Frequently Asked Questions

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Support Coordination is an NDIS-funded service designed to help participants and their informal supports (such as family and carers) manage the services in their NDIS plan. It also connects participants to mainstream services when needed.

Support Coordinators are typically required to provide reports to the NDIS at intervals requested by the Agency. They also assist with the plan review process by preparing a Plan Review Report before your meeting. This report outlines the services that have been arranged, the outcomes achieved, and any barriers faced during the plan period. It also includes assessment reports to show progress and provides recommendations for future services. During the meeting, a Support Coordinator can assist participants and their representatives, and afterward, they serve as a point of contact for the NDIA to help ensure everything runs smoothly.

One of the goals of a Support Coordinator is to build Participants’ and family/carers’ capacity, skills and confidence to exercise choice and control over the management of their Plan. Support Coordination may not be funded in Participants plans forever, so a Support Coordinator may be increasingly supporting Participants and their informal supports to navigate engagement with services independently. This is done by ‘scaffolding’ their support. The experience should not be overwhelming or unsupported, on the contrary, it should be a positive experience with the Support Coordinator available as needed, while capacity is built. 

If your NDIS Plan doesn’t include Support Coordination, it means the NDIA determined that you or your informal supports (like family) can manage basic coordination tasks. A Local Area Coordinator (LAC) will be your main contact to help you navigate your plan and start your NDIS journey. If you disagree with the decision to exclude Support Coordination, you can discuss the review process with your LAC. For additional help, consider joining online support groups like those on Facebook to connect with others on the NDIS journey. 

If your plan’s goals don’t reflect your personal goals and aspirations, it’s important to address it. Your goals are about what you want to achieve, and NDIS funding is there to help you overcome disability-related barriers to pursue those goals. These supports may increase your independence and assist you in achieving what matters to you, with help from informal supports like family, friends, and community services.

It’s a good idea to discuss the language and relevance of your goals with your Support Coordinator. You can change your goals at any time by contacting the NDIA, as per section 47 of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. This can also be done during a review. If you need more information about this, feel free to ask Evolved Ways.

Keep in mind, setting a goal doesn’t guarantee funding for that specific goal. The NDIA funds supports that help you manage disability-related challenges, but they don’t necessarily fund the goal itself. For instance, if you want to go on holiday, the NDIA may fund supports to help you plan and budget but won’t cover the actual travel costs.

To get Behaviour Support included in an NDIS plan, the participant must show that it is reasonable and necessary to manage behaviours of concern that affect their everyday life. Here’s how to go about it:

1. Provide Evidence of Need: You will need documentation that highlights the participant's need for Behaviour Support. This can come from healthcare professionals, therapists, or support workers. If restrictive practices are being used, this must be clearly documented in reports and flagged with the NDIS. Participants requiring restrictive practices must have a Behaviour Support Practitioner involved, and all regulated restrictive practices must be overseen by approved providers.
2. Request a Plan Review: If Behaviour Support is not in the current plan, you can request a plan review or raise the need during your next plan review meeting. It’s important to present evidence that explains why Behaviour Support is necessary and how it will help the participant achieve their goals.
3. Consult a Behaviour Support Practitioner: A registered Behaviour Support Practitioner can complete an initial assessment and make recommendations. While this is ideal, it may not always be possible if time or funding is limited. In such cases, gathering other relevant evidence will be key.

If you need assistance, Evolved Ways or your Support Coordinator can help gather the necessary evidence and guide you through the review process.

There are three options to manage your NDIS funding (1) Self-managed, (2) Plan-managed and (3) NDIA-managed. Search ‘NDIS Ways to manage your funding’ for detailed information and videos on each of these options. You can discuss this with your NDIA Planner, LAC or a trusted person if you want to process the benefits/limitations of each option and to be more informed. You can also change how your Plan or parts of your Plan are managed at any time by calling the NDIA there are some exceptions where some supports must be provided by registered providers (e.g. Behaviour Support, SIL, SDA). The NDIA can discuss these with you if they apply. 

To access the NDIS, you must meet the age, citizenship and disability criteria set out in the NDIS Becoming a Participant Rules 2016. There are resources online that explains how a person can gain access to NDIS. The first step will be to process the information on NDIS website by searching 'NDIS how to apply' and 'NDIS Access to the NDIS – Overview'.  Speaking with your doctor is also a good first step as they will be needed to verify and provide information for your access request. If you are engaged with other health practitioners (e.g. occupational therapist, psychologist, paediatrician, physiotherapist, psychiatrist etc) you might consider letting them know your intentions to apply and ask if they can provide you with evidence for your application.   

Relevant legislation that your application will be assessed against is the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Becoming a Participant) Rules 2016, 

If you have any questions regarding access, you can speak with your Local Area Coordinator or contact Evolved Ways and we will help explain and guide the process.