Hope Disability Support staff is often asked to explain the NDIS's various components. This article will focus on Support Coordination within the NDIS. We'll be discussing what Support Coordinators do and who they are.
NDIS participants can use support coordination to help them implement the NDIS plans, including funded and informal supports.
Support coordination may be included in your NDIS plan as part of the to help with choice and control. There are three types:
The number of hours spent on Support Coordination each year will vary according to the individual's needs. While some people might receive 50 to 100 hours (up to two hours per week), others may be able to access more hours. The NDIA spends around 3 to 4 percent of its total NDIS expenditure on support coordination.
Nearly 4 out of 10 participants have support coordination included in the NDIS Plan. This number can vary depending on your age (younger children get less) or which state or territory you reside in. 35% of participants in NSW get support coordination, while 31% receive it in Queensland, 42%, and 46% respectively in South Australia.
People who are most likely to be eligible for support coordination under their NDIS plan include:
Participants who are classified as super-intensive or intensive during pre-planning get Coordination of Supports, and/or Specialist Help Coordination. A provider can deliver Coordination of Services and/or Specialist Help Coordination while being a participant's service provider. However, they must manage conflicts of interest.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme has approximately 1,500 registered Support Coordinator organizations. Many of these organizations are service providers.
A participant can get support from a coordinator to:
As people gain more control over their access to services and support, it is likely that the NDIA will reduce its support for Support Coordination.
Like the LACs support coordinators are very busy! This is why Support Coordinators are not able to do certain things. Support Coordinators do not:
The legislation for NDIS contains rules regarding how Support Coordination should work.
To include Support Coordination in your plan, you will first need to contact your Local Area Coordinator or NDIA Planner. Support coordination is not available to everyone.
The answers to your initial access request and those you share with the LAC during the discussion will determine whether or not you are eligible for Support Coordination. It is also important to consider your level of functioning as well as the complexity of the issues.`
After your NDIS plan has been approved and Support Coordination is included, the NDIA planner will request that your preferred Support Coordinator organizations be contacted. These organizations will receive information about your plan, as well as details on the support they will need. Although they do not have to agree that you will receive Support Coordination, if they do, then a handover of the plan is made between the planners and support coordinators.
After you have signed up for Support Coordination, it is important to understand what you can expect of your Support Coordinator. They should: