Key Takeaways
- NDIS High Intensity Support Skills Training is a mandatory requirement for any worker delivering High Intensity Daily Personal Activities (HIDPAs) to NDIS participants in Queensland and across Australia.
- The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission requires workers to be formally assessed as competent in each specific HIDPA skill before delivering that support independently — general experience alone is not sufficient.
- First Aid Pro Gold Coast offers 9 fully compliant HISS modules covering everything from Complex Bowel Care and Dysphagia Support to Tracheostomy, Ventilator, and Epilepsy and Seizure Support.
- Training is available in flexible formats — public courses, private group sessions, and onsite at your Gold Coast workplace — making it accessible for individual workers and NDIS provider organisations alike.
- Investing in HISS training benefits everyone: participants receive safer, more dignified care; workers gain confidence and career progression; and providers strengthen their compliance standing with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
What Is NDIS High Intensity Support Skills Training?
NDIS High Intensity Support Skills Training (HISS Training) is a nationally recognised, competency-based program that prepares disability support workers, nurses, caregivers, NDIS providers, and healthcare professionals to safely deliver complex, high-risk personal care under Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme. In Queensland’s health, aged care, and disability sectors, workers who are qualified to support High Intensity Daily Personal Activities (HIDPAs) are in strong demand — and proper, accredited training is the cornerstone of that qualification.
First Aid Pro Gold Coast is a registered training organisation (RTO) delivering fully compliant, hands-on NDIS HISS training through public courses, private group sessions, and onsite training at your Gold Coast workplace. Our programs are tailored to meet NDIS Practice Standards and the recognised descriptors for complex care, empowering workers to deliver safer, more effective, and person-centred support to NDIS participants across Queensland.
➡ Enrol today and gain the qualifications to confidently deliver high intensity NDIS support. Book Your NDIS High Intensity Support Skills Training — First Aid Pro Gold Coast.
Understanding NDIS High Intensity Daily Personal Activities
Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, High Intensity Daily Personal Activities refer to the delivery of complex, high-risk supports that go well beyond standard personal care. These supports require workers who are not only trained but formally assessed for competency, and who operate within detailed support protocols tailored to each participant’s specific health needs, routines, and personal preferences.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission sets the regulatory framework governing these activities. NDIS registered providers must ensure that any worker delivering HIDPAs meets the requirements outlined in the NDIS Practice Standards, and that their training aligns with the recognised descriptors for complex care. Without this, providers risk non-compliance — and, more critically, risk harm to the people they support.
HIDPAs are distinct from standard daily personal activities because they carry a higher potential for adverse outcomes if performed incorrectly. They involve clinical techniques, specialised equipment, and a deep understanding of each individual participant’s condition and support plan.
Table 1: Standard Personal Activities vs High Intensity Daily Personal Activities
Feature | Standard Personal Activities | High Intensity Daily Personal Activities |
Skill Level | Certificate III/IV in Individual Support | Specialised HISS Training + Competency Assessment |
Clinical Risk | Low to moderate | Moderate to high |
Participant Need | General assistance with daily tasks | Complex health and medical support needs |
Regulatory Oversight | NDIS Practice Standards (core) | NDIS Practice Standards – Module 1: High Intensity Daily Personal Activities, guided by High Intensity Support Skills Descriptors |
Worker Assessment | General competency assessment | Assessed competency per specific HIDPA module |
Training Provider | Registered TAFE or RTO | Registered RTO — e.g. First Aid Pro Gold Coast |
Who Needs High Intensity Support Skills Training on the Gold Coast?
If you work in Queensland’s disability, aged care, or healthcare sector and provide direct support to NDIS participants with complex health needs, HISS training is essential. The following roles typically require HISS qualifications:
- Disability support workers employed by NDIS registered providers
- Nurses working in community or residential disability settings
- Support coordinators who oversee complex, high-risk support plans
- Allied health assistants performing delegated clinical tasks
- Aged care workers supporting NDIS co-funded participants
- In-home carers managing participants with significant medical support needs
- Healthcare professionals transitioning into the NDIS sector
The Gold Coast’s disability and aged care sector is one of Queensland’s fastest growing, driven by an expanding NDIS participant population, a shift toward community-based care, and a growing emphasis on person-centred support. For support workers in this environment, HISS training is no longer optional — it is a professional and regulatory expectation.
Whether you are employed by a large NDIS provider, operating as an independent support worker, or pivoting from another healthcare role, HISS training at First Aid Pro Gold Coast strengthens your professional profile and ensures you are fully meeting your duty of care obligations.
