6 things to expect when Support Coordination is funded in your NDIS plan

If you have Support Coordination funding in your NDIS plan, you may be wondering what to expect. Read on!

1. A Support Coordinator's role is to support you to implement your NDIS plan

Your Support Coordinator will support you to:

• understand your NDIS plan and what you are funded for
• connect with the best service providers to meet your needs
• enter into Service Agreements with the provider of your choice
• monitor your NDIS plan outcomes and expenditure, and report back to the NDIA
• prepare for your next NDIS plan, and
• request a plan review if your plan does not meet your needs.

2. Support Coordination aims to build your capacity to independently implement and manage your own supports

As well as supporting participants with the practical aspects of NDIS plan implementation (above), Support Coordination aims to build a person’s capacity to reduce their reliance on funded supports (that’s why it’s funded under the ‘Capacity Building’ budget).

This means part of your Support Coordination service may involve learning to implement your NDIS plan or arranging support for you to become more independent in managing your supports and engaging with providers.

3.  Your Support Coordinator will need to find out all about your goals so they can connect you with the right supports to help you reach them

After you sign a Service Agreement with a service provider (for example, Yooralla), you’ll usually have an initial meeting with the Support Coordinator so they can learn about your goals, needs and priorities. You can involve anyone you would like in your initial meeting such as a family member or support person who can contribute to this discussion if you wish. You may also be asked other information like what your priorities are, what support you need, and what family/informal support network you have.

Yooralla’s Support Coordinators generally meet with participants in person – this could be at your house or at Yooralla’s offices. We find meeting in person can help us to better get to know a person and understand their needs and situation. This is particularly useful for Specialist Support Coordination where a person’s situation is more complex. During COVID we moved to phone or Zoom meetings to ensure the safety of our customers. You can talk to your Support Coordination provider about your preferences.

4.Your Support Coordination experience may be a little different depending on what type of Support Coordination you are funded for.

The type of Support Coordination you are funded for is determined by the NDIA based on your needs and will be outlined in your NDIS plan.

The two main levels of Support Coordination are:

• Support Coordination
  Longer-term support to build your capacity to navigate the complexity of services and supports you need from a range of providers.
• Specialist Support Coordination
  Specialist Support Coordination is funded for people who have a more complex situation.  A Specialist Support Coordinator has specialist skills and training and will work intensively with you to support your goals and support you to address the barriers and challenges to meeting your NDIS goals.

5.You have choice and control over which Support Coordinator you want to work with.

If you have Support Coordination funding in your NDIS plan, you may be referred to a Support Coordinator by the NDIA, a Government agency or community organisation, or you can also contact a Support Coordination provider directly about using their services. Either way, you have choice and control over who will provide your Support Coordination service and you can change providers if you’re not happy with the Support Coordinator you end up with. See Five things to look for in a disability service provider for advice on how to choose service providers. Find out more about Yooralla's Support Coordination service.

6.Support Coordinators must make sure you choose your own service providers

Support Coordinators may work for specific disability services providers; for example, Yooralla offers a Support Coordination service. A Support Coordinator supports NDIS participants to access the best service providers to meet their needs and wants. Sometimes, this could be from the Support Coordinator’s organisation but sometimes not. It’s the Support Coordinator’s job to support participants to connect with the best service providers to help them achieve their goals, and NDIS participants have the ‘choice and control’ over who delivers their NDIS supports.

Support Coordination at Yooralla
Our experienced Support Coordination team can help you to navigate the different stages of your NDIS journey and will develop a support plan catered to your specific support needs. We take an outcome-focused and capacity building approach to working with you, supporting you to achieve your NDIS goals and exercise your choice and control.

Our team of Support Coordinators have extensive experience and training in the disability sector and include people from allied health backgrounds including Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Psychologists and Social Workers.

We are responsive, respectful and skilled in working with people with a wide range of disabilities and complex support needs including physical, intellectual, psychosocial, neurological or sensory impairments. We are excellent and efficient communicators who are passionate about empowering you to live the life you choose.

To find out more about how Yooralla can support you please get in touch.