There are three main budget groups in a NDIS Plan. Not everyone’s plan has all three, it depends on what disability support/equipment you may need. The Core Budget is the first and most common. This budget is the most flexible in it’s use. It is most used to pay for your disability support at home or in the community, the purchase of consumables, low-cost Assistive Technology (AT) and travel. The Capacity Building budget is the next. This budget is mostly used to pay for the allied health services. Services that help you to maintain your strength and protect against future loss of independence. This budget is used to pay for services such as Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Sports Exercise/Dietician, Psychology, and other clinical services of a similar kind.Your Support Coordination is also funded in this budget. If you don’t have Support Coordination funded in your plan but need a Support Coordinator, then give us a call to see how Yes Service may be able to assist. The Capital Budget is all about items to be purchased. This budget is used to pay for your disability support equipment. Items such as wheelchair, hoist, ramps special bed/mattress and many other kinds of Assistive Technology to aid you in overcoming the inherit constraints of your disability. This budget is also used to pay for car and house modifications and other accommodation related services.

If your disability support requirements increase, we need to notify the NDIS that you have had a Change in Circumstances, this may trigger a review of your plan to reconsider what your funding needs are. Your support coordinator can assist you with this. If you have not had a change in circumstances, then you may need to reconsider your plan budget with a view of aligning your support expenses with your available funding. Your support coordinator can assist you with this.

The NDIS does not cover general everyday living expenses that people without a disability would be expected to pay, such as rent/mortgage payments, groceries, cleaning products or theme park tickets.

Generally, the answer is No. When you engage a service to support you, your Support Coordinator can assist you to understand the terms of the Service Agreement between yourself and your service provider before they start supporting you. If there is any financial obligation to yourself it should be outlined in the service agreement up front.

No, your Support Coordinator role does not involve paying invoices on your behalf.

Each plan should reflect your assessed reasonable and necessary need. If you can provide a reasonable explanation to your NDIS Planner when your plan is reviewed about why your previous plan was underused, the Planner will be able to take this into account when assessing what support is anticipated to be Reasonable and Necessary in the next plan. For example, you may have been sick and in hospital for a large percentage of your previous plan. If this was the case it would be expected that your funding is not all used. In fact, it may be an inappropriate use of the funding if you have used all your funding. Every case should be considered on its individual merits.

Your plan funding may be able to pay for your disability supports when on holiday, but the NDIS will generally not pay for the travel, accommodation or site seeing (admission to attractions) for yourself or your support worker/s.

NDIS Support Coordinators assist a participant in building their skills to understand, implement and use their NDIS plan. A support coordinator helps with planning and the engagement of disability support providers. A NDIS Plan Manager does not assist with the setting up of supports, that is the role of the NDIS Support Coordinator. NDIS Plan Management services help with the financial administration of a NDIS plan. They pay your NDIS provider bills, keep a record of invoices and assist with funding questions.

Planning meetings can be conducted with a NDIS planner or a Local Area Coordinator (LAC). You can request a face-to-face meeting, over the phone or online (video conference). You can also choose someone to attend the NDIA meeting with you, like a family member, a friend or advocate (someone you trust).

Assistive Technology (AT) is equipment you need because it helps you do things that you normally can't do because of your disability. AT includes items that mean you need less help from others, are able to do things more safely/easily, allows you to do tasks independently and are personalised for you. AT does not include home equipment that everyone uses that isn't related to your disability (like a standard kettle), items for treatment or rehabilitation, changes to public spaces (like a footpath), changes to public vehicles such as buses/taxis or therapy tools used by therapists.

All NDIS supports must meet all the NDIS funding criteria. The NDIS will ask the questions: Does the AT relate to your disability? Is the AT right for you? Is the AT you need value for money? Is the AT funded or provided by someone else? The NDIS considers how your supports work together as a package to address your disability support needs and achieve an outcome. AT will be included in your plan based on the cost of the item and the evidence that supports the AT meeting the NDIS funding criteria. There are three main categories: Low cost AT: under $1,500 per item. These items are easy to set up/use and are available from local suppliers/non-disability specific retailers. These items come out of the Core-consumables section of the plan and examples can include continence products, non-slip bath mats, large print labels and basic shower chairs. Med cost AT: Between $1,500 and $15,000 per item. These items may be more difficult to set up on your own. These items come from the Capital section and is a broad category. Some examples are a standing hoist, customised shower chair, alternative communication devices, some power wheelchairs and pressure care mattresses. High cost AT: Over $15,000 per item. These items are complex and require individual assessment, specialised knowledge/tools for set up, may be custom made and generally require a quote is required. These items come from the Captial section and may say "quote required". Examples include custom-made wheelchairs, prosthetics and ventilators.

No, your Support Coordinator’s role is to “coordinate support” not approve it. You and/or your Plan Nominee direct how Plan funds are spent.

If you need more or different Assistive Technology (AT), we can check the funding in your plan first as you may be able to use your existing funding to buy what you need, plans can be flexible. If the Assistive Technology (AT) you require will cost less than $1,500 (Low cost AT), and you have a suitable recommendation from a relevant AT advisor (Allied Health professional) as being reasonable and necessary, then you may be able to use the funds in your plan from other budget areas such as Core or Capital. If the Assistive Technology (AT) you require will cost more than $1,500 (Mid/High cost AT) and it is not "stated", then an AT advisor will need to provide evidence with an appropriate report and submit a quote to the NDIA for approval. If the submission is approved, your plan will be reviewed and the funding will be added to your new plan so the AT can be purchased. If you're not able to use your existing funding in your plan and your circumstances have changed, a Support Coordinator can help you to ask, apply and prepare for a reassessment of your plan.

The NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) was launched by the Australian Federal Government in 2013. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is an independent agency who is responsible for rolling out the scheme Australia-wide. Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) and Local Area Coordination (LAC) supports the NDIA in the rollout of the NDIS. The NDIS has been designed to support people with permanent and significant disabilities to take part in everyday activities. ​ The NDIS provides funding based on need and gives choice and control over the supports received. This means you are not assessed on your disability alone; you are assessed on your particular circumstances and aspirations (goals). The support provided ensures you reach your particular goals that may include independence, involvement in your community, education, employment, health and wellbeing. The NDIS provides certainty that you will receive the support you require over your lifetime, giving you peace of mind. It also focuses on early intervention, at a time when getting early support can reduce the impact of disability.

The NDIS determines what is reasonable and necessary for each individual plan and when they decide about which supports would be reasonable and necessary, they refer to the operational guidelines that relates to each specific support. To be considered reasonable and necessary, a support must: be related to your NDIS approved disability. be an expense that is incurred because of your disability and not just an everyday expense. help you to achieve the goals outlined in your plan. be reasonably priced and the best vale for money compared with other supports. be an affordable service within your NDIS plan budget. help you to find/keep a job, improve how you connect with your local community and/or improve your relationships. not be a service that should be funded by other government services. be safe.

Talking to your Support Coordinator is the first step. It may be appropriate to seek a review of your plan and there are several different ways to this can happen depending on the urgency to have the plan reviewed and/or the age of your plan. As a rule of thumb, we recommend that if you are seeking a review of your current plan with a goal of getting more funding, you should always seek to make your request evidence based. The evidence you provide may be things like new medical recommendations, updated allied health assessments or other professional reports that align with your belief that extra funding is both reasonable and necessary for you to achieve your NDIS Plan goals. Your request for a review of your plan must be made within three months of receiving your plan. The review will be conducted by a NDIA staff member, who was not involved with the original decision making, who will reconsider facts, laws and policy when reviewing your plan.

Those eligible for NDIS funding have control over the support they receive and control over how their funds are managed. ​ While having the potential to provide life-changing outcomes, the NDIS system itself can be complex to manage. As a NDIS provider, YESS provides Support Coordination to ensure you maximise your plan and can access the services that work for you, on your terms. For more information, visit the NDIS website.

Support Coordination is a NDIS funded service that is designed to help NDIS participants (and family/representatives if required) to coordinate the supports in their NDIS plan and to get the best out of their NDIS funding. Supports can be informal, mainstream, community and funded supports.

As Support Coordination funding comes from the "Capacity Building" budget of NDIS plans, participants are expected to decrease their Support Coordination over time, as participants build capacity to manage their own plans. NDIS participants that are likely to receive access to Support Coordination funding: - have limited/no informal supports (family/friends), - are new to the NDIS/going through a significant life transition, - are likely to benefit from Support Coordination, - are able to develop skills to navigate the NDIS independently. During an initial planning meeting/plan reassessment you can request Support Coordination. Please contact us if you would like help with this.

A Support Coordinator will help you to connect you with all the individual services funded in your plan. A YES Service Support Coordinator can guide you to get the best out of your NDIS funding. We are experts in the NDIS program with many years’ experiences working with people affected by all kinds of disability. This means we can provide informed, sensible and effective recommendations tailored to your individual needs, whatever your disability may be. A Support Coordinator can: guide you in identifying your personal needs and goals. navigate the NDIS marketplace and recommend support services best suited to meeting your needs and goals. liaise with support providers, the NDIA and other key parties, helping you to maximise your plan, getting you value for your money. assist and empower you as you go from strength to strength while you build your understanding of the NDIS and grow your independence. monitor and record progress as you move toward your goals. assist you to put your best foot forward as you prepare for a NDIS Plan Review. provide you with general support and encouragement as you travel your journey.

Support Coordinators can help you to navigate the process. Before the meeting, we can help you by producing Plan Review Reports which includes assessment reports to show the progress towards achieving your goals while using a service, as well as recommendations for future services. During the meeting, Support Coordinators can support you on the day to navigate the process. After the meeting we act as a point of contact for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) personnel to provide them with clarification and/or additional information.

The easiest way to get Support Coordination added to your plan is to call the NDIS on 1800 800 110. Notify them that you would like to request to have your NDIS plan reviewed so you can have Support Coordination funded in your plan. The NDIS can commence the process from that call. If you would like any assistance, please contact us.

Depending on how your plan funds are managed your service providers are paid either by: the NDIA (Agency-Managed), the Plan-Manager (Plan-Managed), or you paying them yourself (Self-Managed). Many participant’s NDIS plans have more than one of the different types of funds management in their plan. Once your service provider has completed a service to you, they may submit an invoice to whomever is managing your funds, seeking payment for the services already provided to you. Please talk to your support coordinator if you need assistance to understand how your funds are managed.

The NDIS is all about participant Choice and Control. If you have considered your options and wish to change services, the decision is up to you. Remember, you may need to consider notification periods as agreed to in your service agreement with the provider/s in question. We encourage you to talk to your Support Coordinator to help you as you consider your options.

We encourage you to speak to your service provider first and let them know how you feel and how you would like things done differently. Also talk to your Support Coordinator about your concerns. They will be able to assist you to liaise with the provider or let you know what other options may be appropriate depending on the reason the provider may not be doing their job right.

Your Support Coordinator can assist you with this, as this is part of our service.