How to Develop Your Own NDIS Plan (2023 Guide)
NDIS planning can seem intimidating, but it’s not as scary as it sounds. In this article we run through the process and all the things to keep in mind to get the most out of your NDIS plan.
In this article:
How to Develop Your Own NDIS plan
What is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is Australia’s disability support program designed to help those who live with intellectual, physical, and other types of disabilities. The program involves creating and funding individualised plans to meet specific goals in a participant's life, providing support for people with disabilities, their families, and their carers. With the NDIS in place, Australians living with disabilities below the age of 65 are entitled to support designed to promote social development, connectivity, confidence, and general wellbeing.
Who is eligible for the NDIS
To apply for the NDIS, a person must:
Have a permanent disability that significantly affects their ability to take part in everyday activities,
Be an Australian citizen or hold a permanent or Protected Special Category visa and,
Be aged less than 65 years old at the time of first entry to the NDIS.
What is an NDIS Plan?
Participants entering the NDIS for the first time will take part in a planning discussion with a member of the operation. The purpose of this meeting is to identify the challenges facing the participant and build a comprehensive support plan that will help them thrive. Every person living with a disability has unique needs, so it’s vital that a plan is custom-built to their situation and they have choice and control over it.
How to get NDIS support
If you meet the access requirements and are not currently receiving support from another disability program, you will be able to apply for support from the NDIS. The first step is to complete the NDIS Access Request Form. Make an access request over the phone by calling 1800 800 110, or work with their Occupational Therapist (OT), allied health, and specialist medical professionals to assist with providing the required information.
Preparing for your planning discussion
It pays to prepare for your planning discussion to ensure that you’re able to clearly communicate your needs – or the needs of your nominee – and that nothing gets overlooked. Covering all of your bases will help you get the best outcome from your NDIS plan.
Things you will be asked about in your NDIS planning discussion:
your personal details
your safety, including equipment, accommodation or help to take care of yourself or your home
the goals you want to pursue
ways to manage your plan
the support you need to use your NDIS plan
Other things you may want to consider before your planning discussion:
Your community and mainstream support
You’ll likely be asked about the community you have around you. Understanding what kind of support you are already receiving will help to identify weaknesses that the NDIS can assist with, and empower those in your life to continue helping you.
How you manage everyday activities
The nature of your daily tasks, as well as your comfort performing them, will help determine the best option for support. If you’re unsure what’s important to mention, spend a day noting what you’ve done and how you’ve felt about it to get an idea.
Your goals
The NDIS’ key focus is helping people with disabilities to achieve their maximum potential. For this reason, your goals will affect which supports are funded by the NDIS.
All of these things will be considered in assigning your funding and building a plan for lifelong success.
Setting goals for the NDIS
Goals are one of the most important parts of your NDIS plan. This is because for a support to be funded, it needs to be linked to an outcome described in your plan.
You might not be sure what you want from the future, and that’s okay – your plan will first focus on your short-term goals, giving you time to consider what’s ahead. Discussing goals with your friends, family and carers is a great idea and can help you understand your own aspirations.
It can also help to start by thinking about what’s important to you. Maybe you like to attend certain group activities like book club, or feel you want to improve how you communicate. From that, you can determine what your goal should be. Using the book club example, a relevant goal might be to go to more community events like it. Based on that, you and your planner can identify what support you need to achieve that goal.
Other goals you might consider include:
Staying safe in your home,
Increasing your confidence in the community,
Learning skills and doing more things yourself,
Building relationships and connecting with your family,
Improving your independence.
Managing your NDIS plan
Another key question in your planning conversation will regard the management and budgeting of your NDIS plan. You’ll have the option to put the execution of your plan in the hands of a registered plan management provider, the NDIS, a trusted person or yourself.
Self-managing your plan gives you complete control over the funds provided to you. You will be responsible for requesting and paying the invoices related to supports you have received through your plan. You’ll also get to choose your own support providers, including those not registered in the NDIS.
It’s important to know that you’ll still be required to use any funding to assist your journey to achieving your goals, and you’ll need to inform the NDIS of how your supports and budgeting are helping. Choosing to self-manage can be a great idea if you feel confident to take on more responsibility, as taking control can help you feel empowered. Even if you aren’t self-managing your plan, you’ll always have the control to choose which supports you receive and who provides them.
What happens once you have your plan?
Once the NDIS approves your plan, you’ll get a copy within 7 days. During the planning conversation you will be asked about how you’d like to receive your plan. Once your plan is with you, you can start using it to buy your supports. Your plan officially ‘starts’ on the day it is approved by the NDIS. Your local area coordinator or support coordinator can help you start using your plan.
Can you change your plan?
Once it’s approved, you can still make revisions to your plan, and you can also create a new plan if you need one. If you want to change the information about you and if you want to add new goals, the NDIS can change your plan to include this.
Please get in contact with your local area coordinator, support coordinator, or planner if you’d like to request for any changes to your plan. The NDIS also has a form you can fill out.
How to choose an NDIS Provider
If you’re self-managing your NDIS plan, or even if you aren’t, you’ll still get to choose which providers deliver the supports in your plan.
You can use the NDIS Provider Finder tool to help you search for registered providers in your area. The information provided includes contact details and a list of the types of support each provider can give you.
You can also ask your friends, family and carers for recommendations. Other people with disability in your community may be able to share their experiences with particular providers, which could help you make a decision.
Once you’ve found some potential providers, it’s a good idea to get in touch and ask some questions. This could include:
How much do they charge?
Do they have experience working with people who have your type of disability?
Can they provide the supports you need?
What are their availability and hours like?
You should also feel comfortable asking providers any questions about themselves and their services. If you don’t feel comfortable or if something doesn’t seem right, trust your instincts and look for someone else.
Read more in our detailed guide: How to Choose the Right NDIS Service Provider
How Tunstall helps support people living with a disability
Tunstall Healthcare is a registered NDIS provider. It’s our goal to empower those living with disabilities to live life on their terms. With a global track record of over 60 years in empowering people to live safely and independently in their own homes, Tunstall works with service providers, health professionals, and NDIS participants and their families to aid people living with disabilities to achieve their goals.
We provide individualised care through our assistive technology and Connected Care services, offering funded products and services through the NDIS to support the safety, independence and confidence of people living with a disability. Through NDIS funding, we can provide personal alarm packages with optional fall detectors, epilepsy sensors, and other peripherals and accessories. Our personal alarms connect to our 24/7 Customer Care Centre, where qualified Care Consultants can provide help and support when participants need it most.
Learn more about how we can help you develop a tailored support plan by contacting our NDIS team on 1800 079 758 or at ndis@tunstall.com.
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