Help to Start Using Your NDIS Plan

So, you have applied to be on the scheme, been accepted, had your planning meeting and now have an NDIS plan! The next step is to start using the funds in your plan. This can sometimes be a daunting task, but remember multiple roles are there to help you. 

If you haven’t been booked for an implementation meeting, request one as soon as possible! It should take a maximum of 28 days for a meeting to be scheduled after you request one. Having an implementation meeting gives you the opportunity to ask your my NDIS contact (your Early Childhood Partner, Local Area Coordinator, or NDIA Planner) questions about your plan and its funding.

Your implementation meeting goes through the following:

• Your Support Budgets, how each budget is different and the funding that comes under each budget. Your funding will be spread across different support categories. Not all budgets are flexible, and funding can only be used for supports and services that your plan was intended to be used for. In addition, funding can only be used for support that falls under that support category. Your my NDIS contact should go through your plan from start to finish, explaining what each amount of funding can be used for and explaining along the way what NDIS funds can and can’t be used for in the context of your situation.

• Your chosen way of managing your funding. Depending on what you have chosen, self-managed, plan-managed, or NDIA-managed, the way you pay invoices for services and supports you have used with your NDIS funding will differ. Your my NDIS partner will go through your chosen type (you may have one or a mixture of types) and what it entails.

• Your my NDIS participant portal and my NDIS app will be explained, going through what they are used for and how you set up and access them.

• Engaging with NDIS service providers that are right for you and cater to your needs. They will talk through how you can search for providers, the potential for waiting lists, and, depending on how you are managing your funding, if your chosen providers need to be NDIS registered or not, as well as the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. The Pricing Arrangements guide explains how much providers can charge for services and supports. 

• The importance of setting up service agreements with every provider you engage with who provides a service for you. It is strongly recommended that you have service agreements in place. Ensuring you and your providers are clear about what you have agreed upon (this could include the service they will provide, the hourly rate, the number of hours you have committed to, the frequency of the services and the days, any details about cancellations, and ceasing services). It also details what is expected of your provider and yourself, protecting your funding from misuse.

• Supports you can access outside of the NDIS, including informal, community, and mainstream support. 

It is essential to remember your implementation meeting isn’t the only time you are supported by your my NDIS contact (your Early Childhood Partner, Local Area Coordinator or NDIA Planner) to help you with your plan; you can request help any time from them.

Another role that supports you to understand and use your plan is a Support Coordinator or Psychological Recovery Coach. Only some people will get these supports included in their plan, however. It is uncommon to see children with Support Coordination in their plans, only seeing it included when the child has very complex needs. Usually, support coordination is reserved for those with complex situations and who need specialist support or those who do not have the support of family, friends, or other government services.

You also have additional support if you choose to be plan managed. As Plan Managers, we support our participants if they feel lost and need guidance. Many of our participants are young children, and often, our first conversation with their nominee (parent or career) is about how they are feeling and if they need any help with the first steps of using their plan. We know it can be overwhelming at the beginning of your NDIS journey, with so many things to think about. Choosing to be plan managed is a great way to add an additional resource to your team. We want you to use your plan, and for that to happen, we are always there for you to help you understand what is in it and how to use it. Answering all of your questions along the way, from the start of your plan, through to questions you might have once you are set up with providers about pricing, to your different budgets and changing up your supports, to how things work when you are nearing the end of a plan, and everything in between.

It is very common to feel overwhelmed at the start when you are new to the NDIS, but there are roles out there to support you, and if you are plan managed by us, we are on your team, too!