NDIS Plan Reassessments (Reviews)

Main Points

• An NDIS carer statement (also called an impact statement) is a written account by a carer, family member, or support person that describes how a person's disability affects their daily life, and the lives of those who care for them.
• It is not compulsory, but a well-written NDIS impact statement can significantly strengthen an NDIS application or plan review by giving planners a real, human picture of support needs that clinical reports alone may not capture.

• The most important piece of advice: describe your worst day, not your best. The NDIS needs to understand the full extent of support required, not a carefully managed version of it.

   

What Is an NDIS carer statement?

An NDIS carer statement, sometimes called an NDIS impact statement or carer impact statement, is a letter or written document prepared by someone who cares for or supports a person living with a disability.

Its purpose is to describe, in practical and personal terms, how the person's disability affects their day-to-day life and the lives of those around them. Where medical and allied health reports tell the NDIS what a person's condition is, a carer statement tells the NDIS what that means on a Tuesday morning, or on the worst day in the last month.

A carer statement can be submitted as part of an NDIS access request (initial application) or during an NDIS plan review, to help demonstrate the level of funded support the participant needs.

It is not compulsory, but it is one of the most powerful tools available to families and carers navigating the NDIS process.

Why an NDIS impact statement matters

NDIS planners and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) assess eligibility and funding based on functional capacity — that is, how a person's disability affects their ability to participate in daily life. Clinical evidence supports this, but it doesn't always tell the full story.

A well-written NDIS carer statement bridges that gap. It adds the lived experience that reports can't capture: the 3am wake-ups, the hours spent managing meltdowns, the tasks a person cannot do independently despite appearing capable in a short clinical assessment.

Carers often feel uncomfortable writing about the hardest parts of their experience. It can feel like complaining, or like you're focusing on negatives rather than celebrating your loved one's strengths. But it's important to remember: you are not complaining. You are giving the NDIS the information it needs to provide appropriate support. Holding back can result in funding that doesn't reflect actual need.

Write about your worst day. Don't write about your average day.

Who can write an NDIS carer statement?

An NDIS impact statement can be written by anyone who provides care or support to the NDIS participant, including:

1. A parent or guardian
2. A spouse or partner
3. A sibling or other family member
4. A close friend who provides regular support
5. A support coordinator or service provider who has direct knowledge of the person's support needs

Multiple people can each submit their own statement, and this can be beneficial, as different carers often see different aspects of a person's support needs.

What to include in an NDIS carer statement

The NDIS does not provide a formal template or strict guidelines for carer statements. It can be a letter, a structured document, or a written response to a set of prompts, whatever format works best for you.

Regardless of format, a strong NDIS carer statement should cover the following:

About the person you care for:

• Their disability and diagnosis, and how it affects their day-to-day functioning
• What they need support with, and what you do to provide that support
• How their support needs have changed over time, or are likely to change in the future
• What happens when support is not available: what are the consequences?

About you as a carer:

• Your own needs and goals as a carer
• How the caring role affects your health, work, relationships, and daily life
• Whether you are able to continue providing the same level of care into the future
• What would happen to the participant if you were unavailable (illness, emergency, etc.)

About the broader support network:

• What informal supports the participant has access to (family, friends, community)
• Any gaps in the current support network

• Any other information the NDIA should know when assessing the participant's support needs

   

Using the 21 NDIS support categories to structure your statement

One of the most effective ways to write an NDIS carer statement is to structure it around the 21 NDIS support categories. This approach helps planners connect your description directly to how the NDIS measures and funds support, which can make your statement more persuasive and easier to act on.

For each category, describe:

• What supports are needed
• How often those supports are required
• The time and cost involved (if applicable)

• The emotional and practical impact on both the participant and the carer

  Another thing to consider is there are four budgets: Core, Capacity Building, Capital and Recurring.

The 21 NDIS support categories include:

Core 'flexible support categories'
1.    Assistance with daily life
2.    Assistance with social, economic and community participation
3.    Consumables
4.    Transport

Core supports ‘stated support categories’.
1.    Home and living
2.    Younger person in residential aged care – cross billing

Capacity Building supports:
1.    Behaviour support
2.    Choice and control - this includes Plan management services
3.    Finding and keeping a job
4.    Health and wellbeing
5.    Improved daily living skills
6.    Improved living arrangements
7.    Increased social and community participation
8.    Lifelong learning
9.    Relationships
10.    Support coordination and psychosocial recovery coaches

Capital supports
1.    Assistive technology
2.    Assistive technology – maintenance, repair and rental
3.    Home modifications
4.    Specialist disability accommodation

Recurring Support
 

You don't need to write extensively about every category, just focus on the areas most relevant to the participant's disability and support needs.

