Review your NDIS plan: Understanding the Different Parts of Your NDIS Plan
Your entire experience with NDIS revolves around your NDIS plan. When you get started, it’s exciting to receive your plan and to start working toward your goals. However, it’s wise to review your NDIS plan first and ensure you understand each part of it. This guide will help you make sense of your NDIS plan.
What will my NDIS plan look like?
Most of the time, your NDIS plan won’t be especially long or complicated.
- Introduction: The set of documents starts with an introduction page that states your name, NDIS contact, your plan start date, and the next review date.
- Profile: The next page is your profile. You can use this page to describe yourself to providers and state what your future plans are. The page contains basics, such as your date of birth and contact information.
- About: Then there’s an “About Me” section that’s open-ended. Here, you can describe your background, family, goals, or anything that’s important to you. There are also sections towards the end to mention your family, friends, services, and community involvement.
- Goals: The next page states your short- and long-term goals. There are sections to describe how you will achieve your goals and what supports you’ll need in order to do so.
- Types of supports: The next page describes the types of supports, which we’ll explain later.
- Funding, plan period and specifics: After that, the document states your total funding amount along with the length of your plan. Then, in multiple pages to follow, your specific supports and their associated budgets are broken down into categories.
- Resources: Finally, when you review your NDIS plan, there’s a final page with contact info and resources to help you understand your plan.
Review Your NDIS Plan: Common NDIS vocabulary
When you review your NDIS plan, it may contain words that you may not be familiar with. Here are a few common NDIS terms and definitions:
- Functional impairment: Loss of or damage to a physical, mental, or sensory function. Blindness, or loss of sight, is an example.
- Functional capacity: A person’s ability to communicate, interact, learn, or care for themselves. An individual is said to have a reduced functional capacity if they are less able to do what’s stated above.
- Reasonable and necessary: The NDIS gives funding for supports that are reasonable and necessary. These supports must be connected to a person’s disability and you’ll often need to provide evidence for why a support is needed.
- Supports: Anything that helps a person achieve daily living activities, participate in their community and reach their goals.
Types of NDIS supports
NDIS supports are broken into three main categories.
- Capacity building: First, there are capacity building supports. These are items or services that allow a person to increase their independence, skills, and abilities. An example would be physical therapy funding for someone who wants to increase their mobility.
- Capital: Next, there are capital supports. This NDIS category includes assistive technology, home or vehicle alterations, and capital cost funding. Modifying your home to add a wheelchair ramp is an example of capital support.
- Core: Finally, there are core supports. This is the most flexible category; it encompasses anything a person needs to complete daily living activities and reach their goals. For example, if you needed an hour of assistance each day from a support worker to get ready in the morning, this would come from your core support funding.
You can learn more about supports and other NDIS resources here.
NDIS plan management options
There are several ways to manage your NDIS plan: Self-managed, NDIA-managed, and plan-managed.
- Self-managed: You are responsible for all aspects of your plan, including setting up service agreements with providers, paying invoices and tracking finances, showing how your funds were used during plan reviews, and participating in payment audits.
- NDIA-managed: The NDIA handles your plan management. They manage your funds, invoicing, and payments. You are required to keep within price guide rates and can only use NDIS-registered providers.
- Plan-managed: plan managers are outside agencies that help you with all aspects of your plan. They take care of all administrative tasks, including payments, service agreements, and financial reporting. You have the flexibility to use non-registered or registered providers, and the payment for your plan management is free – it’s included in your plan.
Get the most out of your plan with All Disability Plan Management
Once you review your NDIS plan and have it in place, plan management is essential for reaching your NDIS goals. All Disability Plan Management simplifies the entire process by handling your funding, making sure that providers are paid and that your finances are kept in order, and providing guidance for maximising your funds.
You can access a personalised dashboard to track the specifics of your plan and you’ll also have a dedicated plan manager who can help with your needs. Finally, these services come at no cost to you since they’re included in your NDIS plan.
To learn more or to get started, contact All Disability Plan Management today.
