What role does a LAC play in your NDIS journey?

There are key people that you may meet on your NDIS journey – one of these might be a Local Area Coordinator, more commonly known as a LAC. In this article we explain their role and how they support NDIS participants and carers.

LACs work with NDIS participants aged seven years and older and their carers to:

• Understand and access the NDIS – You can meet with your local LAC to find out more information about the NDIS, and for support to complete your access request form to become a NDIS participant.
• Create your NDIS plan – Once you have met access to the NDIS, you and your LAC will have a planning meeting, where you discuss your current situation, supports, and goals to help develop your NDIS plan. This plan is then sent back to the NDIA for approval, it cannot be approved by a LAC.
• Implement your plan – When you have received your approved NDIS plan, your LAC will support you to find and start receiving the services in your NDIS plan. Your LAC can also provide assistance throughout your plan if you have any questions, such as if your circumstances change.
• Create your next and subsequent NDIS plans – Your LAC will work with you to review your previous NDIS plan and to review your goals, needs and supports to see what was and was not working for you, usually about 6 weeks before 12 months of having your NDIS plan. They will then use this information to form the basis of your next NDIS plan.

Your LAC will also support you:

• to use the myplace participant portal
• to connect with community, mainstream and funded supports, to support you to access and actively participate in the community, and
• by monitoring the progress of your NDIS plan.

The NDIS region you live in determines which partner organisation will be your LAC. You can find out your local LAC by contacting the NDIS on 1800 800 110, or visiting the NDIS website.

Some participants may have a NDIS planner, rather than a LAC. NDIA planners perform the same role as a LAC but they support participants and carers with high and complex needs.

If you need additional support to navigate the NDIS, Yooralla has a range of free NDIS guides for every stage of your NDIS journey. Yooralla’s Community Engagement team also hold free one-on-one NDIS discussions, to answer any questions you may have in private.