A Note on Functional Capacity

When writing your NDIS carer statement, it helps to use the language of functional capacity, as this is the term the NDIS uses to assess eligibility and funding levels.

Functional capacity refers to how a person's disability affects their ability to complete everyday tasks and participate in community life. Rather than just describing a diagnosis, describe what the participant cannot do independently, how long tasks take with support, and what the consequences are when support is not provided.

For example, instead of: "My son has autism." Try: "My son requires full physical assistance to complete his morning routine, including showering, dressing, and preparing breakfast. Without support, he becomes extremely distressed and is unable to leave the house. This process takes approximately two hours each morning and cannot be rushed without triggering a crisis response."

Read more about functional capacity and the NDIS here.

How to write your NDIS carer statement: step by step

If you're not sure where to start, this process can help:

1. Set aside dedicated time. Writing an honest carer statement takes emotional energy. Don't try to rush it. Set aside a few hours when you won't be interrupted.

    

2. Make notes before you write. Spend time thinking through a typical week, and your worst recent day. Note every task you assist with, every appointment you attend, every moment of distress or difficulty. Include the middle-of-the-night incidents, the events that don't make it into clinical notes.

    

3. Use the 21 categories as a framework. Work through each NDIS support category and consider how the participant's disability affects them in that area. You won't have something to say about every category, and that's fine.

    

4. Write plainly and specifically. Use clear, direct language. Avoid medical jargon unless it's natural to you. Specific examples and real-life scenarios are far more powerful than general statements.

    

5. Don't edit out the hard parts. Carers often instinctively soften their descriptions. Resist this. The NDIS needs the full picture. If something is hard, say so. If the caring role is unsustainable without more support, say that too.

    

6.  Get support if you need it. A support coordinator can help you prepare your carer statement. They can guide you through the process and help ensure nothing important is left out.

Top 3 things to remember when writing an NDIS carer statement

1. Describe your worst day: not your average day, and certainly not your best. There is no such thing as too much information.
2. Don't leave anything out: think through the participant's day from when they wake to when they go to sleep, including night support if relevant.

3. Use a checklist: the Carers Australia Carer Checklist (linked below) can help you make sure you've covered everything before submitting.

    

NDIS carer statement templates and examples

You don't have to start from scratch. Here are templates and real examples to help you get started:

MyCareSpace: Carer Statement Template (for support coordinators and carers)

Reimagine: Sample Carer Statement

Carers Australia: Sample Carer Statement — Claire

Carers Australia: Sample Carer Statement — John

Carers Australia: Carer Checklist for NDIS Planning Meetings

The Carers Australia Carer Checklist is particularly useful if you're preparing for an NDIS planning meeting. It's designed for unpaid carers and support people, and helps you think through the type and frequency of support you currently provide, so nothing is overlooked.

Need help navigating the NDIS?

Writing an NDIS carer statement is just one part of the NDIS access and planning process. If you're finding the system overwhelming, you don't have to navigate it alone.

MyCareSpace's free Connections Team can help you find a support coordinator, therapist, or support worker with experience in your area, including helping families prepare for NDIS planning meetings and plan reviews.

Find NDIS support near you →

Help for Therapists and Health Practitioners 

Writing Reports for NDIS Access and Plan Reassessments

The primary role of NDIS reports from health practitioners is to provide evidence that assists decision-makers at the NDIS. 

You need to get the words right to write effective supporting documentation for people with disabilities and complex support needs seeking NDIS access or NDIS plan reviews. By 'right' we mean in the format/language the NDIA understands. 

Different systems often use different terminology and come with their own jargon. It's important to realise that the health system and the NDIS do not use the same jargon. Knowing how to convey the right information, in the right words, from the health system to the NDIS, is essential to achieve the desired outcome for NDIS participants

A person with a disability applying for NDIS funding will need to supply evidence-based reports from professional therapists (e.g. occupational therapists, psychologists, speech pathologists, and dieticians) with training, skills and expertise. 

The purpose of this resource to support therapists in writing NDIS reports in the most effective format so as to ensure participants have the best outcome.

