NDIS Worker Screening Check vs police check: the difference
A police check is a point-in-time criminal history snapshot. An NDIS Worker Screening Check is a wider suitability check that lasts five years. Which you need.
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"Do I need a police check or an NDIS Worker Screening Check, or both?" is one of the most common questions in the care sector, and the answer is genuinely confusing because the two checks overlap. This guide clears it up.
What each one actually is
A National Police Check (also called a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check, or national criminal history check) is a point-in-time snapshot of a person's disclosable criminal history on the day it is issued. It does not update after that, and it is not, on its own, a judgement about suitability to work with vulnerable people.
An NDIS Worker Screening Check is broader. It is a risk assessment of whether a person is suitable to work in NDIS risk-assessed roles. It considers national criminal history and other relevant information, results in a clearance or exclusion, is valid for five years, is nationally portable, and is continuously monitored so that new information can trigger a reassessment.
The police check is built in
You do not hold a separate police check alongside an NDIS Worker Screening Check. The screening check already assesses national criminal history as part of its decision. For NDIS work, the screening check covers it.
Side by side
| National Police Check | NDIS Worker Screening Check | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Point-in-time criminal history snapshot | Suitability assessment (clearance or exclusion) |
| Scope | Disclosable criminal history | Criminal history plus other relevant information |
| Validity | Snapshot, ages from day one | 5 years |
| Portability | Tied to the document | Nationally recognised across states and territories |
| Ongoing monitoring | None | Continuously monitored |
The last row is the one that matters most
A police check tells you about the past, once. An NDIS Worker Screening Check keeps watching: if relevant new information arises during the five years, the screening unit can suspend or cancel the clearance and the employers linked to that worker are notified. A police check has no way to do this, so it stays silent no matter what happens after it is issued. Where a worker can hold a monitored clearance, it is the stronger check, not just a different one. The same is true of a Working With Children Check in childcare, which is also monitored after issue.
Which do you need?
- NDIS / disability work: an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance for risk-assessed roles. See the state-by-state guide for where to apply.
- Aged Care: either a National Police Check under three years old or an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance, per the Aged Care workforce screening requirements. A valid NDIS clearance removes the need for a National Police Check. See the Aged Care screening requirements.
- Childcare: a Working With Children Check, which also has a national police history check built into its assessment.
So a worker with a current NDIS clearance is well placed: it covers their disability work and satisfies the Aged Care screening requirement too.
Keeping it current
The practical risk is different for each. A National Police Check ages quietly because nothing monitors it. An NDIS clearance is monitored, but it still expires after five years, and 2026 is the first big renewal wave. Koora's compliance engine checks each worker's screening against the requirements for their role and tracks its expiry on their Career Passport, so neither side is caught out by a lapse. The provider keeps the responsibility to confirm a worker's screening; Koora keeps the dates in front of you.
Because a National Police Check ages quietly, there is a separate question of how recent one should be for a new role, even when it is still within the accepted three years. We cover that in do you need a new police check for a new care job.
Authoritative sources
- NDIS Worker Screening Check: NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- Screening requirements for the Aged Care workforce: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- New ways of working in Aged Care: future Aged Care worker screening model
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both an NDIS Worker Screening Check and a police check?
Generally no. The NDIS Worker Screening Check includes a national criminal history assessment, so you do not hold a separate police check on top of it for NDIS work. Aged Care is different: there a National Police Check under three years old is one of two accepted options.
Is a police check the same as an NDIS Worker Screening Check?
No. A police check is a point-in-time snapshot of criminal history. An NDIS Worker Screening Check is a broader suitability assessment that considers more than criminal history, is valid for five years, is nationally portable, and is continuously monitored for new information.
Which one do Aged Care workers need?
Aged Care workers need either a National Police Check under three years old or an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. A valid NDIS clearance removes the need for a separate National Police Check.
This is general information, not compliance advice. Always confirm requirements with the relevant regulator, and remember that providers keep the legal responsibility to sight credentials and decide who can work.
We work hard to keep everything accurate, and our compliance engine keeps up with the rules as they change. Even so, we might get a detail slightly wrong or miss something. No one's perfect. If you think something here needs updating, email us at resources@koora.care. We would genuinely rather know, because we all do better when we help each other get it right.
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