Social Services Regulations

All service providers funded by the TAC to deliver a disability service for a client with disability in Victoria must comply with the requirements of the new Social Services Regulator that came into effect on 1 July 2024.

The new Social Services Regulator:

oversees strengthened protections for disability service users in Victoria
streamlines registration and reporting requirements for providers
establishes a consistent set of requirements for social service providers where they had previously been subject to different requirements under different laws
ensures social services providers meet standards to protect the rights of service users and prevent abuse or neglect in the delivery of social services.

The main parts of the scheme are:

Registration: All in-scope providers must register with the Regulator.
Social Services Standards: All registered providers must comply with the six Standards.
Notifications: All registered providers have requirements to notify the Regulator about certain things.

The scheme will be implemented in stages, with a focus on supporting service providers to be ready. For details, access information on the Social Services Regulation transition timeline.

Services in scope of the new scheme

To learn which services are in scope of the Social Services Regulator, visit the the services in scope webpage.

In-scope service providers must follow the transitional registration arrangements of the Social Services Regulator between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.

Social Services Regulator registration

Providers of social services in Victoria in scope of the new Social Services Regulator must:

register with the Social Services Regulator
meet the Social Services Standards when providing services they are registered for.

The purpose of registration is to make sure service providers demonstrate their suitability to provide safe services before they offer those services, with the aim of protecting service users and preventing harm. There is no cost for registration.

Service provider groups for registration

There are three different service provider groups for registration. The registration process and timeframes are different for each group.

Group 1

Includes TAC-funded providers registered with the Human Services Regulator – even for only one service or a part of their services:

These providers automatically transitioned to the Social Services Regulator on 1 July 2024.
They can continue to deliver disability services to TAC clients in Victoria.

Group 2

Includes providers not registered with the Human Services Regulator that meet all of the following (providers funded by DFFH only):

funded by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH)
currently operating
in scope of the new scheme.

Group 3

Includes TAC-funded providers that did not need to register with the Human Services Regulator:

Providers in this category that delivered TAC-funded disability services in Victoria will be invited by the Social Services Regulator to register between 1 April 2025 and 30 June 2025.
These providers can continue to deliver disability services for TAC clients in Victoria through to 30 June 2025.
If a TAC- funded provider wants to deliver a new in-scope disability service after 1 July 2024, they may need to register this to vary their registration with the Regulator. Providers must obtain confirmation from the TAC prior to submitting a registration. Contact us at sectors@tac.vic.gov.au
After 30 June 2025, if a provider has not applied for registration with the Social Services Regulator, they cannot deliver services to TAC clients with disability in Victoria.

For more information on how to register visit the Social Services Regulator webpage.


Social Services Regulations All service providers funded by the TAC to deliver a disability service for a client with disability in Victoria must comply with the requirements of the new Social Services Regulator that came into effect on 1 July 2024. The new Social Services Regulator: oversees strengthened protections for disability service users in Victoria streamlines registration and reporting requirements for providers establishes a consistent set of requirements for social service providers where they had previously been subject to different requirements under different laws ensures social services providers meet standards to protect the rights of service users and prevent abuse or neglect in the delivery of social services. The main parts of the scheme are: Registration: All in-scope providers must register with the Regulator. Social Services Standards: All registered providers must comply with the six Standards. Notifications: All registered providers have requirements to notify the Regulator about certain things. The scheme will be implemented in stages, with a focus on supporting service providers to be ready. For details, access information on the Social Services Regulation transition timeline. Services in scope of the new scheme To learn which services are in scope of the Social Services Regulator, visit the the services in scope webpage. In-scope service providers must follow the transitional registration arrangements of the Social Services Regulator between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025. Social Services Regulator registration Providers of social services in Victoria in scope of the new Social Services Regulator must: register with the Social Services Regulator meet the Social Services Standards when providing services they are registered for. The purpose of registration is to make sure service providers demonstrate their suitability to provide safe services before they offer those services, with the aim of protecting service users and preventing harm. There is no cost for registration. Service provider groups for registration There are three different service provider groups for registration. The registration process and timeframes are different for each group. Group 1 Includes TAC-funded providers registered with the Human Services Regulator – even for only one service or a part of their services: These providers automatically transitioned to the Social Services Regulator on 1 July 2024. They can continue to deliver disability services to TAC clients in Victoria. Group 2 Includes providers not registered with the Human Services Regulator that meet all of the following (providers funded by DFFH only): funded by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) currently operating in scope of the new scheme. Group 3 Includes TAC-funded providers that did not need to register with the Human Services Regulator: Providers in this category that delivered TAC-funded disability services in Victoria will be invited by the Social Services Regulator to register between 1 April 2025 and 30 June 2025. These providers can continue to deliver disability services for TAC clients in Victoria through to 30 June 2025. If a TAC- funded provider wants to deliver a new in-scope disability service after 1 July 2024, they may need to register this to vary their registration with the Regulator. Providers must obtain confirmation from the TAC prior to submitting a registration. Contact us at sectors@tac.vic.gov.au After 30 June 2025, if a provider has not applied for registration with the Social Services Regulator, they cannot deliver services to TAC clients with disability in Victoria. For more information on how to register visit the Social Services Regulator webpage.