A therapy report for the NDIS needs to contain 4 key elements

1. explain your therapy approach and

2. provide evidence of the outcomes achieved and

3. demonstrate the progress made towards a participant’s goals

4. provide detailed recommendations

Report writing tips

Explain your therapy approach

Include service details in your report that covers: 

• type of service
• therapeutic approach used
• duration of supports
• frequency of support 
• intended outcome
• challenges (technological, physical, administrative)use of therapeutic tools is relevant
• justifications to support the recommendations.

Demonstrate progress towards goals

• Does your report include a summary of the supports provided?  
• Have you provided evidence of previous therapies trialled? 
• Have you measured and provided detail about how a participant’s functional capacity (importance of functional capacity in the NDIS) is progressing towards their therapy outcomes and NDIS goals? 

Example:

A participant’s goal could be to increase their ability to get up from a bed or a chair and walk independently within their home.

A 25% increase in standing balance and lower limb strength (therapy outcome) will increase the participant’s ability to be independently mobile in their home (NDIS goal).  

The observed 30% improvement in mobility, strength and balance (therapy outcome) will support attendance at 50% or more volunteer activities per week (NDIS goal).

Other elements to note are:

• Have you documented any barriers or challenges in the participant’s progress? 
• Have you explained why the therapy outcome was not achieved?
• Have you considered or needed to review your therapy approach to help the participant overcome these barriers or challenges? 

Define additional supports 

• Have you considered what additional informal, community or mainstream supports could assist the participant in pursuing their goal?
• Have you recommended or referred the participant to any informal, community or mainstream supports? 

Provide detailed recommendations 

Here are some checkpoints:

• Have you provided clear evidence-based recommendations? 
• Are your recommended supports linked to the participant’s therapy outcomes and NDIS goals? 
• Do the recommended supports represent value for money? 
  • Are there other comparable low-cost options that would achieve the same outcomes? 
  • Is there evidence that the supports are likely to substantially improve the life stage outcomes for, and be of long term benefit to the participant
  • Will the supports be likely to reduce the cost of funding of supports for the participant in the long term
• Will the support  increase the participant’s independence and reduce the participants' needs for other kinds of supports 
• Do the supports provided enhance and coordinate well within the participant’s life and the environment? 
• Have you stated the risk of no supports being provided?

A best practice guide on producing therapy reports for NDIS plans or plan reviews

MyCareSpace did some investigation and found 2 superb resources that help provide a best practice guide on producing excellent therapy reports to form the development of NDIS plans or plan reviews:

• 10 steps to excellent NDIS therapy reports - Developed by VALID advocates with expertise in providing advocacy support to people with intellectual disabilities. It is primarily designed as an information source for therapists as they prepare reports for NDIS participants.

• Getting the Language Right - A health practitioners guide to writing reports, letters, forms and assessments for the NDIS. Developed by The Summer Foundation

These resources can also be used by NDIS participants, families, Local Area Coordinators, and Support Coordinators to determine whether a report is of a high standard.

Help for NDIS Participants 

Completing an NDIS Access Request with your doctor

One of our MyCareSpace community wrote an informal, hands-on guide to help participants fill in the NDIS application forms and have their health practitioners (doctors, therapists, specialists) write application reports for NDIS in the language the NDIA expects.

It includes what to do prior to meeting your doctor and what he/she will need to write for your NDIS access request. 

• Making NDIS Application and Report Writing Easier - A guide to NDIS for individuals, practitioners and families.

It also includes advice for practitioners when writing reports for an NDIS access request or review.

This resources covers:

• What is Positive Behaviour Supports (PBS) in the NDIS
• How to get funding in your NDIS plan for it
• Who delivers PBS
• Can I use non registered NDIS providers to deliver it?

What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and how can you get NDIS funding for it?

Positive Behaviour Support aims to understand why challenging behaviours occur in children and young people (under 18). The approach makes difficult behaviour unnecessary by removing the things that trigger, encourage or reward that behaviour. 

It is based on an assessment of the social and physical environment in which the behaviour happens, includes the views of the individual so that the person’s needs can be met in better ways.

It also teaches children alternative and more appropriate behaviour to replace the difficult behaviour and helps avoid extreme behaviour management measures like restrictive practices (aims to stop a person’s challenging behaviour at the time of behaviour.) 

Typically a Behaviour Support Plan is created where families work with a group of people including school staff, parents/guardians or carers and a practitioner on a detailed plan to remove or minimise the triggers of the problem behaviour and, wherever possible, stop any accidental rewards for the behaviour.

