% last week. Required 3 verbal prompts (reduced from 5 prompts previously). INCIDENTS: No incidents to report. FOLLOW-UP: Continue meal preparation with focus on reducing prompts for vegetable chopping.
✅ Why This Passes:
- Specific meal details
- Measurable progress (70% vs 50%, 3 prompts vs 5)
- Objective language with quotes
- Clear goal reference
- Actionable follow-up
Example 3: Social Support
❌ NON-COMPLIANT
Date: 17/03/25 Worker: David Participant: Emma Went to coffee shop. Emma was happy. Good social outing.
❌ Why This Fails:
- Subjective: "was happy", "good"
- No goal reference
- No specific details about interaction
- No measurement of social engagement
✅ COMPLIANT
Date: 17/03/2026 Support worker: David Wilson Participant: Emma Shift: 10:30am - 12:00pm (1.5 hours) Support type: Social Support — Community Outing SUMMARY OF SUPPORT: Accompanied participant to local café for morning tea. Participant selected drink independently, engaged with café staff, and initiated conversation with another patron about shared interest in gardening. PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT: Participant smiled frequently, laughed, and stated "This is nice." Maintained eye contact during conversation. Reported feeling "good" about social interaction. GOAL ALIGNMENT: Goal 3: Social engagement — participant initiated conversation with a new person independently, demonstrating increased confidence in social settings (first time initiating independently this month). INCIDENTS: No incidents to report. FOLLOW-UP: Continue community access with focus on maintaining social connections. Participant expressed interest in joining gardening group.
✅ Why This Passes:
- Specific details of social interaction
- Direct quotes from participant
- Clear goal alignment with measurable outcome
- Observable behaviours (smiled, laughed, eye contact)
- Actionable follow-up based on participant interest
Example 4: Behaviour Support
❌ NON-COMPLIANT
Date: 18/03/25 Worker: Sarah Participant: James James had a meltdown when activity changed. Staff calmed him down. He was okay after.
❌ Why This Fails:
- Subjective: "meltdown", "calmed down", "okay"
- No trigger documentation
- No specific interventions from BSP
- Missing outcome details
- No follow-up
✅ COMPLIANT
Date: 18/03/2026 Support worker: Sarah Johnson Participant: James Shift: 2:00pm - 4:00pm (2 hours) Support type: Behaviour Support TRIGGER: Participant became distressed when advised that preferred activity (computer time) was ending. BEHAVIOUR DESCRIPTION: Participant raised voice, stated "No! I want more time!", threw cushion across room, and paced the living area for 3 minutes. No physical aggression toward staff. INTERVENTION (per BSP): Staff maintained calm tone, offered choice of two preferred activities, used redirection to sensory toy, and provided positive reinforcement when participant engaged. RESTRICTIVE PRACTICES: None used. OUTCOME: Participant accepted choice of sensory toy after 4 minutes, engaged for 20 minutes, and returned to baseline. Stated "I'm okay now." GOAL ALIGNMENT: Goal 7: Emotional regulation — participant de-escalated within 4 minutes with staff support (improvement from 10 minutes previously). FOLLOW-UP: Coordinator notified. Next shift to check in. BSP to be reviewed for additional transition strategies.
✅ Why This Passes:
- Clear trigger identification
- Specific, objective behaviour description
- Interventions from BSP documented
- Measurable outcome (4 minutes to de-escalate)
- Goal alignment with progress measurement
- Complete follow-up with notifications
Example 5: Health Appointment
❌ NON-COMPLIANT
Date: 19/03/25 Worker: Michael Participant: Olivia Took Olivia to doctor. She was nervous but it went well. All good.
❌ Why This Fails:
- Subjective: "nervous", "well", "good"
- No details about appointment
- No goal reference
- Missing communication details
- No follow-up instructions
✅ COMPLIANT
Date: 19/03/2026 Support worker: Michael Tran Participant: Olivia Shift: 9:30am - 11:30am (2 hours) Support type: Health — Medical Appointment SUMMARY OF SUPPORT: Provided transport to GP appointment (Dr. Smith, Main Street Medical). Assisted participant with check-in, waited during consultation, and documented follow-up instructions. PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT: Participant presented with increased heart rate and stated "I don't like doctors." Support worker offered reassurance and deep breathing strategies. Participant engaged with doctor, reported symptoms, and asked questions about medication. GOAL ALIGNMENT: Goal 4: Health and wellbeing — participant communicated with GP independently about symptoms, demonstrating increased confidence in medical settings. APPOINTMENT OUTCOME: Prescription renewed. Follow-up in 3 months. No new concerns noted. FOLLOW-UP: Prescription collected from pharmacy. Next appointment scheduled for 19/06/2026. Coordinator notified.
✅ Why This Passes:
- Specific appointment details (doctor, location)
- Objective participant presentation
- Clear communication documentation
- Goal alignment with measurable outcome
- Complete follow-up with next steps
Common Mistakes Summary
🚫 Top 10 Mistakes That Fail Audits:
- Subjective language: "good", "bad", "happy", "angry", "anxious"
- First person writing: "I took Sarah" instead of "Supported participant"
- Missing goal references: No link to NDIS plan goals
- Vague descriptions: "Did shopping" without details
- Missing times/dates: No shift duration or timestamps
- No incident documentation: Failing to document incidents or "no incidents"
- Missing follow-up: No next steps or notifications documented
- Late entries: Notes completed after 48 hours
- No participant engagement: Not describing how participant presented
- Missing signatures: Unapproved or unsigned notes
Quick Compliance Checklist
✅ Before Submitting a Note, Check:
- ☐ Date, times, worker name, participant included
- ☐ All language is objective (no feelings, interpretations)
- ☐ Specific NDIS goal referenced by number
- ☐ Activities described in detail
- ☐ Participant presentation documented objectively
- ☐ Incidents documented (or "no incidents")
- ☐ Follow-up actions clear
- ☐ Note completed within 48 hours
- ☐ Signed and approved
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