Start and coordinate supports
Waiting for an NDIS therapist: questions to ask and a referral tracker
When you are waiting for an OT, speech pathologist, physio or another therapist, first check what the provider has actually confirmed. Sending an enquiry, having a referral accepted, joining a waiting list and booking an appointment are different steps. Keep the latest answer, what is still missing and who will check next together.
Use the questions, tracker and message below on paper or in a private document, without a Kinovo account. They help organise enquiries across services. They do not show live availability, decide which therapy someone needs or guarantee an earlier appointment.
- For:
- Participants, chosen supporters, families and coordinators organising OT, speech pathology, physiotherapy or other allied-health enquiries
- Includes:
- Provider questions + copyable referral tracker + confirmation message + fictional examples
- Time:
- 13 minute read
Published 6 September 2026 · Updated 23 October 2026
Written by Callum Cruikshank — Founder of Kinovo
Callum draws on his family's lived experience of coordinating support. These resources offer practical coordination ideas, not clinical, legal or NDIS funding advice. No independent clinical review is claimed.
The NDIA's provider wait-list tip sheet is a useful starting point for questions about waiting and appointment offers. Providers' processes differ, so keep their actual answer in the record.
Copy a provider and referral tracker card
Use an entry for each service you are considering. Add the detail you need, mark unknowns and leave out fields that do not apply. Keep sensitive correspondence in an appropriate location rather than copying it into every card.
Provider / service or profession / intake contact / reference if supplied: ___
What the participant wants help exploring or arranging: ___
Chosen contact / preferred communication / what they may discuss or receive: ___
Enquiry or referral sent on / receipt confirmed by: ___
Current stage, using the provider's wording: ___
Latest confirmation - who said what, on which date: ___
Information still needed / person who agreed to arrange it: ___
Relevant correspondence location / permitted readers: ___
The wait and next check
Estimated wait / quoted by whom and when / service or stage it covers: ___
What is known about ongoing appointments after the first visit: ___
Provider's stated contact or check-in arrangements / if unknown, say so: ___
Next action / person asked / have they agreed to take it on: ___
When an answer is needed or requested, and why: ___
Any timing the provider actually agreed to: ___
Our next check date or trigger / person who agreed to check: ___
If no answer or information is missing, next enquiry or fallback agreed: ___
If an appointment is offered
Proposed date, location and format / response deadline if supplied: ___
Suitability, access, costs, funding or service questions still to check: ___
Participant's view / chosen help to consider or respond to the offer: ___
Response to offer and date: accepted / declined / another option requested: ___
If declining or asking for another option, what the provider says happens to this waitlist place: ___
Booking confirmed by whom and when / agreed appointment details: ___
Other enquiries to keep or close, as the participant chooses: ___
If closing this enquiry: withdrawal requested on / provider confirmation received or still outstanding: ___
Latest outcome, change and date: ___
Copy the card into a document you can edit, or use Print or save as PDF to print this page. An unanswered question can stay visible even when nobody has agreed to find the answer yet. Record a proposed next action as unconfirmed until someone accepts it.
Questions to ask about the service and the wait
- Can this service help with the purpose of the referral?
- Explain the relevant need or goal in the participant's words. Ask whether the service works with their age group and circumstances, who would provide the support, and how to check relevant qualifications and professional registration or accreditation. A vacancy alone does not tell you whether a service is suitable.
- What is needed for intake or a referral?
- Ask whether a referral is needed, who can make it and which information the provider needs to decide the next step. Check its preferred submission method and how receipt will be confirmed. If a document is missing, ask whether intake can proceed while it is being arranged; record the answer rather than assuming it can.
- What would the first appointment lead to?
- Ask what any estimate covers: initial assessment, an ongoing service or a particular clinician or location. Check the likely gap between appointments and whether the frequency being considered is available. If a report is needed for a particular purpose or date, ask about that work and timing separately.
