For anybody participating in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), it is crucial to realise that there is a wide variety of support out there to ensure you or your loved ones live the life they want. The NDIS provides various funding to enable support you or your loved one has based on their disability. If you are a participant in the NDIS, you can receive disability support coordination, which assists people in getting the most out of their funds. If you or your loved ones need extra support, NDIS support coordination can bridge the gap between support and the help needed to live fuller lives. Let’s show you everything you need to know about disability support coordination, and how you or your loved one can benefit.
What Is NDIS Support Coordination?
NDIS support coordination is a type of support funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Its purpose is to guarantee individuals taking part in the scheme receive the best advice on how they can use their funds best. There is a variety of support available to people who participate in the NDIS. Therefore, additional support and assistance may be needed on occasion to ensure the funds are being spent wisely, which is where a support coordinator comes in. After a plan has been approved, and the funding paid, individuals work with the support coordinator to identify the best ways to spend the funds and connect with the chosen registered NDIS providers.
The Goals of NDIS Support Coordination
Having an NDIS support coordinator work with you can provide many benefits, but the individual receiving NDIS support coordination needs to work towards specific goals. General goals of NDIS support coordination could include:
- Ensuring participants have full control of the decisions they make with the funds.
- Making sure participants understand the system setup for the NDIS.
- Facilitating a conversation so the individual understands the best ways to use their NDIS funds.
- Helping individuals determine which types of supports suit them.
What Is a Support Coordinator?
When you are due to receive NDIS support coordination, you can choose a support coordinator to help you through every step. A support coordinator is someone who will assist you or your loved one in understanding what the funds can be used for. A support coordinator will put you in contact with providers who can implement the types of support that you want in your plan. The support coordinator is the person that helps you every step of the way to resolve problems that occur with your NDIS plan. Consider them as your guidance throughout the NDIS process that you can rely on. Also, an NDIS support coordinator can also help with the following:
- Help you undertake specialist activities such as helping with plan reviews, looking at your goals, making decisions with your fans, and dealing with any issues.
- Help you with the NDIS portal.
- Make changes to service agreements and work with providers to guarantee the best outcome for you.
- Provide advice on NDIS housing options or life changes.
- Identify the appropriate budget for each area of support.
The Types of Support Coordination
Support coordination is broken down into a few different areas, including the following
Support Connection
This is a very primitive type of support coordination. This is why you don’t see it much in NDIS plans in the modern-day. This is defined as a level of support where some assistance may be required to start the plan, to link with providers, and monitor the progression of the plan.
Support Coordination
Support coordination is the main form of support included in NDIS plans. The overarching principle is to provide assistance to start the plan, monitor the plan, as well as providing active plan management and addressing any barriers. This can also include establishing different supports, reporting directly to the NDIA, designing approaches, as well as ensuring that the individual understands the entirety of the plan.
Specialist Support Coordination
Similar to support coordination, but demands a specialised framework arising from specific high-level risks or needs. It includes all of the activities outlined in support coordination with exceptions based on the individual.
How You and Your Loved Ones Can Benefit from Support Coordination
Disability support coordination comes with many different considerations. It is crucial to consider what you or your loved one needs to work towards, and find out the relevant services that can provide a framework, as well as the level of funding available. Support coordination can help you and your loved ones in many different ways, including the following:
Getting Your Individual Plan Started
The NDIS is focused on the individual needs of the participants. Individual plans work to provide funding and other welfare services, allowing the individual to live a healthy and independent life. Whether it is you or your loved one, the individual plan sets the specific goals, and this is where support coordinators can help. They also make sure that they take care of the paperwork to access NDIS funding without any administrative errors.
Work to Develop the Individual’s Skills
A support system is essential to help individuals achieve their goals. Whether it’s you or your loved one, a strong support team can help to achieve goals, making life more meaningful. A support coordinator is a key member of the team that works with you or your loved one to develop life skills to live the best life possible. Support coordinators are there to check to make sure that the plan is working to see that you are developing in the right way and at a comfortable pace.
Helps to Access Appropriate Housing
One of the most important aspects of a support coordinator is that they guarantee that you or your loved one a safe place to call home. Everybody is different, and some NDIS participants require support 24/7 in-home. Support coordinators are there to make sure that clients have a safe, comfortable, and stable home environment. Stable housing is of the utmost importance to everyone, and when it comes to you or your loved one, guaranteeing the appropriate housing for your needs is crucial.
Support to Access Mainstream Services
Support coordinators go beyond accessing NDIS funding. A support coordinator is there to make sure that you are able to get more out of life by finding and accessing the appropriate services for you or the needs of your loved one. Individuals need a great support system in order to achieve their goals. A support coordinator will help you get access to information about the best support options, support services, as well as other welfare information to ensure that you live your best life with a disability. They also provide support to parents and carers. A support coordinator should recognise the importance of a support system to help the individual achieve their goals but also provide carers and parents with training, so they can understand how to best help their loved ones achieve their NDIS goals.
Helps With Access to Assistive Technology
NDIS provides funding for assistive technology, including wheelchairs, hearing aids, bed rails, etc. Assistive technologies are considered a system that allows an individual to perform the tasks they would not normally be able to do or allow them to do it safely.
How a Support Coordinator Can Help You and Your Loved Ones
Anybody participating in the NDIS, regardless of their needs, can use support coordination to get the most out of their funding. A support coordinator is someone that can help to provide the bigger picture. A support coordinator is someone that doesn’t just connect you with NDIS service providers, or helps you make the most of your funding, but as you can see, a disability support coordinator is someone who can provide you with access to a significant number of resources and improve you or your loved one’s life.
The NDIS is a goals-based scheme, which aims to develop a high quality of life for each participant. Whether you or your loved one needs additional support, a support coordinator works on individual plans, allowing you the freedom to decide on the goals you wish to work on. They help to put the plan in place, and guarantee that it is done without any headaches or hassle on your part. Because dealing with the NDIS can be a minefield, not to mention overwhelming, a support coordinator is there to provide help at every step of the way.
Because an NDIS support coordinator can give you or your loved ones the ability to live a more fulfilling life, learning how to be a good support coordinator is a fine art. They are not just people who can provide you with some information, but they are engaged with you or your loved one every step of the way. A support coordinator is the important piece of the puzzle to help you or your loved one develop the necessary skills by accessing services, so they can live their best life, but also are an integral part of the support system that provides the support for you, your carers, families, and everyone in between.
