Here is some information about what happens during an NDIS plan meeting, how NDIS plans are approved and plan management options. Note that these guidelines are dynamic and will be regularly updated to reflect any changes to procedures or the NDIS model.

Important information and action in this guide includes:

• Ensuring the planning meeting is face-to-face (most planning meetings are now being held online but are still considered face to face)
• Participating in the planning conversation.
• Confirming support coordination will be included in the participant’s  plan.
• Choosing the plan management option.
• Providing the participant, the child or young person’s health management plan to NDIA representative during the planning meeting.
• Reviewing the finalised plan when it is received.
• Attaching the plan to casework records.
• Sharing the NDIS plan with the Local Health District OOHC Coordinator.
• Agreeing on case coordination roles and responsibilities. 

Meet with the NDIA Representative

An NDIA representative will contact the participants or their representativeby phone or by letter to confirm eligibility and arrange a time to discuss their first plan.

For children or young people under the parental responsibility of the Minister, the Out of Home Care (OOHC) caseworker must attend the planning conversation and should request that the meeting take place in person (or face to face online). It is the responsibility of the OOHC caseworker to ensure the child or young person and the carer are included in the planning meeting. Where parental responsibility is shared between the Minister and another person or persons, both parties should attend.

The planning conversation

During the planning conversation, the NDIS participant will have the opportunity to talk about their life, the supports they receive now and any additional supports they need. The participant, child or young person should be supported to actively participate in the discussion and decisions about their disability supports. They will also discuss their current goals and any goals they want to work towards in the future. Based on this, the NDIS plan will then be tailored to reflect participant’s individual circumstances.

Safeguards

The NDIS is designed so participants have choice and control over their lives with appropriate safeguards in place to protect them from harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation. A range of supports and mechanisms, such as personal relationships, community connections, and formal mechanisms like regulations, ensure safety and wellbeing while supporting a person with disability to have a good quality life and reach their potential.

The planning conversation and the development of the NDIS plan is an opportunity to identify risks and any safeguards that may be required. The NDIS representative can enhance existing safeguards, identify ways to minimise risk and discuss other formal safeguarding mechanisms that may need to be accessed.

For more information on safeguards go to Safeguards- external sitelaunch and NDIS quality and safeguards

What constitutes reasonable and necessary support within a participant’s NDIS plan?

The NDIA representative will use the participant statement and other information gathered during the planning process to develop an NDIS plan that meets the needs of the participant.

Supports needs to be linked to an outcome that has been identified in the participant’s plan and also:

• be associated with day-to-day living and activities that increase the participant’s social or economic participation, or
• be a resource or piece of equipment, such as a wheelchair, assistive technology or home and car modifications, to help the participant live an ordinary life, or
• help the participant build the skills they need to live the life they want, such as opportunities to work, further their education, volunteer or learn something new.

For more information about reasonable and necessary supports, see Supports funded by the NDIS

What types of supports may be included in a participant’s plan?

The types of supports that the NDIS may fund for participants include:

• Daily personal activities.
• Support and transport to enable participation in community, social, economic, and daily life activities.
• Workplace assistance to allow a participant to successfully get or keep employment.
• Therapeutic supports, including behaviour support.
• Help with household tasks to allow the participant to maintain their home environment.
• Skilled help with aids or equipment assessment, set up and training.
• Home modification design and construction (excluding government housing).
• Mobility equipment.
• Vehicle modifications

How are equipment and aids provided?

Aids and equipment are known as assistive technology.

Before including any assistive technology support in a participant’s plan, the NDIS representative must be satisfied that the support is directly related to disability and will assist the participant to pursue their goals, objectives, and aspirations.

Where a particular type of assistive technology is being considered, the NDIA may seek an expert report detailing clinical reasoning and justification for why it is required, prior to approval.

Support coordination, plan management and plan length

During this NDIS plan meeting:

• Check that support coordination (where appropriate) has been included in the NDIS plan (for more information see: Understand the support coordination and plan management options available).
• Advise the planner which plan management option they wish to be included in the NDIS plan and request either agency-managed or plan-managed for children in out of home care (for more information see: Understand the support coordination and plan management options available).
•  Agree with the planner the most appropriate plan length for the child or young person, considering the stability of their disability support needs and any proposed change to their circumstances. This may include planning for leaving care where it is best to have the plan end date occur at least three months out from the young person turning 18 (so that a new plan can be developed to contain adult supports).

How is the NDIS plan finalised?

All the information provided during the planning conversation will help the NDIS representative to create an NDIS plan for the child or young person. The plan then goes through an approval process within the NDIA. Once the plan is ready, the NDIS representative will contact the participant (or their representative) and let them know how they can use it. For children or young people in statutory OOHC, the OOHC caseworker who attended the planning conversation will receive a copy of the final NDIS plan.

Attach a copy of the NDIS plan on record

A copy of the plan should be placed for the participant’s record. For DCJ staff, the plan needs to be attached to the case plan record on ChildStory. NGO OOHC providers will need to provide a copy of the NDIS plan to their local CFDU for them to attach to the child or young person’s ChildStory record.

Share NDIS plan with Health

After the NDIS plan is finalised, the OOHC caseworker should share the plan with the Local Health District OOHC Coordinator to complement the child or young person’s health management plan. This will also enable a more collaborative approach and holistic understanding of the child or young person’s needs.

For child or young person: Review the NDIS plan to understand how the NDIS will be supporting the participant

OOHC caseworkers need to review the plan when it is received to understand what supports the NDIS will be funding for the child or young person. If the OOHC caseworker forms a view that the NDIS plan is inadequate and additional supports should be funded based on the evidence provided to the NDIS, they should discuss with their manager whether the issue should be raised with the NDIA locally or a review of a decision requested.

Refer to Appeals and Review of Decisions for further information.

Child protection casework staff should review the NDIS plan, if the parent/carer consents, to understand what supports the NDIS will be funding for the child or young person. If the child protection caseworker is concerned that support is not adequately funded in the plan, or missing from the plan, discuss with your manager or DCJ representative (for DCJ staff) to determine whether it is appropriate to raise the issue with the NDIA locally or whether the child or young person’s family should request a review from the NDIA.

Note: there is a difference between requesting a review (reassessment) of a plan and requesting a review of a decision.  Requesting that the NDIA conduct an internal review of an NDIA decision must occur within three months of the plan approval date. You will need to work with the child or young person’s family and the support coordinator, to make the request. Refer to Appeals and Review of Decisions for further information.

If support coordination is not funded in the plan and the caseworker is concerned the parent/carer will not be able to implement the plan, they should discuss with their manager or DCJ representative to determine whether it is appropriate to request a review to seek this support. 

Working with support coordinators

Child protection and OOHC caseworkers will need to be clear with the NDIS support coordinator around roles and responsibilities.

The NDIA Support Coordinator will:

• Provide assistance to source and link participants with NDIS providers
• Coordinate a range of supports – both funded and mainstream
• Identify and build on informal supports
• Resolve points of crisis around disability needs
• Develop participant resilience in their own network and community
• Develop participant capacity for social and economic participation
• Manage expectations of reasonable and necessary funded supports
• Work with OOHC caseworkers to strengthen their abilities to manage the NDIS plan.

More information on the role of a support coordinator is available here

What if I have a question or need more information or clarification?

If you encounter a situation with the NDIS that differs from these guidelines and needs clarification, speak to NDIS contact to determine whether the matter needs to be raised with the NDIA.

Arranging supports and engaging providers

After the NDIS plan is first received, the participant should engage a support coordinator. The support coordinator will work alongside to arrange supports and engage with NDIS registered providers.

A provider is an individual or organisation delivering a support or a product to an NDIS participant. NDIS registered providers have met requirements regarding qualifications, approvals, experience and capacity to deliver the approved supports.

The NDIA has developed several resources to assist participants when choosing a NDIS registered provider. It is important to choose the provider or providers that are right for the participant. You can employ more than 1 support provider for you to attain your goals.

These resources include information about how to manage cancellations and ‘no shows’ of scheduled appointments.

Service Agreements with Providers

A service agreement is simply a written agreement with a provider of disability supports. Service agreements should be simple and set out how and when supports will be delivered. Service agreements can be made between participants or their representatives and providers.

The support coordinator will arrange and negotiate service agreements for the NDIS supports for children and young people in OOHC. 

Note: Support coordinators are also engaged via a service agreement.  Contact the NDIA to discuss finding and engaging with a support coordinator.

Further information is provided at Making a service agreement

For a professional consultation about high intensity supports, and in-home NDIS care in Adelaide, phone BLU SKY CARE today.