Who can refer

We accept referrals from a wide range of sources, and you do not need a referral from a doctor to contact us.

Self-referral

• NDIS participants may refer themselves directly
• Family members, carers or nominees with appropriate authority may refer on someone’s behalf

Third-party referrals

• Support coordinators and specialist support coordinators
• Local Area Coordinators and NDIA planners
• General practitioners and medical specialists
• Hospitals and discharge planners
• Other providers and allied health professionals
• Schools and educational institutions

Consent obligations for referrers

Before submitting a referral, the referrer must have obtained informed consent from the participant, or their authorised representative, for all of the following:

• The referral being made to Youcentric Care Group
• The sharing of the participant’s personal and health information with us
• The specific information being shared as part of that referral

We accept referrals in good faith, on the reasonable assumption that the referring party has obtained appropriate consent, has complied with their own obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), and has lawfully collected and disclosed the information provided.

Youcentric Care Group is not responsible for a breach of privacy, consent or confidentiality obligations by a referring party. Third-party referrers are asked to complete a consent declaration confirming they have the participant’s consent and understand this.

If consent was not properly obtained

If we become aware that consent was not properly obtained, we will pause processing the referral immediately, contact the participant directly to explain, and seek their consent to proceed. If consent is not given, all information we received is securely destroyed. The matter is documented internally, and we may give feedback to the referring organisation about their consent processes.

What to include in a referral

You can send a referral through our referrals hub. The more complete it is, the faster we can respond.

Information we need

• Full name and date of birth
• NDIS number, and current plan start and end dates
• Plan management type
• Relevant funding category and available budget, if known
• Contact details, and a primary contact person if different from the participant
• Reason for referral and the presenting concerns
• Referrer contact details

Helpful if you have it

• Relevant medical history and diagnoses
• Previous occupational therapy or allied health reports
• Current supports and services already in place
• Communication and accessibility needs
• Cultural or linguistic considerations, including whether an interpreter is needed
• NDIS plan goals relevant to occupational therapy
• Any risk or safety information we should know before visiting

How we process referrals

1. Every referral is logged and acknowledged to the referrer within 2 business days of receipt.
2. If a referral is incomplete, we flag it and contact the referrer for the missing information.
3. We screen it for eligibility: an active plan with appropriate funding, a request within occupational therapy scope of practice, a location within our coverage area, and a completed consent declaration for third-party referrals.
4. A registered occupational therapist reviews every eligible referral and assigns a priority.

Priority and response times

Priority	Typical circumstances	We aim to make contact
Urgent	Safety risk, equipment failure, hospital discharge, pressure injury risk, falls risk, or a plan about to end	Within 2 business days
High	Significant functional decline, a new diagnosis, an equipment review due, or transition support needed	Within 5 business days
Routine	Ongoing therapy, skill development, capacity building or general assessment	Within 10 business days

Priority is reviewed if circumstances change. If something becomes urgent while you are waiting, tell us.

When we accept a referral

We accept referrals where:

• The participant has an active NDIS plan with appropriate funding, or another funding pathway is in place
• The request is within the scope of occupational therapy practice
• We have clinicians with the relevant skills and experience
• The location is within our geographic coverage
• We have capacity to provide the service in a timely way
• There is no unmanageable conflict of interest

When we decline a referral

We would rather tell you early than take on work we cannot do well. We may decline where:

• The service sits outside the scope of occupational therapy
• No clinician has the required specialist expertise, for example particular paediatric skills, complex home modifications or driving assessment
• The location is outside our coverage area
• There is insufficient funding for the service requested
• There are safety risks that cannot be adequately managed
• There is an irreconcilable conflict of interest
• We cannot meet the person’s needs within a reasonable timeframe

If we decline, the participant and the referrer are notified in writing within 5 business days, with a clear and respectful explanation. We offer alternative provider options or referral pathways where we can, and the participant is advised of their right to seek services elsewhere.

Waitlists

Where we accept a referral but cannot start straight away:

• You are placed on the waitlist by priority, then by date of referral
• You are told your approximate position and expected wait
• We update you on your waitlist status at least monthly
• Your priority is reviewed if your circumstances change
• You are free to seek services from another provider while waiting, and we will say so plainly

Referring you elsewhere

We may refer you on to another provider where the service you need sits outside occupational therapy, where specialist expertise is required that we do not have, where you would benefit from additional allied health services, or where our capacity would delay you unreasonably.

Your consent is always obtained before we share any information for an outgoing referral, and we facilitate a warm handover where that is clinically appropriate.

No incentives or kickbacks

• We do not accept or provide financial incentives, commissions or kickbacks for referrals
• Referral decisions are based solely on your needs and clinical appropriateness
• Any potential conflict of interest is declared and managed
• You are free to choose any provider and will never be pressured into using a particular service

This page summarises the participant and referrer-facing parts of our Referral Management Policy (YCG-POL-019, Version 1.0, effective January 2025). A copy of the full policy document is available on request: call 1300 316 664 or email [email protected]. See also our Privacy Policy and Complaints Policy.