- Would the appointment arrangements work for the participant?
- Discuss location, access, travel, communication support and appointment preferences. Ask whether a cancellation offer or a different delivery format is available and suitable to consider. A short-notice slot or telehealth appointment is an option to discuss, not necessarily the right choice or a faster route.
- What would we be agreeing to pay for?
- Ask about assessment and ongoing session costs, reports, travel or other charges, cancellation terms and ending the service. Clarify what is being offered before agreeing to it, and check the relevant funding arrangements. Being accepted onto a list or having an NDIS plan is not a promise that every proposed cost is covered.
The NDIA explains how to find and choose a provider, including researching services and checking provider-registration rules for how your plan is managed. Professional registration or accreditation is different from being an NDIS-registered provider.
Its therapy supports guidance explains relevant professional qualifications and funding criteria. Ask the provider and your appropriate NDIS contact about your circumstances rather than treating this tracker as a funding check.
Use the NDIA's service-agreement guidance to discuss the service, charges and cancellation arrangements.
The NDIA wait-list tip sheet says there should be no charge simply to remain on a list or be contacted about staying on it. Ask what any proposed fee is for before agreeing.
Separate an enquiry, a waitlist place and a booking
These are suggested tracking labels, not official NDIS statuses or a sequence every service follows. Providers may combine stages or use different terms. Keep the provider's wording and dated confirmation alongside your label.
- Suggested stage
- Enquiry sent
- What has actually been confirmed
- A question was sent about the service. Acceptance has not been confirmed.
- Suggested stage
- More information requested
- What has actually been confirmed
- The provider needs an answer or document before it can confirm the next step. Record what is missing.
- Suggested stage
- Intake or referral accepted
- What has actually been confirmed
- The provider has confirmed acceptance. Check separately whether this includes a place on its waiting list.
- Suggested stage
- Waitlist place confirmed
- What has actually been confirmed
- The provider has explicitly confirmed the person is on the relevant list. Record which service or location, when and how.
- Suggested stage
- Appointment offered
- What has actually been confirmed
- An option has been offered. Record any response deadline and questions still to check; it may not yet be accepted.
- Suggested stage
- Booked
- What has actually been confirmed
- The participant or someone with relevant authority has accepted the offer, and the provider has confirmed the appointment details.
- Suggested stage
- Withdrawal requested
- What has actually been confirmed
- The participant wants this enquiry closed and the provider has been told. Confirmation is still outstanding.
- Suggested stage
- Closed
- What has actually been confirmed
- Record why it ended and any provider confirmation. If removal from a list is unconfirmed, keep that uncertainty visible.
| Suggested stage | What has actually been confirmed |
|---|---|
| Enquiry sent | A question was sent about the service. Acceptance has not been confirmed. |
| More information requested | The provider needs an answer or document before it can confirm the next step. Record what is missing. |
| Intake or referral accepted | The provider has confirmed acceptance. Check separately whether this includes a place on its waiting list. |
| Waitlist place confirmed | The provider has explicitly confirmed the person is on the relevant list. Record which service or location, when and how. |
| Appointment offered | An option has been offered. Record any response deadline and questions still to check; it may not yet be accepted. |
| Booked | The participant or someone with relevant authority has accepted the offer, and the provider has confirmed the appointment details. |
| Withdrawal requested | The participant wants this enquiry closed and the provider has been told. Confirmation is still outstanding. |
| Closed | Record why it ended and any provider confirmation. If removal from a list is unconfirmed, keep that uncertainty visible. |
An automatic 'we received your message' email may confirm only delivery. If its meaning is unclear, ask. A wait estimate is not a promised start date, and an initial assessment does not by itself confirm ongoing appointments.
Ask for confirmation of the next step
Use the provider's preferred contact method and ask about the gap that matters now. Adapt this wording; there is no need to repeat information it has already confirmed.
