Complex Manual Handling & Transfers on the NDIS: A Participant & Family Guide
Complex manual handling on the NDIS: transfer plans, hoists and slings, two-person transfers and trained workers — a plain-English family guide.
Moving safely — from bed to chair, chair to shower, or in and out of a car — is something many people need help with, and doing it the wrong way risks injury to both you and the person helping. The NDIS funds the equipment that makes transfers safe, the plan that tells workers how to do them, and workers trained to follow it. This guide explains what complex manual handling involves, how it's…
What "complex manual handling" means
The manual handling (transfer) plan
Hoists, slings and transfer equipment
When two people are needed
What the NDIS funds
Who can carry out transfers safely
Finding workers trained in safe transfers and hoist use
Where this sits in the bigger picture
Frequently asked questions
What makes manual handling "complex" on the NDIS?
Manual handling becomes complex when moving you safely needs equipment like a hoist, a specific technique, or more than one worker — for example transferring from bed to chair, or into a shower or car. Because getting it wrong can injure you or your worker, it's guided by a written transfer plan and…
Who writes a manual handling or transfer plan?
A manual handling (transfer) plan is written by an occupational therapist or physiotherapist who assesses how you move, your equipment and your home. It sets out step by step how each transfer should be done, what equipment to use, and whether one or two workers are needed. Workers are trained to…
When are two workers needed for a transfer?
Two workers (2:1 support) are needed when a transfer can't be done safely by one person — for instance because of your size, muscle tone, or the complexity of the move. Your OT or physiotherapist decides this in the transfer plan, based on safety, and that evidence supports funding two workers for…
Does the NDIS pay for the hoist and slings, or just the workers?
Both, but from different parts of your plan. The hoist, slings and transfer equipment are funded as assistive technology from your Capital budget after an assessment, while the trained worker time to carry out transfers comes from your Core budget. The equipment and the trained workers go together —…
Can any support worker use a hoist with me?
No — a worker should be trained and assessed as competent in your specific transfers and your equipment before helping you, following your transfer plan. Hoisting is a genuine skill, and an untrained worker puts you both at risk. It's reasonable to ask what manual handling training a worker has done…
Related guides
- Safe Transfers at Home: What a Good Manual Handling Plan Looks Like
- How to Get 2:1 Support Funded Without Draining Your Budget
- How the NDIS Funds 24/7 Care at Home
- How the NDIS Funds Hoists, Slings & Transfer Equipment
- How the NDIS Works With Palliative Care & Health Services
- How the NDIS Funds Personal Care & Self-Care Supports