Once they have a plan, parents can teach and encourage the child to use new skills and alternative, appropriate ways of communicating with others to express wants and needs and then implemented with the help of a Behaviour Support Practioner.

So how to make sure you have NDIS funding to implement PBS?

Kim MCMurchy, Plan Manager at Plan Hero Plan Management gave us the following tips:

The participant needs funding under “Improved Relationships” in their NDIS Plan.

Specifically, this funding will appear in: 

• Specialist Behavioural Intervention Support
• Behaviour Management Plan Incl. Training In Behaviour Management Strategies

In order to get this, they need to articulate this need in GOALS relating to:

• emotional regulation,
• improving communication skills and 
• improving behaviours and relationships

For example:

"I want to be able to manage my behaviours so that I can build relationships"

"I want to be able to regulate my emotions so that I can be more social and communicate better with others"

"I want to be able to regulate my emotions and self manage my reactions and behaviour"

"I want to be able to express my self and engage confidently with others"

There is usually funding to develop a Behaviour Management Plan and then for someone to implement and/or train other people to put those strategies in place. 

If the relevant funding is not on the person’s plan, a plan review can be requested. An Allied Health Practitioner will need to provide evidence as to why PBS is needed; e.g. restrictive practices in place, challenging behaviors are impacting safety and/or participation in everyday activities. The NDIS may want evidence to support this decision making.

Can I use non-registered NDIS providers to deliver PBS?

Behaviour Support Practitioners need to be registered as an individual with the NDIS Commission. A practitioner may work for a registered or non-registered NDIS provider.

Only registered providers can implement restrictive practices, so if there are no restrictive practices being implemented by the provider, non-registered providers can be used (so long as their PBS Practioner is registered).

Do you need positive behaviour support?

Ask the MyCareSpace Team to connect you

Other Resources on Positive Behaviour Support

• Webinar: Positive Behaviour Support and the NDIS
• Here is a link to the Powerpoint Slides that were used during the webinar
• Positive Behaviour Supports - what you need to know
• Positive Behaviour Supports in Practice 
• What is Positive Behaviour Support and how to get it in an NDIS Plan
• Questions asked at our Webinar

Contact Kim at Plan Hero Plan Management to find out how you can have a plan manager that acts as your superhero.

Kim McMurchy: 1300 599 770

What is a plan reassesment?

A plan reassessment occurs when your NDIS Plan is due to renew. This process was previously called a 'Plan Review', but the NDIA has renamed it to avoid confusion. 

A plan reassessment is agency initiated.

The NDIS will normally contact participants or their authorised representatives 3 months before a plan reassessment is due and confirm details. 

During the check-in call, they will talk to you about booking in a plan reassessment meeting which can be face-to-face, over the phone, or video call.

They will also talk to you about what information you may need to provide at the meeting.

What is a plan variation?

If you need changes to your plan before the reassessment date, you can contact the NDIA at any time to request a plan variation.

They will respond within 21 days by:

• Varying your plan (see below for more information on plan variations);
• Replacing your plan with a new plan; or
• Making a decision not to reassess your plan.

If you are not happy with this decision, you can ask the NDIS to review that decision.

What to expect in your plan reassessment meeting

You will discuss your progress (what worked and what didn't) and any changes you want to make in your next plan.

If your support needs are unlikely to change, you can request a long plan duration of up to three (3) years. To prepare for this conversation, you will want to consider:

• any life changes you’re expecting to make over the next three years (e.g. leaving school, starting or leaving work or a change in your living situation)
• how connected you are with your social and community supports
• your goals and preferences around plan duration. 

Who attends my plan reassessment meeting?

You shouldn't attend the meeting on your own - bring a support person with you. This could be:

• A friend/carer/family member
• Support worker
• Support coordinator
• Advocate

​How to prepare for your plan reassessment

In the lead up to your plan reassessment think about and document the following:

• What worked well in your plan
• What didn’t work well
• Have you made progress towards your goals
• Which goals you want to continue to pursue and which goals you want to change
• Who can help you pursue your goals
• Will you need NDIS support in the future
• Would you like to change how all or some of your plan funding is managed.

You do not need to pick new goals at each plan review but your plan, supports and services should be helping you make progress towards your goals.

Tips:

• Make notes so that you don't forget your thoughts during the actual meeting.
• Write down any questions you have in advance

1. Reports

You will need to provide reports from therapists and providers who have helped you work towards your goals and who you want to include in your next plan.

Reports are needed to show how your supports and services are helping you to achieve your goals and provide evidence to justify future funding of these supports. 

