Verification Policy

Why this policy exists

Solotude is an Australian marketplace connecting people with disability with independent NDIS providers. We built it to be easier to use, and safer, than finding support through social media posts and community groups.

Solotude is hands off. We do not sit between you and your provider, and you engage them directly. What we do is hold every provider to a minimum safety floor before they can appear in search: we check their identity, their business, the NDIS Commission’s compliance records and, for nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists, their Ahpra registration. That keeps bad actors out, while letting good providers be found quickly.

This policy sets out what we check for every provider, what we verify when a provider adds it, and what is self-reported. It is written for participants, families, support coordinators and the providers who join us.

We verify people, not just businesses

Every profile on Solotude belongs to one named individual. There are no company listings, no shared team profiles and no anonymous “our staff are all checked” claims.

That means:

• An independent provider working for themselves holds their own profile in their own name, and is verified in their own name.
• A worker who joins through a small business still holds their own individual profile, and is verified individually. The business owner cannot vouch for them.
• A business ABN, insurance policy or NDIS registration does not transfer to the people who work under it. Each person is checked on their own credentials.
• No provider appears in search, and no connection is made on Solotude, until our minimum checks are complete.

Our minimum safety floor

Every provider must meet our minimum standards before their profile appears in search. There are no exceptions.

A complete profile. Every profile must include:

• a profile photo
• the provider’s full name, matching their identity document
• a work email address
• a work phone number
• a description of the services they offer
• at least one service category
• an availability indicator

Minimum checks. We then complete the following checks. Wherever an official register exists, we check against the register, not the document alone.

We complete these checks within two business days of a provider submitting a complete profile.

Identity

Mandatory for every profile. We confirm the identity of every provider before their profile goes live. The full name on the profile must match a current government-issued identity document. That name is then the reference point for every other credential the provider adds, and each one must match it. Where a name does not match, we require official proof of name change, such as a marriage certificate or change of name certificate, before approval.

ABN

Mandatory for every profile. Every provider on Solotude is either a sole trader or works under a business, so an ABN is required in every case. We check the ABN on ABN Lookup, the Australian Business Register, for active status and for a name that matches the provider or their business.

NDIS compliance records

Mandatory for every profile. We check every provider, and the business their ABN is held under, against the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s register of compliance and enforcement actions. This register records banning orders and other action the Commission has taken against providers and workers. A provider subject to a current banning order cannot list on Solotude.

Ahpra registration

Mandatory for nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists. These professions are regulated under national law, and a practitioner must hold current Ahpra registration to practise. We check every one against the Ahpra Register of practitioners.

We confirm current registration in the relevant profession or division, and note any conditions, undertakings or reprimands recorded against it.

Speech pathologists, dietitians, exercise physiologists and counsellors are self-regulated professions in Australia. It is not unlawful to practise without membership of a professional body, so membership is not a condition of listing on Solotude. We highly recommend it, and holding it is the provider’s responsibility. See Self-reported information below.

NDIS registration for behaviour support practitioners

Mandatory for behaviour support practitioners. Behaviour support practitioners must be considered suitable by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and deliver specialist behaviour support through a registered provider. We verify the registration on the NDIS Commission’s public register of registered NDIS providers, so registration is not optional for that profession.

Credentials we verify when provided

These credentials are not mandatory, but we strongly encourage them. When a provider adds one, we verify it against the official register before it appears on their profile as verified. A fuller profile gives a seeker more to go on, and tends to perform better in search.

NDIS Worker Screening Check

Verified when provided. Seekers can filter search results by this check. We verify the clearance against the NDIS worker screening records held by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, confirming the provider’s name and that the clearance is current and not suspended or excluded. We record the expiry date. Some providers are required by law to hold a clearance, depending on how they are engaged. Meeting that requirement is the provider’s responsibility.

Working with Children Check

Verified when provided. Seekers can filter search results by this check. Where the law requires a provider to hold one, for example to work with children, meeting that requirement is the provider’s responsibility. We strongly recommend anyone arranging support for a child only engages a provider with a verified check. These checks are issued by each state and territory, under different names and for different periods, so we verify each one with the body that issued it.

We record the check number and the issuing state or territory, then verify the check through that state’s employer or organisation verification service, confirming the provider’s name and that the check is current. In the Australian Capital Territory, where no instant checker exists, we confirm the registration in writing with Access Canberra.

NDIS registration

Verified when provided. Outside behaviour support, NDIS registration is not required to support plan-managed or self-managed participants, and many independent providers are not registered. Where a provider tells us they are registered, we verify it on the NDIS Commission’s register and display it.

