One of the major cornerstones of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is to provide people with disability choice and control over how they live their lives. This includes the flexibility to choose the services and supports you need and decide when and how you want them delivered.
If you need assistance with making informed choices about how to best utilise your NDIS funding then you can ask for Support Coordination to be included in your NDIS plan.
Support Coordination is an NDIS funded service that helps people with disability and their carers navigate the NDIS and connect with relevant services in their local area.
“Support coordination is an empowering, creative and supportive function that highlights the strengths of the participant and enables them to practice self-agency to get the most out of their plan and in a broader sense, control over their life choices.”
There are 3 types of Support Coordination:
1. Support Connection
This service helps you to build your capacity to source and coordinate providers and services that fit within your NDIS plan. It is often short term as the aim is to assist you so you can manage your own service coordination.
2. Coordination of Supports
This service is for NDIS Participants who may have more complex needs and plans to coordinate. Providers offering this service have experienced staff called Support Coordinators who assist to strengthen your ability to develop your network, connect with services and participate in community.
3. Specialist Support Coordination
This type of support is funding by the NDIS in rare circumstances and can only be delivered by qualified practitioner such as an Occupational Therapist, Psychologist or Social Worker. This service aims to address and reduce complex barriers to the implementation of your NDIS plan.
The role of NDIS Support Coordinators
Support Coordinators are experts at supporting people with disability and their carers to understand and activate their NDIS plan. They assist in finding service providers in your local area that suit your needs and help you to truly exercise choice and control with your NDIS funding. They also help participants to tap into local community resources and activities to boost social and community connection.
Benefits of NDIS Support Coordination
- Support to connect with services
- Support to connect with community and peer groups
- Building capacity to understand and navigate the NDIS
- Support to maximise the potential of your NDIS funding
- Support to resolve conflict and barriers to services
- Support to strengthen your informal support network
How to access Support Coordination
1. At your next planning meeting with your NDIA Planner Local Area Coordination ask about your eligibility for Support Coordination and what level of support can be built into your NDIS plan
2. Once you have funding approved for Support Coordination you are given a registration form where you can choose a provider to deliver the support coordination service
3. The provider will then meet with you to create a service level agreement, an NDIS service booking will be completed and your Support Coordinator will organise future ongoing appointments to get your plan activated
Ability Options have been supporting people living with disability for over 40 years. We treat you as an individual, tailoring our supports to suit your unique needs and goals. As a Registered NDIS Service Provider you can be assured that we provide the highest standard of professional and ethical service.