These reports are especially important for children because they are growing and developing and their needs are changing.

Providers can write reports for programs, activities or supports they provide if you would like to continue to receive funding for these supports in your next plan. 

Tips:

• Make sure you ask your therapist for your report at least 6 weeks before your plan assessment date, giving them time to create them.
• Make sure your therapist knows how to write their report in the format the NDIS understands. Share this resource with them: Writing Reports for NDIS Access and Plan Reassessments

2. Make notes

Use these questions to help you prepare for your plan review meeting. Write down answers to them beforehand:

• Will I need NDIS support in the future?
• Would I like to change how some or all of my plan funding is managed?
• Who can help me achieve my goals?
• Which goals do I need to continue to work on and which goals do I need to change?
• What worked well in my plan? Did I achieve my goals or make progress towards achieving them?
• What didn't work well in plan?
• What are my new goals for my new plan?
• Do I have any questions?

3. What if I haven't been able to use all my funds?

That’s okay! As long as you can justify why the funding hasn’t been used.

There are many reasons that you may not have been able to spend your funds including long waitlists, COVID, lack of services in remote areas. 

4. What if I want to ask for more supports?

Use language that is broad. For example:

Don't say: I want surf lessons.

Do say: I want to focus on community access and making friends.

You need to justify:

• That the request will reduce the need for funding in other areas in the future, and
• Is reasonable and necessary in order for you to achieve your goals

Tips:

• Become familiar with section 34 of the NDIS act that defines 'what is reasonable and necessary' and refer back to this.
• Get your therapist to include your requests in their recommendations using the right language. 
• Prepare your notes prior to the meeting.
• Look at the NDIS price guide when writing up pre planning notes so that you know how much funding you need

What happens if I still don't get the supports I need in my new plan?

If the reports are sound, and you still don’t get the plan you want, you can:

1. Call the NDIA and apply for a ‘reviewable decision’
   This must be done within 100 days of the plan being generated.

Transitioning from school to work can be an anxious experience for young people. This is where SLES helps.

The NDIS School Leaver Employment Support (SLES) is a support to help NDIS participants make a smooth transition from school to employment. SLES is only accessible under an NDIS plan.

What is SLES School Leaver Employment Support and when can you get SLES?

School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) is an early intervention approach for NDIS participants in their last year of school and when they have already left school.

SLES is about giving young people the skills and confidence to help make the transition from school to work. 

SLES is NDIS funded to 'support and assist people with a disability to prepare for, and take part in work'.

It helps a young person who has work capacity but needs some more support before receiving ongoing employment support through existing systems such as DES ( Disability Employment Service). 

SLES helps make young people 'employment ready' - it does not provide young people with employment. Its purpose is to prepare young people for employment.

When young people leave school, SLES is just one of a number of options, or pathways, to employment.  Other options include:

• Going straight to open employment through a DES service;
• Going to supported employment through an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE);
• Undertaking further education through a TAFE or university; or
• Volunteering

SLES provides small group work skills sessions, tailored one-on-one support, and work experience to help each student along their pathway to employment.

Each Participant has different needs. The nature and delivery of school leaver employment supports depends on what the participant and their provider agree on in their service agreement. This helps the participant reach their employment goals.

Benefits of the SLES Program

The benefits of employment for young people are far-reaching. Employment in general increases people’s independence improves health and well-being as well as provides opportunities to develop new skills and have a connection to the community.

The NDIS SLES program is designed to focus on capacity building for the young person, for example, capacity-building activities can include building job skills, and building confidence and independence.

The NDIS SLES program is individualised. This means each participant's SLES program is created around their needs and goals. 

Individualised one-on-one mentoring gives the young person the time to better understand themselves, work interests and the supports they need to give them the best opportunity to gain soft and hard work skills.  

Another important benefit of the program is that young people can complete work experience in many different businesses and industries in order to find the right job for them.

Capacity-building activities that may be included in a SLES program and assist with goals can include: 

• money handling skills
• time management skills
• communication skills
• discovery activities
• work experience
• learning how to take instruction at work
• travel skills.

Who can get SLES funding under the NDIS? 

You need to be on an NDIS plan to receive SLES funding. Young People with a disability who are leaving or have left school (up to 22 years old) and who require intensive support to transition from school to employment, are eligible to receive SLES funding in their NDIS plan.