Self-reported information

Some information on a profile is provided by the provider and is not checked by Solotude. It is clearly labelled Self-reported on the profile.

Solotude does not complete reference checks, and does not decide which qualifications or how much experience is sufficient for your situation. Those are decisions for the person receiving support, or the person arranging support on their behalf.

What is required, by profession

Required for every profession on Solotude: a complete profile, identity, an active ABN and a check of the NDIS Commission’s compliance records. Nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists also need current Ahpra registration, and behaviour support practitioners need NDIS registration.

“Verified when provided” means the credential is not mandatory, but if a provider adds it we verify it against the official register before it shows as verified on their profile. “Self-reported” information is labelled as such and is not checked by Solotude.

Going beyond the minimum

Our minimum standards are a safety floor, not the full picture. Providers can add more, and it is worth doing.

A fuller profile gives a seeker more to go on and makes it easier for them to choose with confidence. Seekers can filter search results by the credentials that matter to them, including a verified NDIS Worker Screening Check and a verified Working with Children Check. A provider without them will not appear in those searches.

Small businesses

A small business can create an account on Solotude and advertise the individual providers who work under it.

For the business itself, we check the ABN against the Australian Business Register, check the business against the NDIS Commission’s compliance records, and verify NDIS registration where the business is registered.

Everything else is per person. Each staff member the business advertises holds their own individual profile and must meet the minimum standards in their own name, exactly as a sole trader would.

If we cannot verify something

Our turnaround is up to two business days from the point a provider submits a complete profile.

If we cannot verify an item, we do not simply decline it and move on. We email the provider explaining the issue, for example the document was unclear, the name did not match, or the credential could not be found on the relevant register. They can then correct it and submit it again. Nothing is declined without a reason in writing.

What verification does not mean

We are direct about the limits of what we do, because it matters.

• Our checks confirm identity, business details and credentials against official registers. They are not an endorsement of a provider’s skill, judgement or fit for your situation.
• We do not complete reference checks, and we do not decide which qualifications are sufficient. Qualifications, experience, insurance and the Worker Orientation Module are self-reported.
• Solotude is a marketplace. We do not employ providers, supervise their work, or deliver supports ourselves.
• A credential is checked as at the date we checked it. We do not currently monitor credentials continuously.
• You are engaging a provider directly. We encourage you to interview them, ask for references and certificates, agree the supports and rates in writing, and use the NDIS Commission’s complaints process where something goes wrong.

Raising a concern

If you believe a provider’s credentials are not what their profile says, or you have a concern about a provider’s conduct, contact us through our contact page and we will investigate. Where there is a safety concern, we will suspend the profile while we look into it.

Serious concerns about the conduct of an NDIS provider or worker can also be reported to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544.

Common questions

Does Solotude verify businesses or individual people?

Every profile on Solotude belongs to one named individual and is checked in that person’s own name. A business ABN, insurance policy or NDIS registration does not transfer to the people who work under it.

What does every provider need before they appear in search?

A complete profile, including a profile photo, full name matching their identity document, work email, work phone, a description of services, a service category and an availability indicator. We also check their identity, check their ABN against the Australian Business Register and check the NDIS Commission’s compliance records. Nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists must also hold current Ahpra registration, and behaviour support practitioners must be NDIS registered.

Are an NDIS Worker Screening Check and a Working with Children Check mandatory?

Not on Solotude. When a provider adds either check, we verify it against the official register, and you can filter search results to show only providers who hold one. Where the law requires a provider to hold a check, meeting that requirement is the provider’s responsibility.

Does Solotude check qualifications, experience or insurance?

No. These are self-reported and labelled that way on the profile. Solotude does not complete reference checks or decide which qualifications are sufficient. Ask the provider for certificates, references and a certificate of currency before you engage them.

How long do the checks take?

Up to two business days from the point a provider submits a complete profile.

Does Solotude monitor credentials after they are checked?

Not currently. Each credential is checked at the point it is submitted and the expiry date is recorded where it has one. Providers are required to keep their credentials current and update their profile whenever a credential is renewed or changes.

Do speech pathologists, dietitians, exercise physiologists and counsellors need to be members of a professional body?

It is highly recommended but not required. These professions are self-regulated, so practising without membership is not unlawful. Holding membership is the provider’s responsibility, and it shows on the profile as self-reported. Nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists are different: Ahpra registration is mandatory and we check it.