Does every use of a restrictive practice need to be recorded separately?

Yes. Under the NDIS Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support Rules 2018, each individual use of a regulated restrictive practice must be recorded separately. You cannot batch-record multiple uses in a single entry. Each record must capture the date, time, duration, type, description, and outcome specific to that instance.

What is the difference between a restrictive practice record and an incident report?

A restrictive practice record documents the details of each use of a regulated practice — whether or not it constituted a reportable incident. An incident report is required when the use meets the definition of a reportable incident under the NDIS Incident Management Rules. Many uses of restrictive practices will require both records, cross-referenced to each other.

Can a support worker complete the restrictive practice record or must it be a supervisor?

The support worker who used the practice should complete the initial record as soon as practicable after the event. A supervisor or team leader must then review and countersign the record within your organisation's required timeframe. Both roles are reflected in a compliant record — completion by the worker, review by the supervisor.

How long must restrictive practice records be retained?

The NDIS Commission requires registered providers to retain records for a minimum period that aligns with the broader record-keeping obligations under the NDIS Act and Practice Standards. Providers should retain restrictive practice records for at least seven years, or longer where state and territory laws impose a greater retention requirement.

What happens if a provider uses a restrictive practice that is not authorised in the participant's BSP?

Using an unauthorised restrictive practice is a serious breach of the NDIS Code of Conduct and the Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support Rules. The NDIS Commission can take regulatory action including banning orders, conditions on registration, and civil penalty proceedings. The provider must report the unauthorised use as a reportable incident immediately.

Do providers need to report restrictive practice use even if the participant was not harmed?

Yes. Monthly reporting of all regulated restrictive practice uses to the NDIS Commission is mandatory regardless of whether harm occurred. Harm-based thresholds apply separately to the reportable incident framework. Monthly usage data is collected by the Commission to monitor whether providers are actively working to reduce and eliminate practices over time.

Restrictive Practice Record Example for NDIS

Why Restrictive Practice Records Matter Under the NDIS Framework

Registered NDIS providers who support participants with behaviours of concern are legally required to document every use of a regulated restrictive practice. This obligation flows from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 and is reinforced by the NDIS Practice Standards, including the strengthened standards that came into effect progressively from 2024 and continue to be embedded into registration audits in 2026.

Poor or incomplete records are among the most common non-conformances identified during NDIS Commission audits. Beyond compliance risk, inadequate documentation puts participants at risk of repeated, unnecessary, or unauthorised use of practices that restrict their rights and freedoms.

What Counts as a Restrictive Practice

The NDIS Commission defines a restrictive practice as any practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability. The five regulated categories are:

Chemical restraint — use of medication to influence behaviour (not for a diagnosed condition)
Environmental restraint — restricting access to parts of the environment
Mechanical restraint — use of a device to restrict movement
Physical restraint — use of physical force to restrict movement
Seclusion — sole confinement in a space the person cannot freely exit

Each regulated use must be individually recorded. Providers must not use a restrictive practice unless it is authorised under the law of the relevant state or territory, incorporated into a behaviour support plan developed by a registered behaviour support practitioner, and used only as a last resort.

Realistic Filled-In Record Example

The template below reflects the minimum fields required under the NDIS Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support Rules. Providers should adapt it to their own record-keeping systems and any state-specific authorisation requirements.

Field	Example Entry
Participant name	Jordan M. (full name in secure system; abbreviated here for privacy)
NDIS participant number	43XXXXXXXX
Support location	SIL residence — 12 Example Street, Suburb VIC 3XXX
Date and time of use	14 June 2026, 07:42 AM
Duration	Approximately 4 minutes
Type of restrictive practice	Physical restraint (passive blocking)
Description of the practice used	Staff member stood between Jordan and the front door using a passive block hold to prevent Jordan from exiting unsupervised during a period of escalated distress. No force applied beyond maintaining position.
Behaviour of concern that prompted the use	Jordan verbally indicated intent to leave the property and began moving rapidly toward the front door in a distressed state, consistent with the risk identified in Section 4 of the Behaviour Support Plan (BSP).
Strategies attempted before use	Verbal de-escalation (calm reassurance, offering preferred activity); redirection to sensory corner; offered snack. All unsuccessful within the preceding 6 minutes.
Authorisation status	Authorised under Victorian Senior Practitioner framework. Authorisation reference: VP-XXXX-2026. Copy filed in participant's secure record.
Relevant BSP reference	BSP version 3.1, dated 02 March 2026, developed by Registered Behaviour Support Practitioner — A. Torres (Practitioner ID: XXXXX). Section 4.2: Physical Restraint Protocol.
Outcome for the participant	Jordan de-escalated within 4 minutes. Jordan remained at the residence. Vital signs and demeanour checked at 07:50 AM — no physical harm observed. Jordan offered a drink and agreed to sit in the lounge.
Post-incident debrief	Team lead notified at 08:00 AM. Debrief conducted with support worker at 08:15 AM. Incident report lodged in provider system (Incident Ref: INC-2026-1847). NDIS Commission reportable incident notification submitted same day (where applicable).
Staff member completing record	S. Nguyen, Support Worker, Employee ID: SW-094
Supervisor review	Reviewed by: T. Kaur, Team Leader. Date reviewed: 14 June 2026. Signature on file.
Date and time record completed	14 June 2026, 08:30 AM (within organisational 4-hour requirement)

