Purpose
Shift notes also known as progress notes, provide a factual record of the support delivered to a participant. They help demonstrate progress towards goals, support continuity of care, and meet NDIS and organisational compliance requirements.anisational compliance requirements.
Completing Shift Notes
All shifts require progress notes, completed as soon as possible after each shift and submitted by the end of the day. Shift notes are part of the participant’s official record and are essential for showing support provided, tracking progress, ensuring continuity of care, and meeting NDIS compliance.
When Should I Complete My Notes?
All shift notes should be completed immediately after each support. Avoid completing notes until the next day or accumulate them across multiple shifts. Where possible, choose one of the following options:
Complete notes directly after support. If you have another shift after, ensure all notes are completed by end of day.
Use the last 5–10 minutes of your support to finalise notes. Inform the participant/family first, as not all may agree to you completing notes while on support.
What Information Should Be Included?
Shift notes should include only relevant information about the support provided and anything another worker may need to know. Examples include:
Activities completed
Participant engagement and response
Progress towards goals
Health, wellbeing and safety observations
Behavioural or emotional regulation observations
Risks identified during the shift
Changes in support needs
Significant events that may impact future supports
Avoid including personal opinions, assumptions or information that is not relevant to the participant's support.
General Rules
DO ✔
Be objective and factual
Describe what happened
Record support provided
Link activities to participant goals where possible
Include relevant health, wellbeing and safety information
Use professional language
Be specific
DO NOT ✘
Write opinions or assumptions
Use judgemental language
Copy and paste previous shift notes
Use vague statements such as "Had a good day"
Include personal opinions about participants, families or staff