Copy this confirmation message
Hello [name or intake team],
I am [participant / person helping with the participant's agreement or relevant authority], checking the enquiry or referral sent on [date], reference [if supplied].
Could you confirm [the referral's current stage / whether a place on the relevant waitlist is confirmed / what information is still needed]?
If something is missing, please let us know what is required and the appropriate way to provide it. We need [answer or information] by [date and reason, if relevant]; please let us know what timing is possible.
Who should initiate the next contact, and how will an appointment offer reach [agreed contact]? Please also let us know [any other question relevant now, such as what an estimate covers].
The agreed contact method is [method]. Thank you.
Use the identifiers the provider needs to locate the enquiry, through an appropriate channel. Ask which documents are relevant before sending them; a status request does not automatically need a full personal history or plan.
A fictional example: three enquiries, three different situations
Taylor is exploring an OT service. Taylor and their coordinator have contacted the following made-up providers and agreed who will manage each reply. These examples show different next steps, not a recommended number of enquiries or services.
What each provider has confirmed
- Harbour OT: waitlist place confirmed
- An intake email dated 2 September confirms the place. The provider will phone Taylor about an offer and asks to be told if contact details change. Taylor chooses their preferred contact arrangements; the coordinator agrees to record them. The quoted wait remains an estimate. A new question or changed circumstances can prompt another check.
- Parkside OT: more information requested
- The provider needs the referral's purpose clarified and has not confirmed a waitlist place. The coordinator agrees to check the question with Taylor and the referrer, then send the relevant answer through the agreed channel. Their own reminder records when they will check progress; it does not claim the provider promised a reply by that date.
- Westview OT: appointment offered
- An offer has arrived. Taylor wants to check the time and service details before deciding. The coordinator agrees to clarify the stated response deadline and whether another option is available if needed. The record stays appointment offered until Taylor accepts, with chosen support, and the provider confirms the booking.
The providers and circumstances are fictional. No service, availability, clinical suitability or funding is established by the example. The useful record is the answer actually received, the remaining question and the next action someone agreed to take.
Set a useful next check
Keep the provider's stated contact arrangements separate from your own reminder. An internal check can help you review what is outstanding even when the provider has not agreed to a response date. Label it as your team's check, not a deadline or promise on the provider's behalf.
After a call, record who you spoke to, the date, the answer and what remains uncertain. Note any action or timing the provider actually agreed to. Ask each person doing follow-up to accept their part; the participant or family need not make every call or maintain every record.
- No reply: check that the enquiry reached the right intake contact, then use the service's stated follow-up or fallback contact. Agree who will make the next enquiry. Referral acceptance or a waitlist place stays unconfirmed until the provider confirms it.
- An old or vague estimate: ask what it referred to, whether it is still useful and how updates will be communicated. Record 'no current estimate' where that is the actual answer.
- No one can take on the follow-up: keep that gap visible and discuss another person, a different scope or help from an appropriate service. Leave the follow-up unassigned until someone agrees.
- Little time for admin: prioritise questions affecting access, a needed decision or a response deadline. Group routine questions into the provider's preferred contact method and share the answer with agreed readers so several supporters do not repeat the same call.
For more follow-up wording, use how support coordinators can reduce repeated chasing. If you do not have a coordinator, the guide below can help you identify useful contacts without taking every task on yourself.
When needs, offers or plans change
If health, support needs or the effect of waiting changes, contact the relevant clinician, referrer or GP for advice and tell the provider through its appropriate channel. Ask how it handles changed information and whether a referral needs updating. The provider decides its assessment and intake process; updating a tracker does not arrange clinical review or change priority.
This tracker is not monitored for urgent concerns. For a medical emergency, call 000; Healthdirect explains when to use emergency services. Seek appropriate health advice rather than waiting for a routine intake reply when there is a new health concern.
If the wait or offered arrangement does not work for the participant, ask the relevant professional about appropriate options. You might explore another provider or a different service format, but check suitability, access, availability and costs before committing. An alternative is not automatically equivalent therapy or NDIS-funded.