It falls under the Finding and Keeping a Job category with line item 10_021_0102_5_3 

The funding is an annualised funding model (so you get a set amount per year) rather than a set hour, this is to provide maximum flexibility. The funding is not subject to price limits and covers up to 2 years.

IMPORTANT: Talk to your Local Area Coordinator about adding the program to your NDIS Plan can start before you leave school. The may not suggest it automatically. 

What is the difference between SLES and DES?

School Leaver Employment Support (SLES)

SLES is an early intervention approach for school leavers with significant disability to support the transition from school to employment.

SLES supports are designed to build capacity to meet access criteria and transition into Disability employment Services (DES). 

Young people in their last year of school who are work-ready for open employment may be able to go straight to the DES ESL [Eligible School Leaver] program.

SLES assists with work experience and overcoming barriers and building confidence and prepares the young person to engage with a DES provider, who will further their journey of employment. 

Disability Employment Services (DES)

DES solely supports a person with a Disability, Injury or Health Condition who is job ready, to find and keep a job and have a future work capacity of at least 8 hours per week. DES is for people who want to find a job in open employment.
You don’t need to have NDIS funding to receive DES support.

DES is about working with you at your pace to help you find the right job with the right employer. DES Employment Consultants (like atWork Australia) will support people from school leaving age right through to retirement age.

How does SLES & DES work together?

At some point in the SLES program, you will have completed work experience and feeling confident enough will become job-ready to gain paid employment. This is where (DES) comes into play. 

Your SLES Provider will assist you in finding a DES provider and then work with you and the chosen DES provider for the first 6 months that you are in the DES program.

How to find a SLES Provider?

For information about finding SLES providers in your area:

ASK THE MYCARESPACE CONNECTIONS TEAM

One of the 4 key requirements of being an NDIS registered provider is to measure and, as requested, report on participant outcomes. 

This resource is for both NDIS service providers and participants and clarifies what reports are expected from NDIS service providers and how they may charge for the time spent on these reports and other non face-to-face activities.

When does an NDIS participant require a report from an NDIS Provider?

Some NDIS Providers will be expected to provide progress reports to the participant and NDIS at agreed times. This request should be in line with the terms of the Service Agreement with the participant. 

What should a report from an NDIS Service Provider include?

Generally, progress reports should include:

• a summary of the supports provided to the participant
   
• how the support has assisted the participant to achieve or work towards their goals - for example, how their functional ability has changed over the plan period
   
• whether the participant has been linked to any additional informal, community, or mainstream supports to assist them to achieve their goals
   
• barriers encountered during the plan period and the strategies implemented to resolve these
   
• any risk identified to the participant or others
   
• any evidence or other information that may be relevant for the NDIA to consider when determining reasonable and necessary supports
   
• if recommendations for additional supports are made, justification for the recommendation and details of the proposed outcomes are (including the risk and impact on other supports)

NDIS Service Provider Outcomes Report Template

Download our Report Template 

Why do I want to move to a new home?

Knowing WHY you want to move out of home is important. It is important for you and anyone else who is going to be part of this journey with you.  

What will you need to prepare for?

• You will need to tell the people you are living with that you want to move out.
• They may ask why and you will need to tell them.
   

So why do you want to move?

• Some people are happy in their home, but just want to live alone or with different people or move to a different suburb. That is ok.
• Some people are unhappy in their home and just want to live in a home that they like. That is ok.
   

Think about:

• What you like and don’t like about where you live now - this step is important so that you can work out what you want for your new home. 
• What you want is your reason to move out. 
• What you want becomes your goal. 

My Moving Out Goal

Your goal to move out will help you (and your team) to find the right home for you. 

There are many different types of housing, people to share with, suburbs to live in and many ways to get supports and funding. 

If you have NDIS funding, then you should add your housing goal to your NDIS plan by calling NDIA or your LAC. 

If you have friends, or family, you can also tell them your housing goal.  These people will understand how much support you will need to make this move and if extra funding will be required. 

If you are unsure of how much support you will need you can have an assessment done by an allied health practitioner such as an OT, Psychologist or Physiotherapist.

If you currently have support workers, you can ask them to estimate what they think you will need. 

Who will help me move out?

Gather your team of people who want to help you to move out. 

Some people may be paid workers such as Support Coordinators and some may be friends or family. 

Some may help you:

• to understand the housing market or
• ways to help financially or
• drive you around to look at housing options, and
• help you pack your boxes to help you on moving day

How do I include my Housing Goal in my NDIS plan?

