The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a program in Australia that provides funding for people with disabilities. It provides support and services to make their lives better and more independent. Find out more about how the NDIS works here.
The NDIS includes a number of 'stakeholders' (fancy word for interested parties) and since we often receive questions about who's who, we decided to put a resource together that covers each of them and their role:
Participants
These are the people with disability who have successfully applied for NDIS funding and after a planning meeting, receive an NDIS plan.
Related Resouces:
Planners
Before receiving a funding package (NDIS plan), Participants meet with a Planner to discuss and set their goals and aspirations so that the planner can work out what funding they need to achieve their goals.
This meeting is called a 'planning meeting'.
NDIS Planners determine where supports already exist and where further supports are required across the domains of:
- Daily Living
- Work
- Home
- Social and Community Participation
- Health and Wellbeing
- Relationships
- Lifelong Learning
- Choice and Control
Helpful Resources:
Local Area Coordinators (LAC)
Employed by the NDIS, LACs perform 2 roles:
1. Like Planners, LACs can also meet with NDIS Participants during a 'planning meeting' to discuss their goals and the funding they need to achieve them. The LAC will then create their plan.
2. LACs are responsible for helping NDIS Participants 'activate their plan'. I.e. start spending your funding.
Once you have your NDIS plan approved, you will be contacted by your local LAC to have a meeting either over the phone or in person.
Your LAC should help you understand your plan and help you to start connecting with services and supports, community activities, and other government services.
For most people aged seven years and older, a LAC will be your main point of contact at the NDIS, to discuss any questions about your plan.
Related Resources:
Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) partners
ECEI partners are appointed by the NDIA to help families understand what supports the NDIS can offer children under 9 years old.
If you have a child with a developmental delay, an ECEI partner will meet with you and your family at home or in their offices to learn about your background, your child's developmental progress and the impact on everyday life for you AND your family.
They will help you find the supports you need. These may be basic and involve connecting with the community or they may be more complex and involve the necessity of NDIS funding.
If you receive NDIS funding for a child under 7, the ECEI partner will help you apply for the NDIS and understand your NDIS plan.
Related Resources:
Support Coordinators
The NDIS describes Support Coordination in the NDIS Price Guide as "a fixed amount for strengthening participant’s abilities to coordinate and implement supports in their plans and to participate more fully in the community."
Support Coordinators help participants:
- Understand their NDIS Plan
- Connect with Supports and Services
- Build their capacity to engage supports themselves
- Prepare for NDIS plan reviews
Not all NDIS participants receive support coordination in their NDIS plan.
Related Resources:
MyCareSpace offers a digital online support coordination service - helping you connect with the services you need in your local area.
Plan Managers
Plan Managers support the participant in managing their NDIS funds by handling the day-to-day admin like processing/paying invoices and keeping track of your plan balance.
A participant has to elect to have their NDIS plan 'plan managed' and they can choose whichever plan manager they like. They can also change plan managers at any time.
A plan manager is paid by the NDIS and their fees do not come out of the participant's pool of funds - this payment is over and above the funding they receive.
A Plan Manager will help a participant by:
- Paying all their bills - they can send them to their Plan Manager or service providers can send the bills directly to the Plan Manager for payment.
- Send them monthly statements to help them track their plan spending.
- Reimburse them for anything they need to pay upfront.
- Some Plan Managers will help them with establishing service agreements with providers.
Related Resources:
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
They are like the Lion in the zoo: in charge.
The NDIA is an independent statutory agency.
Their role is to "implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which will support a better life for hundreds of thousands of Australians with a significant and permanent disability and their families and carers."
Related Resources:
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (the Zoo keeper)
"The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is an independent agency established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services."
They regulate NDIS providers, provide national consistency, promote safety and quality services, resolve problems and identify areas for improvement.
They provide all regulatory requirements for NDIS registered providers. They play a role similar to the ACCC where participants that don't receive genuine NDIS services as promised can complain.
See the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission website
MyCareSpace
We finish by telling you a little more about the MyCareSpace free digital support coordination service.
MyCareSpace helps participants and their families find and connect with verified local NDIS providers who have appointments available immediately.
Browse our directory yourself or use our Connections Team who do the search and connect for you.
NDIS THERAPY FINDER - FREE SERVICE
LET US FIND YOU A SKILLED SUPPORT WORKER
