Free NDIS Progress Notes Template
A clean NDIS progress notes template, structured to the NDIS Practice Standards. Free, no catch.
There is a smarter way to write these. It is free to try.
You came for a template. Here it is, no strings.
But here is the truth. A printed form just sits there. You do all the remembering, every shift, and it cannot tell you when a note is missing something. The living version fills itself in from your words, flags what you missed, and teaches you as you go. Free to try. Use it once and this PDF goes in the drawer.
The same shift, written two ways
A template gives you the structure. It cannot tell you when what you have written will not hold up. Here is one shift, both ways.
“Took Jenny shopping. She had a good time.”
“Met Jenny at home at 10am for community access. We took the bus to the shopping centre, working on her goal of using public transport independently. Jenny chose her own items and paid at the counter with some verbal prompting. She said she felt proud managing the trip herself. No incidents. Next time Jenny wants to try the route with less prompting.”
Same shift. Same worker. The difference is knowing what a compliant note actually needs. The blank template leaves all of that for you to remember, every single time.
- The goal: which NDIS funded goal the session supported.
- The choices: the decisions the participant made and the control they had.
- Their voice: what the participant said, in their own words where you can.
- The support: what you actually did, and the level of prompting or help given.
- The follow-up: any incident to report and what to carry into next session.
When someone asks, the two-line note is the one that lets you down
A plan manager queries a claim. A family asks how the last month went. A coordinator needs evidence for a plan review. An incident is looked into. Each time, your notes are the record of what happened, and a two-line note can't show which goal you worked on, what the participant chose, or what you did when something went wrong.
You can keep writing them by hand and hope each one is enough. Or you can use a template that already knows what is missing and tells you before you sign.
A form sits there. This one writes with you.
Type or speak your shift in your own words, as roughly as you would tell a colleague. From there Clio Care does three things a printed template never can.
It tells you what is worth writing down
Drawing on the participant's actual NDIS plan, goals and diagnosis, it prompts you with what matters for this specific person. No two participants give you the same questions.
It catches what you left out
As it structures your note, it flags any gaps so you can fill them before you sign, not discover them months later. It shows you the gap. It never makes up the answer.
It teaches you as you go
After each note, Smart Tips show you what would have made it stronger, so your next one is better on its own. You learn what a good NDIS note looks like without sitting through a course.
And everything after the note
- Say it instead of typing. Talk through the shift with your keyboard's microphone, as roughly as you like.
- Incidents flagged. If what you describe may be a reportable incident, Clio Care flags it in the note so it isn't missed.
- Photos with the note. Attach photos from the shift, and they print with the note.
- A signed PDF with your logo. Sign off and the note becomes a PDF with your business logo, ready to email to the plan manager from an address in your name.
- Reports from your notes. Goal progress, plan review, handover and incident summary reports are built from the notes you have already written.
NDIS progress notes, answered
What should an NDIS progress note include?
A compliant NDIS progress note records the session context (date, time, location and type of support), the activities and support you provided, how the participant was, their own words and choices, the NDIS goals you worked on, and anything that needs following up or reporting. It should be factual, written in plain language, and reflect only what you actually observed or were told.
Do support workers have to be registered to write progress notes?
No. Registered or not, you are expected to keep notes. The NDIS Code of Conduct applies to unregistered providers and their workers, and the NDIS Commission's guidance on it says workers should keep accurate, up-to-date records of each participant's service history, written at the time or as soon as possible afterwards. Registration is also expanding to higher-risk supports from 1 July 2027.
What makes a good NDIS progress note?
A good progress note clearly links the support you provided to the participant's funded goals, records their choices and voice, notes any incident, and contains nothing you cannot personally account for. Thin notes that only say what was done, without the goal, the choices or the outcome, are the ones that let you down when someone asks about a shift months later.
What is the difference between a progress note and a case note?
In NDIS support work the two terms are often used interchangeably, and both describe a record of a support session. Progress note is the more common term and emphasises progress toward the participant's goals. Read our full guide to NDIS shift notes.
Who might ask to see my progress notes?
The participant or their nominee, a plan manager checking a claim, a support coordinator preparing a plan review (with the participant's consent), a provider or platform you work through, and the NDIS Commission if there is a complaint or an incident. In each case your notes are the record of what happened, so write them at the time, in your own words, about what you actually saw and did.
Can a template check my notes for me?
A static template cannot. It is a fixed form that relies on you remembering what to include. Some tools now go further: Clio Care structures what you write, flags gaps before you sign, and suggests what to capture based on the participant's NDIS plan, all without inventing content you did not provide. It is built on the Note Integrity Standard, so every word stays yours.
Do you have any other free NDIS templates?
Yes. We also have a set of free NDIS consent form templates for support workers: a consent to share information form, a consent to photograph or record form, and a consent to communicate with a representative form. All three are free and downloadable, no email required. See the consent form templates →
You have seen the gap. Here is the easy part.
You can keep filling in a blank form on your own, every shift, and hoping you remembered everything. Or you can write the way you talk and let Clio Care handle the structure, catch the gaps, and teach you as you go. It is free for 30 days, no card. Try it on your next note, and see if you ever open that PDF again.
Free for 30 days. No credit card.
