Magistrates, judges and the Prisoners Review Board see a lot of letters from service providers. Most are a paragraph of good intentions. The ones that change outcomes are specific: an address, a roster, named supports, and someone who will answer the phone. This guide, written by a Perth NDIS provider that works with justice-involved participants, sets out what a court support letter from an NDIS provider should contain so that duty counsel, Legal Aid lawyers and private practitioners can ask for the right thing.
What the letter is for
The court or Board is deciding whether a person can be managed safely in the community. The letter’s job is to make the community arrangement concrete: where the person will live, who will be with them, what their week will look like, and what happens if something goes wrong. It supports the lawyer’s submission; it does not make it.
What it should contain
- Who the provider is. Registered NDIS provider, ABN, registration groups, a line about relevant experience with justice-involved participants, and the name and position of the person signing.
- The provider’s relationship with the participant. Current client, or a proposed arrangement following an assessment meeting on a stated date.
- The NDIS plan. That a plan exists, its dates, and which budgets fund the proposed supports: Home and Living for SIL, Core Supports for daily and community support, Capacity Building for transition support. If a plan is being sought, say so and where the access request is up to.
- The home. The address or, where it cannot yet be disclosed, the suburb and the type of arrangement: a Supported Independent Living home with 24-hour support, a single-person home with rostered support, or the family home with in-home support. Whether the address complies with any proposed residence or exclusion conditions.
- The roster. Hours of support each day, overnight arrangements, and whether a worker will be present at the times the court is most concerned about.
- Supports for compliance. Transport to and attendance at Community Corrections appointments, court dates, treatment and programs; medication support; support to understand and keep to conditions.
- The week. Planned activities, work or study, family contact, and the worker’s role in each.
- Risk and escalation. The risks the provider has identified, the measures in place (two-worker shifts, behaviour support plan, duty phone, incident reporting), and what the provider will do if conditions are breached.
- Information sharing. What the provider will share with Corrections or the court, under what consent or legal requirement.
- Contact. A phone number that is answered, and the name of the person who will answer it.
What to leave out
- Opinions on guilt, sentencing or the law. That is the lawyer’s domain.
- Clinical opinions the provider is not qualified to give. Refer to the treating practitioner’s report instead.
- Promises the provider cannot keep. A letter that offers 24-hour support that the plan does not fund will be exposed within weeks.
- Generic language about empowerment and holistic care. It signals that nothing specific is in place.
A note on timing
A provider can only write a credible letter about a person they have met and a plan they have read. For bail, that can be days. For parole or a sentencing hearing, the lawyer should involve a provider four to six weeks ahead, so the home and roster described in the letter are real by the hearing date. Our guide to leaving prison with an NDIS plan sets out the steps.
Need a letter for a hearing? Send the plan, the proposed conditions and the date, and we will tell you within one business day whether we can write it.
Send the details → or call 1300 360 955
Frequently asked questions
Can a provider write a letter for someone who is not yet a client?
Yes, as a proposed support arrangement, provided the provider has met the person or reviewed enough information to describe realistic supports. The letter should say clearly that it describes what would be delivered if the person is released and the plan funds it.
How quickly can a letter be produced?
Where the plan and the proposed conditions are available, within a few business days. Urgent bail matters can be faster if the provider has already met the person.
Does the letter need the NDIS plan attached?
Not usually. The letter should refer to the plan’s budgets and dates. Whether to attach the plan is a decision for the lawyer and the participant.
Should the letter mention risk?
Yes, briefly and honestly. A letter that pretends there is no risk is not believed. A letter that names the risks and the measures in place is.
This guide is general information from a registered NDIS provider in Perth, current at October 2026. It is not legal or financial advice. Check the current NDIS Operational Guidelines and talk to your support coordinator or planner about your own plan.