Armed with your housing goal and your support needs it is time to book a review meeting with your LAC or NDIA planner to add a new goal. 

Your support needs will probably include some skill-building around independent living such as learning to cook, budget and clean.  If funding for these gets added to your plan (Capacity Building funding) you can start as soon as possible so that you are ready for your moving out day. 

How do I tell the people I live with that I want to move out?

You can plan telling people you live with that you want to move out. They may not want you to move out, so they might be sad. That is ok.

Choose a calm time to talk to them about moving out, such as during a house meeting or dinner, or ask if you can have a chat to talk about something important.  This is when you can tell them the reason you want to move. 

Try to focus on all of the good parts of your moving goal.  This way they can be excited for you and may offer to help you. 

How will I feel about moving out?

Learning to let go of where you currently live and who you currently live with can be hard. 

If you have really been unhappy where you live, you may move out expecting bad things to happen, or to expect everything to be perfect and neither of these might happen. 

If you have been loved and supported, you may expect your new housemate to look after you in the same way, but they probably won’t.   

The people you were living with may miss you so much that they come over all the time, or beg you to come back. 

You may have someone that cares so much about you they come over and do all of the independent jobs for you so that you miss out on experiencing them yourself!

What will happen when I move out?

These things happen to everyone when they first move out. 

As with any adventure, it is important to be excited but also to have a plan for all of the ‘what ifs’, like:

• ‘What if we have a fight’,
• ‘What if there is an emergency’,
• ‘What if I want more privacy’,
• ‘What if my housemate is messy’. 

Have a go at thinking about 'What ifs' during this planning stage so that you are prepared for when you move out.

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This resource was prepared by Christiaan Bramblebee, a specialist housing support coordinator at Your Community Home.

At MyCareSpace we always have our ear to the proverbial NDIS ground and have heard that many participants, doctors, therapists and families have been having trouble when writing or accessing reports and assessments that are not in the correct NDIS speak. 

To write effective supporting documentation for people with disabilities and complex support needs seeking access to the NDIS (or needing to change existing plans), you need to get the words right. 

People with disability seeking access to NDIS funding need to meet criteria of permanent impairment. This requires health practitioners to demonstrate the connection between the health condition and the impairment, and the impact these have on the person’s ability to undertake tasks or activities (activity limitation) and their ability to participate in life roles (participation).

To meet the criteria for disability eligibility, you have to show that the impairment substantially reduces the person’s functional capacity. To do this, health practitioners need to:

1. Use the language of diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation to described the condition and the impairment
2. Build on this to write about activity limitation, function and participation.

AND make sure they use the correct language required by the NDIS.

We did some searching and found 2 great guides to help join the dots between clinical language and what it focusses on, and the words required by NDIS - the language you will need to use in any supporting documentation you provide. 

1) Getting the Language Right -  Summer Foundation's guide to writing for the NDIS
Written by the Summer Foundation which is a Not for Profit organisation supporting, informing and empowering people with disability and their families.

2) Making NDIS Application and Report Writing Easier - A guide to the NDIS for individuals, practioners and families.
Written from a first hand perspective as a Participant, Ms Meredith Whitlaw

Music therapy as a 'reasonable and necessary' NDIS support for people with disability

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is a research-based practice. Music therapy is a profession where music is used to actively support people to improve their health and well-being. Music therapists are musicians trained at university. They study how music can affect behaviours and how people feel and think.

Music affects our bodies, our minds and our feelings. It breaks down barriers of disability and builds bridges of communication, helping us to relate to each other better.  It has the power to change moods, refocus attention, elicit emotions, express feelings, improve speech, improve gross and fine motor skills as well as promote social interaction and improve quality of life. 

Music therapy can be delivered by registered Music Therapists (who must have a post-graduate degree) and by Therapy Assistants under their supervision.

Music therapy and the NDIS

Music therapy has been recognised by the NDIS for inclusion in plans under the support cluster of Therapeutic Supports. 

In the NDIS therapeutic supports are defined as supports that assist the participant to gain skills and improve independence related to identified needs in 5 life areas:

• language and communication,
• personal care,
• mobility and movement,
• interpersonal interactions,
• community living to support positive changes in the person's functioning, development and well-being. 

More recently Music Therapy has received its own dedicated line item in the NDIS support catalogue which is a huge step forward in actively recognising music therapy as an NDIS funded support. Check the latest price for music therapy using our Price List Search Tool.