The NDIA's provider-choice guidance explains ways to seek help exploring services, including through your NDIS contact, coordinator or recovery coach. A provider's first appointment and the ongoing service should be checked separately.
When an offer arrives, discuss its details and any response deadline in the participant's preferred way. If more time or another option is needed, ask what is possible rather than assuming the slot will be held. A chosen supporter can help consider the offer; check the scope of any representative's authority instead of treating a family relationship or software role as permission to decide.
After an offer is accepted and the booking is confirmed, ask which other enquiries the participant wants to keep or close. Tell the relevant providers; lists do not necessarily update each other. Record withdrawal requested separately from confirmed closure if no reply has arrived.
Once an OT appointment is arranged, use what to send your new OT before the first appointment. The plan-approved checklist below covers wider setup after a new NDIS plan.
Once advice about equipment is being arranged, track the relevant assessments and quotes with the assistive technology request organiser.
Official guidance checked for this resource
Sources checked on 23 October 2026. The tracker, labels, wording and fictional examples are practical coordination aids, not prescribed NDIS forms, clinical triage or an independent professional review.
Keep provider replies and agreed follow-ups together
Create a Kinovo account to keep enquiry updates, accepted follow-up tasks, related messages and relevant permitted documents together with your invited care team. Ask contributors to update their part and check record audiences before sharing. Providers still confirm referrals, waitlist places and bookings; Team leader software permissions do not create consent or authority to decide for the participant.
You can keep using this resource without an account. Set up or join a care team when you are ready.
FAQ
Does sending a referral mean I am on the therapist's waiting list?
Not necessarily. A receipt, accepted referral and confirmed waitlist place can mean different things. Ask the provider what it has confirmed, which service or location the list covers and whether anything is still needed. Keep its dated answer rather than relying on the label alone.
How long will I wait for an NDIS therapist?
The provider is best placed to explain its current estimate. Ask what it refers to and when it was last checked. Timing can change, and an assessment estimate does not necessarily describe the wait for continuing appointments. Keep an estimate labelled as an estimate.
Do I need a GP referral?
Ask the service what its intake process requires, who can refer and whether any particular documents are needed. Requirements can depend on the service and pathway. Having an NDIS plan does not itself tell you what that provider needs to accept an enquiry or arrange an appointment.
Can I explore another provider while waiting?
Ask the services about their arrangements and check any agreement already made. Explore options with the participant and relevant advice about suitability and funding. Keep each enquiry's status clear, and tell providers when the participant wants an enquiry withdrawn rather than assuming lists update each other.
Does a first appointment guarantee ongoing therapy?
Check this separately. Ask what the appointment is for and whether an ongoing service, frequency or clinician is available. A confirmed assessment or one-off appointment does not itself confirm continuing sessions, a report delivery date or funding for later work.
What if the provider never replies?
Check the correct intake contact and use its stated follow-up or fallback process. Record what remains unknown and who has agreed to check next. Discuss the effect of the delay and whether to explore another service. New health concerns need appropriate health advice rather than waiting for an intake reply.
What if the offered appointment does not suit?
Ask about another time, format or option and what that would mean for the offer or waiting-list place. Confirm any response deadline. The participant can consider the option with chosen support; the tracker cannot guarantee that a slot will be held or a different arrangement offered.
Do I need a Kinovo account to use the referral tracker?
No. Copy it into a document, use it on paper or print this page. A Kinovo account is optional if invited care-team members want a shared place for updates and agreed follow-up. Kinovo does not provide a live waitlist feed or submit referrals to providers.
Disclaimer
General coordination information, not individual clinical, privacy, legal or NDIS funding advice. Providers confirm their intake, availability and appointments; the relevant professional, participant decision and Agency processes still apply. Use the appropriate health service for new or urgent health concerns.