HISS Modules Offered by First Aid Pro Gold Coast
First Aid Pro Gold Coast offers a comprehensive suite of HISS training modules, each designed to align with NDIS Practice Standards and the recognised descriptors for complex care. All modules are delivered by experienced trainers with practical, hands-on learning components and formal competency assessment.
First Aid Pro Gold Coast HISS Training Modules
Module | Key Skills Covered | Suitable For |
Complex Bowel Care (incl. Ostomy, Stoma, Enema & Suppository Care) | Bowel management techniques, stoma and ostomy care, safe enema and suppository administration, hygiene and infection control | DSWs, nurses, carers |
Wound assessment, dressing selection and application, infection control, wound documentation and escalation | DSWs, nurses, allied health assistants | |
Safe swallowing strategies, texture-modified diet and fluid preparation, risk recognition, emergency response | DSWs, carers, nurses, aged care workers | |
PEG/NG tube management, feeding schedules, equipment checks, complication recognition and response | DSWs, nurses | |
Seizure classification, emergency response planning, medication administration protocols, post-seizure care | All NDIS support workers | |
Safe injection technique, insulin management, hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia response protocols | DSWs, nurses, carers | |
Tracheostomy care and cleaning, suctioning procedures, emergency airway management | Nurses, specialist DSWs | |
Catheter management and hygiene protocols, complication monitoring, safe insertion and removal procedures | Nurses, trained DSWs | |
Ventilator operation, circuit management, alarm response, emergency procedures for ventilator-dependent participants | Nurses, specialist DSWs | |
Why High Intensity Support Skills Training Matters
The NDIS is built on the principle that people with disability have the right to access supports that enable them to live the life they choose — safely and with dignity. For participants who require high intensity supports, the quality of care they receive can directly impact their health outcomes, their wellbeing, and in some cases, their safety.
Workers who are inadequately trained in complex clinical support tasks pose a genuine risk to participants. A support worker who does not understand how to respond to a seizure, manage a tracheostomy, or recognise signs of a deteriorating wound is not equipped to safely support a participant with those needs — regardless of their general care experience.
For NDIS providers, ensuring that workers hold current HISS competencies is also a compliance obligation. Providers registered under the NDIS Practice Standards are audited on their ability to demonstrate that the workforce delivering HIDPAs is properly qualified. Non-compliance can result in conditions being placed on registration, or registration being suspended entirely.
Beyond compliance, HISS training produces tangible benefits across the board:
- Participants receive safer, higher quality, and more consistent care
- Workers feel more confident and competent in complex support situations
- Providers reduce their risk exposure and strengthen their NDIS registration standing
- Outcomes improve across the organisation’s service delivery
- Workers are better positioned for career progression within the NDIS sector
NDIS Practice Standards and the Role of Registered Training Organisations
The NDIS Practice Standards provide the benchmark against which NDIS registered providers are assessed. Within those standards, specific modules address high intensity daily personal activities — outlining the expectations for how complex supports must be planned, delivered, monitored, and reviewed.
Key expectations under the NDIS Practice Standards for HIDPAs include:
- Workers must be trained by a suitably qualified professional for each specific HIDPA
- Training must address the participant’s individual support plan, not just general clinical procedures
- Workers must be assessed as competent before delivering high intensity supports independently
- Providers must have processes in place to maintain and verify worker competencies over time
- All supports must be delivered in accordance with relevant clinical guidelines and infection control protocols
As a registered training organisation, First Aid Pro Gold Coast ensures all training and assessment is delivered in full alignment with these standards. Learners receive documented evidence of their competency outcomes, which can be used to satisfy provider requirements during NDIS audits.
NDIS Practice Standards Relevant to HISS Training
NDIS Practice Standard Area | Relevance to HISS Training |
High Intensity Daily Personal Activities | Core training requirement for all workers delivering HIDPAs |
Worker Screening and Qualifications | Workers must hold relevant, verified HISS competencies for each activity |
Risk Management | HISS training addresses identification and mitigation of clinical risks in complex care |
Person-Centred Supports | Training emphasises tailoring supports to individual participant needs and preferences |
Incident Management | Workers are trained to recognise, respond to, and report adverse events correctly |
Compliance and Audit Readiness | RTO-delivered HISS training provides documented competency evidence for NDIS audits |
➡ Meet NDIS Practice Standards with confidence. Get trained by one of Queensland’s leading HISS training provider. Enrol in NDIS High Intensity Support Skills Training — First Aid Pro Gold Coast.
