What Is NDIS?
NDIS stands for National Disability Insurance Scheme. It is a disability program started by the Australian government to help people living with any significant or permanent impairment. It provides them with all the necessary support to make independent living accessible for them. This program was legislated in 2013 and went into full operation in the year 2020. Over the years, NDIS has made independent living more achievable for thousands of Australians, and it continues to grow with more people getting interested in this disability program.
What Is NDIS Support Coordination?
NDIS provides a wide range of support services to its participants, and as new participants, you might have a hard time understanding this program and your NDIS plan. A support coordinator is a person that is responsible for ensuring that you understand your NDIS plan well and make the most of it. Your support coordinator makes it easier for you to work with service providers and support workers and helps you understand your NDIS to its full potential. Following are the duties of a support coordinator.
- Understand your NDIS plan
- Connect with service providers
- Access services
- Work with creativity
- Help you build independence
Why Is Support Coordination Important?
A good support coordinator has connections with various service providers, which allows you the option to choose the best from them. If you don’t have someone who can help you get the right service provider and understand the NDIS plan, getting support coordination in your NDIS plan might be the best option for you. Having multiple options make decision-making more efficient as you can analyse each service provider and judge them on the basis of different factors. Hence, support coordination is an important part of NDIS, and it makes understanding the plan easier.
How Can I Get Support Coordination?
While NDIS offers a wide range of support to all the participants, it is not possible for everyone to get all the support. NDIS has guidelines that only allow them to fund the support only after analysing the participant’s condition. If you request something unrelated to your health or goals, NDIS won’t fund it. Similarly, to get support coordination in your NDIS plan, you will need to prove that this support is reasonable and necessary for your condition.
A participant is eligible for support coordination when they don’t have anyone who can help them understand their NDIS plan and connect them with a service provider. If you have someone in your family or friends who can take up the task, there’s a high chance that NDIS won’t fund this support for you. If you still think support coordination is the right support for you, you can request this support in your next plan meeting. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will then assess your situation, and if it deems this support necessary for you, you will be able to add this to your plan for the next 12 months.
If you want to know anything else related to NDIS support coordination or if you are looking for a professional service provider to help you achieve your NDIS goals, reach out to Personalised Support Services. They are registered service providers with expert support workers to help you live as independently as possible.
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