Key Requirements the Record Must Satisfy

Each entry in your restrictive practice register must demonstrate compliance across several dimensions. Auditors reviewing records under the NDIS Practice Standards — particularly the Module on Behaviour Support — will look for the following:

1. Contemporaneous documentation

Records should be completed as soon as practicable after each incident of use. A significant delay between the use of a practice and the creation of the record weakens its evidential value and may indicate a systemic documentation failure.

2. Linkage to a current, authorised Behaviour Support Plan

Every use must be traceable to a BSP that was current at the time, developed by a registered behaviour support practitioner, and authorised under the applicable state or territory law. If no current BSP exists or authorisation has lapsed, the use is unauthorised regardless of circumstances.

3. Evidence of least-restrictive approach

Records must document what proactive and reactive strategies were tried before resorting to the restrictive practice. This reflects the NDIS Commission's expectation that restrictive practices are used only as a last resort when all other options have failed.

4. Outcome and participant impact

The record must capture the participant's wellbeing following the use, not just the operational facts of what happened. This includes any physical or emotional distress observed, and the steps taken to restore the participant's comfort and dignity.

5. Reportable incident linkage

Where the use of a restrictive practice constitutes a reportable incident under the NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018, the restrictive practice record should cross-reference the incident report and the notification submitted to the NDIS Commission.

Common Documentation Failures to Avoid

Recording the practice type generically (e.g., "restraint used") without describing the specific technique or hold
Omitting the duration of the restrictive practice — even approximate durations are required
Failing to document why alternative strategies were ineffective before use
Referencing an outdated or expired BSP at the time of use
No supervisor review or sign-off within the required timeframe
Mixing restrictive practice records with general progress notes, making them difficult to locate and audit
Not linking the record to a reportable incident notification where one was required

Monthly Reporting to the NDIS Commission

Registered providers are required to report regulated restrictive practices to the NDIS Commission on a monthly basis through the myNDIS provider portal. This report is distinct from the individual use records held in participant files. It provides the Commission with aggregate data to monitor usage trends and identify providers where practices may not be reducing over time — a key expectation under the behaviour support framework.

Providers should maintain a register of all uses across all participants to facilitate accurate monthly reporting. Each monthly submission should be reconciled against your individual-level documentation to ensure no incidents are missed.

Strengthened Practice Standards Context for 2026

The NDIS Commission's strengthened Practice Standards, which have been progressively embedded into registration and renewal audits from 2024 onward, place heightened scrutiny on the behaviour support module. Auditors assessing SIL providers will expect to see not just compliant record templates, but evidence that records are consistently completed, reviewed by supervisors, linked to active BSPs, and that the overall trajectory of restrictive practice use for each participant is moving toward reduction or elimination over time.

If your SIL service is approaching a registration renewal or a mid-term audit in 2026, your restrictive practice documentation is one of the highest-risk areas for non-conformance findings.

Providers building out their compliance documentation suite may find it useful to reference the 74-document audit-ready SIL compliance kit available through ndiscompliant.com.au, which includes a restrictive practice register template, monthly reporting checklist, and behaviour support audit evidence folder aligned to the current Practice Standards.

Important: This article provides general guidance about NDIS compliance requirements. It is not legal or professional advice. Requirements may change as the NDIS Commission updates its policies and Practice Standards. Always verify current requirements with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission or a registered NDIS consultant before making compliance decisions.