You may be thinking "why are you telling me this?" Because its important if you want to be funded for music therapy  - you must have goals that the NDIS recognises as being linked to therapeutic supports. 

How can music therapy help you achieve you/your child's NDIS goals?

Challenging behaviours, or behaviours of concern, are seen as a major hurdle to community participation for some individuals with a neurological disability.

For these individuals, everyday environmental stimulation can trigger distress, frustration, fear or other unsettling responses that may lead to behaviours of concern.

Music therapy has been shown to provide individuals with positive behaviour support including mood regulation and management of behavioural triggers. Non-pharmacological approaches to mood regulation and behaviour management are increasingly utilised because of the reduced potential for negative side effects

Music therapy can be used to:

• Manage anger and frustration
• Manage challenging behaviour Increasing skills in behaviour regulation
• Promote mood regulation
• Develop a positive behaviour plan
• Increase community participation
• Increase social engagement

Consider these questions when deciding whether Music Therapy is appropriate:

• Is music an important part of your life? 
• Would you like to share your music time with other people?
• Would you like to explore ways to express yourself more? 
• Could playing music with other people help you feel better? 

Information for NDIS Planning

If you want to include music therapy in your plan, you will need to show how music can help achieve one or more of your goals.

For example a weekly group music therapy session might achieve your goal of increasing social interaction: making friends, meeting people, socialising, communicating etc.

Music therapists also support individual young people who have emotional issues and would benefit from the opportunity to express and share their feelings in a safe and caring relationship. 

Typical goals that are funded by the NDIS and which Music Therapy could help in achieving:

• To give me opportunities to meet people and make friends
• To increase my social skills
• To help me express my feelings, control my emptions and feel happy
• To encourage me to speak using song 
• To maintain or improve mobility, communication and/or cognitive processing
• To improve my social interation with others and learn appropriate behaviour in groups.
• Build my self esteem/confidence.

Sources:

• Australian Music Therapy Association - Music Therapy in Disability Information Booklet
• Understanding the NDIS and how it views Music Therapy
• Gladstone's NDIS now includes music therapy
• What is Music Therapy
• Provider Registration Guide to Suitability (pg 14 & 16)
• Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Providers

What is the NDIS Appeals Service?

Have you been refused access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)? Do you have concerns about your current NDIS plan? You might eligible for a review through NDIS Appeals
 
  
The NDIS Appeals Service provides assistance to people that have concerns regarding decisions made by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) about their access to the NDIS or the contents of their NDIS plan.
 
NDIS Appeals Services are offered across Australia by independent organisations. In NSW, Synapse is a provider of the service.
 
The Synapse NDIS Appeals Service provides independent advice and support to help people review decisions made by the NDIA about their NDIS access or their plan.
 
Who can access NDIS Appeals?

 
The NDIS Appeals service is open to anyone who:
 
has been denied access to the NDIS
is unsatisfied with what is included in their NDIS plan.
 
How much does it cost to submit an appeal?
 
There is no cost to an individual submitting a review through the NDIS Appeals Service.
 
 

What decisions can be reviewed?

 
Synapse can support you through a review of a range of decisions under the NDIS Appeals service including:

if your access to the NDIS has been refused
if you are unhappy with the types of supports funded in your NDIS Plan
if you are not satisfied with the amount of funding included in your NDIS Plan.
 
How does the appeals process work?

 
Our NDIS Appeals team will discuss your situation with you to help determine whether an NDIS Appeal is right for you. The process will involve:
 
Reviewing the documentation you have received from the NDIA. This may be letters regarding your access to the NDIS, or, your NDIS plan.
If you have a NDIS plan, then we'll work with you to understand your goals and consider whether these can be met by the supports included in your NDIS plan.
Our NDIS Appeals team will then provide you with advice on whether proceeding with an NDIS Appeal is the right option for you.
We can then support you through the NDIS Appeals process.
 
How else can Synapse help?

 
The first step is likely to be raising your concerns directly with the NDIA for internal review. There may also be an option for a review through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Either way, Synapse will be with you at every step of the process.
 
Synapse can:
 
assist you in gathering information that will support you in your NDIS Appeal
advocate for you or assist you to advocate for yourself
attend hearings and review meetings with you
assist you to access legal assistance and funding if required during the NDIS Appeals process.
 
If you have a concern or complaint about services related to your disability, Synapse staff can help you raise a complaint and then help guide you through the process. We can assist with complaints to be raised via the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), Fair Trading, NSW Ombudsman, Commonwealth Ombudsman or otherwise.