At Sublime Care, we understand that Support Coordination can sometimes seem like a confusing aspect of the NDIS. Participants, families, support workers, and support coordinators often have questions about what it entails, who can provide it, and how it works. What does it entail? Who can provide it? How does it operate? In this article, we will answer some of the frequently asked questions about this crucial support category. Whether you’re seeking a support coordination service or a support coordinator for yourself or someone you care for, we aim to provide valuable insights that will help you navigate this realm effectively.
Understanding Support Coordination
Support Coordination is a support funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to assist participants in maximising their NDIS funds. Once an NDIS Plan is approved, participants collaborate with Support Coordinators to determine how to allocate their funds and connect with appropriate service providers. At its core, Support Coordination aims to:
• Encourage open conversations about the possibilities within a participant’s NDIS funds.
• Develop participants’ capacity to exercise choice and control over their supports.
• Aid participants in navigating the NDIS marketplace and identifying the best-suited support options for their unique needs.
Types of Support Coordination
Support Coordination is categorised into three levels, each serving distinct purposes:
Level 1: Support Connection
There has never been a great description of what the difference between Support Connection and Support Coordination is. These days, Participants who would have once received Support Connection typically get their plan implementation support from a Local Area Coordinator (LAC). When Support Connection is put in plans (very rarely), it is usually either an error or funded because a LAC did not have the capacity to deliver any support.
Level 2: Coordination of Supports
This is the most common type of Support Coordination
funding. Under this level, Support Coordinators fulfill various roles,
including but not limited to:
• Understanding the NDIS Plan
• Connecting participants with appropriate supports and services
• Designing support approaches
• Establishing supports
• Coaching, refining, and reflecting on participants’ progress
• Providing targeted support coordination
• Managing crisis situations through planning, prevention, mitigation, and action
• Building capacity and resilience in participants
Specialist Support Coordination is rarely funded as a standalone service and constitutes only a small portion of the overall Support Coordination budget. It is typically delivered within a specialised therapeutic framework. Participants receive funding for Specialist Support Coordination if they face high-level risks in their support environment, such as complex behavioural challenges or interactions with the criminal justice system. In such cases, intervention plans may be developed and implemented by disability support workers.
Eligibility for Support Coordination Funding
Not every participant is automatically funded for Support
Coordination, but anyone can request it. If you wish to include Support
Coordination in your NDIS Plan, be sure to communicate your preference during
the planning meeting. Participants who undergo the planning process with an
NDIA Planner (rather than an LAC) generally have a higher likelihood of being
funded for Support Coordination.
Allocating Hours for Support Coordination
The number of hours participants receive for Support
Coordination funding varies widely, ranging from as low as 12 hours to as high
as 200 hours per year. Similar to other supports, participants who enter
planning meetings with clear goals and a well-defined plan for utilizing their
funded supports have a greater chance of approval.
Duration of Support Coordination Funding
Support Coordination is designed as a time-limited,
capacity-building support. Its purpose is to enhance a person’s skills and
self-sufficiency to the point where they no longer require a Support
Coordinator. For some individuals, this journey may span only one year, while
for others, ongoing capacity building and support may be necessary. Regardless,
it is crucial to focus on skill development and regularly request Support
Coordination funding during each plan review meeting to ensure continued
progress.
In Conclusion, Support Coordination plays a vital role in empowering NDIS participants to optimise their funds, exercise choice and control, and navigate the complex disability support landscape. By demystifying this support category and addressing the frequently asked questions, we hope to equip participants, families, support workers, and support coordinators with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions and foster positive outcomes. Remember, effective support coordination requires active communication, clear goals, and a commitment to skill-building and progress tracking.
Discuss Your NDIS Needs With Us Today
As a registered NDIS service provider, we provide Disability services in the following areas: Hunter Region, Central Coast, Newcastle, and Sydney. If you do not see the location where you are looking for a Community Care service, we encourage you to contact us today and see if we could coordinate with a community care provider in the location of your choice. Contact us today!