Person-Centred High Intensity Support: Beyond the Clinical Procedure
High intensity support is not simply a set of clinical procedures. At its core, it is about supporting a person — with their own identity, history, goals, and preferences — to live well and safely. First Aid Pro Gold Coast’s HISS training programs reflect this by embedding person-centred principles throughout every module.
Workers are trained not just in how to perform a clinical procedure, but in how to do so in a way that preserves the dignity, autonomy, and comfort of the participant. This means communicating clearly before, during, and after any high intensity support activity; recognising and responding to changes in a participant’s condition or preferences; and documenting and communicating with the participant’s support network in an accurate, respectful manner.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission places significant weight on person-centred approaches within its practice standards. Workers trained at First Aid Pro Gold Coast are equipped to demonstrate these values in both their day-to-day practice and during provider compliance activities.
Your Pathway to HISS Qualification — Step by Step
The journey to becoming a qualified high intensity support worker follows a clear, structured pathway:
- Identify the HIDPA modules relevant to your role and the participants you support
- Confirm your training provider is a registered training organisation (RTO) delivering NDIS-compliant HISS training
- Enrol in the relevant modules — individually or as part of a group
- Complete the hands-on, practical training components with qualified trainers
- Undergo formal competency assessment for each module
- Receive your documented competency outcomes
- Present documentation to your NDIS provider as evidence of HISS qualification
- Participate in ongoing refresher training and competency verification as required by your provider
➡ Ready to advance your career and deliver safer, more effective NDIS care? Register for NDIS High Intensity Support Skills Training — First Aid Pro Gold Coast.
Knowledge Test: Check Your HISS Understanding
Select your answers, then click Check Answers.
Q1: What does HIDPA stand for in the NDIS context?
Q2: Which organisation sets the regulatory framework for NDIS High Intensity supports in Australia?
Q3: Which is NOT typically classified as a High Intensity Daily Personal Activity?
Q4: Before a worker can independently deliver a HIDPA, what must occur?
Q5: Which delivery option allows training at an NDIS provider's own facility?
References
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (2022). High Intensity Daily Personal Activities.
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (2023). NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators. Australian Government. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/providers/ndis-practice-standards
- National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) (2023). Supports Catalogue — High Intensity Daily Personal Activities. https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-arrangements
- Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government (2023). Disability Support Worker Development Fund — Training Guidelines. https://www.health.gov.au
- First Aid Pro Gold Coast (2024). NDIS High Intensity Support Training — Course Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is required to complete NDIS High Intensity Support Skills Training?
Any support worker, nurse, carer, or healthcare professional who delivers High Intensity Daily Personal Activities to NDIS participants is required to hold current HISS competencies for the specific supports they provide. NDIS registered providers are responsible for ensuring their workforce meets this requirement in line with the NDIS Practice Standards and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission requirements.
Do I need to complete all HISS modules, or just the ones relevant to my role?
You only need to complete the modules that are relevant to the specific HIDPAs you will be delivering. For example, a support worker whose clients require epilepsy support and complex wound care only needs to complete those two modules. First Aid Pro Gold Coast can help you identify the right modules based on your role and your participants’ support plans.
How long does each HISS module take to complete?
Duration varies depending on the complexity of the module. Some modules can be completed in a single day, while more complex modules such as Tracheostomy and Ventilator Support may require additional time to cover both theory and practical competency components. Contact First Aid Pro Gold Coast’s HISS Course Administrator on 0438 415 227 for current session durations and scheduling.
Is First Aid Pro Gold Coast a registered training organisation (RTO)?
Yes. First Aid Pro Gold Coast is a registered training organisation. This means our training and assessment is nationally recognised and aligned with the NDIS Practice Standards and NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission requirements. Workers who complete HISS training through First Aid Pro Gold Coast receive documented competency evidence that can be used to satisfy provider compliance and NDIS audit requirements.
Can First Aid Pro Gold Coast deliver training onsite at our NDIS facility?
Can First Aid Pro Gold Coast deliver training onsite at our NDIS facility?
Absolutely. First Aid Pro Gold Coast offers onsite HISS training at your Gold Coast workplace or care facility. Onsite delivery allows workers to practise skills in their actual care environment and enables trainers to tailor training to your specific participant cohort. This is a particularly popular option for residential providers and supported independent living services. Call 0438 415 227 or visit thefirstaidcoursegoldcoast.com.au to arrange an onsite session.
