Staff Ratio Planner
- 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 or custom
- FTE at 38 hours (NES)
- Free, no sign-up
Workers needed
at 30 hours a week each, or 10.05 FTE at 38 hours
Staffing ratios only. This does not apply NDIS pricing for shared or group supports.
From a ratio to a roster
A staffing ratio says how many workers must be with a group of participants at once. Turning that into a roster takes four steps, and this planner does each one for you.
- Workers on shift. Participants are split into groups of the ratio size, rounded up, and each group gets its workers.
- Worker-hours. Workers on shift multiplied by the hours of support each day and the days each week.
- Shifts. Each day of support is cut into shifts of your typical length. If it doesn’t divide evenly, the planner shows the shorter final shift.
- People. Hours divided by 38 gives FTE; hours divided by your average contracted hours gives the headcount.
Plan for time away
A roster that exactly matches your contracted hours has nobody to cover leave, sickness or training. Turn on the allowance and enter the share of time your workers are typically away. It is your own figure, not a regulated one.
What it doesn’t cover
The planner does not price anything or apply NDIS rules for shared supports, and it does not check award rules such as minimum engagements, breaks between shifts or overtime. Use the SCHADS Pay Rate Calculator for pay rates. Rostery checks qualifications, availability and weekly hours as each shift is rostered.
Further reading
- SIL Provider Operations: A Complete Operational GuideA practical guide to running an NDIS SIL house: roster of care, staffing ratios, shared supports, Practice Standards and the daily systems that keep it compliant.
- NDIS Rostering Best Practices to Cut No-ShowsNo-shows and short-notice cancellations are expensive - a missed one-hour visit can still cost two hours of SCHADS wages. Here are practical NDIS rostering best practices to cut no-shows, plus how to claim short-notice cancellations correctly when they happen.
- NDIS Worker Screening Check in Every State and Territory (2026 Guide)Who needs an NDIS Worker Screening Check, how to apply in each state and territory, what it costs, whether you can start work while you wait, and how renewal works.
What this tool follows
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Hours of work: under the National Employment Standards a full-time employee works a maximum of 38 hours a week, plus reasonable additional hours; used as 1.0 FTE
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Annual leave: 4 weeks a year for full-time and part-time employees, more for shiftworkers where their award provides it
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Paid sick and carer’s leave: 10 days a year for full-time employees, pro-rata for part-time
- Fair Work Ombudsman: National Employment Standards
General information only, not financial, legal or claiming advice. Always check a claim against the current official documents.
Questions people ask
What does a 1:3 ratio mean here?
One worker for every three participants supported together. 2:1 means two workers with one participant. The planner rounds groups up, so seven participants at 1:3 need three workers on shift, because the last group of one still needs its own worker.
Is this the NDIS ratio for shared supports?
No. These are staffing ratios for planning a roster. How shared and group supports are priced and claimed is set by the NDIS Pricing Schedule, and this planner does not apply those rules. Look up the items you claim in the NDIS Price Guide.
What is FTE?
Full-time equivalent: total contracted hours divided by 38, the maximum weekly hours for a full-time employee under the National Employment Standards (before reasonable additional hours). 76 hours of work a week is 2.0 FTE, whether that is two full-timers or four people on 19 hours.
How much should I allow for leave and absence?
There is no official figure; use your own leave and absence history. As a guide, the National Employment Standards give a full-time employee 4 weeks of annual leave and 10 days of paid sick and carer’s leave a year, which is 30 of about 260 working days, or roughly 11.5%. Shiftworkers may get an extra week of annual leave under their award.
Why does the allowance add more than the percentage?
If workers are away 12% of the time, their contracted hours must cover the roster with only 88% of that time. The planner divides rostered hours by 0.88, which adds about 13.6%, rather than adding a flat 12%.
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