Core Setup
Prepare client records before roster and billing work.
Client setup supports service delivery context, site relationships, service agreements, documents, billing readiness, and invoice drafting.
Watch the walkthrough
Prefer to see it done? The short video below walks through the same steps in the live product.
Before you begin
Before creating a client profile, make sure you have the following information ready:
- Participant contact details
- NDIS number
- Provider client reference (if applicable)
- Representative or guardian details
- Emergency contact information
- Plan management and billing details
- Service agreement information
- The rostering model for this client: a linked site/house, or their own standalone/community roster
Recommended setup order
For the best experience, we recommend creating a client in the following order.
1 Open Clients and start a new client record
From the left navigation, open Clients. Select Add client in the top-right corner to open the client creation form.
2 Enter the client's core profile details
Complete the Basic Details section. Use the information exactly as it appears in the client's records where possible:
- First name and last name
- Preferred name, if the client uses one
- Date of birth and gender
- NDIS number
- Status, normally Active for a new current client
- Internal client reference (optional; BondiByte can generate a reference when one is not supplied)
A client photo is optional. After the client is created, the photo can be added or changed from the top of the client profile.
3 Add contact, address and service-delivery information
Continue through the form and capture the details your team needs to safely contact the client and deliver services:
- Contact details, including email, phone and mobile where applicable
- Preferred contact method and preferred contact time, where known
- Residential address
- Service delivery address, if services are delivered somewhere different from the residential address
- Living arrangement
- Communication notes or contact restrictions that operational staff should know
4 Choose the correct rostering model
A client can be rostered through a normal site/house, or they can have their own standalone/community roster area. The two models are mutually exclusive.
When standalone/community rostering is enabled, the client appears in the Rostering Site/Client selector just like other roster areas.
Important: if the client is already assigned to a physical site, remove that active site assignment before enabling standalone/community rostering.
5 Add representative, emergency, plan and support details
Record the people and plan details that support the client:
- Guardian / Representative: representative type, name, relationship, phone, email and address
- Representative permissions: whether the representative can sign service agreements, make service decisions and receive client information, where applicable
- Emergency contact: the person your team should contact in an emergency
- Plan & Support Contacts: plan management arrangement and relevant plan manager, support coordinator, LAC or NDIS plan reference details
6 Create the client and review the profile
When complete, select Create client. Open the new record from the Clients list.
The Overview page shows profile details, contact and address information, rostering setup, representative details and plan/support contacts. Additional tabs provide Billing Details, Service Agreements, Documentation, Reports, Sites and History.
If the client will be invoiced through BondiByte, review Billing Details after creation and make sure the billing recipient information is correct.
7 Change standalone/community rostering later
The rostering model can be changed after creation from the client profile:
- Open the client profile and locate Rostering setup on the Overview page.
- If linked to a site/house, remove the active site assignment first.
- Enable standalone/community rostering and save. The client becomes their own roster area.
- To move back to site-based rostering, turn standalone/community rostering off, save, then assign the client to the required site/house.
Understanding client profile fields
NDIS Number
The participant's unique NDIS identifier used throughout the platform for participant records and billing.
Provider Client Reference
Your organisation's internal reference or identification number for the participant.
Representative
A person authorised to support or act on behalf of the participant, such as a guardian, nominee, family member, support coordinator or advocate.
Plan Management Type
The participant's funding arrangement used for billing and invoice preparation. Examples: Self Managed, NDIA Managed, Plan Managed.
Linked Site
The service location associated with the participant for accommodation, service delivery or rostering purposes. A client uses either a linked site or standalone/community rostering, never both at once.
Standalone/community rostering
Gives the client their own roster area, shown in the Rostering Site/Client selector under the client's name. Use it when the client receives support outside a site or house and needs their own roster.
Billing Context
The billing contact, payment information and plan management details used when preparing participant invoices and managing funding.
Best practice
- Complete plan management and billing information before generating invoices.
- Record communication preferences so every team member understands the participant's preferred contact method.
- Choose the rostering model deliberately: site-based for supported accommodation, standalone/community for clients with their own roster.
- Upload service agreements and supporting documentation as part of the onboarding process.
- After creation, run a quick validation check: name, date of birth, NDIS number and status are correct, addresses are complete, representative and emergency details are recorded, and the client appears in the expected site or roster area.
- Keeping client setup accurate at creation time reduces later rostering, invoicing and communication errors.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Creating invoices before billing details and payment contacts have been configured.
- Leaving representative roles or permissions unclear.
- Enabling standalone/community rostering while an active site assignment still exists. Remove the site assignment first.
- Forgetting to link participants to the correct site before creating site-based rosters.
- Scheduling supports before a Service Agreement has been prepared.
- Uploading incomplete participant documentation that may impact billing or compliance.
Take this guide with you
Download the Client Setup Guide (PDF) A printable version of this guide with the same steps and screenshots.What to do next
Related guides
Sites
Understand sites: houses, accommodation areas, service locations, logical standalone client sites, staffing rules, staff links, site capability requirements, clock-in settings, and rostering relationships.
Audit, Documents, and EvidenceDocuments
Upload and manage documents linked to staff, clients, sites, or organisation areas: document types, expiry dates, renewal reminders, compliance checks, certificates and licences, and audit evidence readiness.
Timesheets and InvoicingInvoicing
Prepare billing context and service agreements, generate and review invoice drafts, download PDFs, and run the invoice email and remittance workflow.
Need help applying this setup path?
Book a BondiByte demo and we can walk through the right setup order for your provider.