“When check-ins were first introduced, I received an unexpected call from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) about my brother’s plan. The planner introduced himself, said he wanted to see how everything was going, asked after my brother, and that was it. It was a very casual call – or so I thought.
The issue for us came later, when it became clear that the call we thought was just an informal chat had ended up triggering a new plan for my brother – one that had far less funding than his previous plan and didn’t include the budgets and categories he needed.
My brother still had several months left to go on his current plan, so we weren’t expecting a phone call from the NDIA to suddenly result in a new one being written, especially not one with such a substantial reduction in funding. We really thought the NDIA was just interested in his wellbeing and whether he was accessing all the supports he needed.
My brother has very complex needs and lives in supported accommodation, so the unplanned, unexpected change in his funding had an immediate impact on him and his supports. It had an impact on all of us actually, and it caused a huge amount of stress for our family.
Our ageing parents were really worried about what it all meant. I felt like I’d failed my brother and them by even answering the phone that day – and then again by everyone having to go through a really drawn out and difficult review process, just to get the original level of funding reinstated.”
This is the experience of Anna, who’s a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) nominee for her brother, Lee.
Maybe you’ve heard a story like theirs before, or maybe it’s similar to your own. But with the NDIA now telling participants to expect check-ins in the future, we want to arm you with the information you need so you can stay in control of your check-in conversations.
To help, we’ve checked out everything the NDIA is currently saying about check-ins, and we went to two experts – Kelly Butler of Focal Community Services and Elizabeth Hickey of AFA Support Coordination – to find out more.
According to the NDIA, a check-in is a phone call or a face-to-face conversation with your ‘my NDIS’ contact – which means a Local Area Coordinator (LAC), Early Childhood Partner (ECP) or NDIA planner. For participants who are unable to join in the conversation – or who can’t participate alone – that’s where their nominee or child representative steps in. Support people are also welcome to join.
The NDIA says check-ins are designed to make sure your plan is working for you, and you have the right supports in place. By understanding your needs and situation, the Agency can help you manage any problems, so you can make the most of your plan.
During a check-in, you might be asked about your wellbeing, if your circumstances have changed, and what is and isn’t working in your plan. Based on that information, the NDIA may:
Elizabeth says check-ins provide an opportunity to review your supports and request different ones if needed.
“The NDIA may ask a participant if they’re happy with the supports they’re receiving, what sort of supports they’re getting, and if things are stable,” says Elizabeth.
Kelly says participants are able to have an appointed advocate present during a check-in, and they or their advocate can voice what the participant needs and wants out of their NDIS plan.
“The planner will, however, deem what’s reasonable and necessary,” says Kelly.
According to the NDIA, if your situation is stable, the Agency will usually check in every 12 months – at least two months before the reassessment date in your plan – to ask you what’s worked and what changes you may need.
Not every participant requires a plan reassessment each year, so be prepared to have a check-in instead.
The NDIA may check in more often if you have big changes coming up that could impact your needs, if you have a complex plan, if you’re relatively new to the NDIS and still on your first plan, or if you’ve asked for more regular check-ins.
Your ‘my NDIS’ contact may also get in touch more frequently if the Agency notices you’re spending more or less money from your plan than is expected, or if you’ve told them about a change in your circumstances. You can also expect to hear from the NDIA if they need to check on your safety – for example, if there’s a natural disaster in your area.
According to the NDIA, you’ll be asked during your planning meeting or plan implementation meeting when you want your first check-in, and a date will be agreed. At the end of each check-in, you’ll agree on a date for your next check-in too.
Elizabeth says participants usually receive an SMS letting them know a couple of hours in advance if an NDIA representative plans to call – and the call typically comes from a private number. She says the phone call may not seem like anything special, but rather like a chat to confirm that things are going ok, that you have supports in place, and you’re happy with the supports you’re receiving.
“Many times, participants don’t even realise it’s a plan check-in unless they ask,” she says.
There are times when check-ins don’t eventuate as expected, and some participants have reported receiving funding cuts or new plans that don’t include the categories of funding they hoped for or needed. That’s what happened to Anna and Lee – and it’s why prior preparation, and confirming if a call from the NDIA is actually a check-in, is vital.
According to the NDIA, about two months before the check-in date you’ve agreed upon, the Agency will contact you and explain what the check-in conversation will cover, how long it will take, and what you need to do to prepare. The NDIA will also let you know if there’s any evidence or information you’ll need to have with you.
The Agency says that, on average, a check-in will take 45 minutes, but this will depend on your situation.
When preparing for a check-in, it’s a good idea to think about whether:
Kelly says when funding is decreased and specific line items are removed off the back of a check-in, this usually occurs due to lack of evidence provided.
She says provider and physician reports and letters of recommendation are key documents she gathers and submits to the NDIA before a scheduled check-in.
“If a participant doesn’t have support coordination, they should be reaching out to their providers and asking for progress reports, and uploading them in their portal to the NDIS,” says Kelly.
Elizabeth echoes the importance of planning.
“Around six months out from the end of your plan, start requesting reports. You can consider if there are any changes to your goals and supports that may need to occur and get justification for these, if needed,” she says. “It doesn’t matter at what point in a plan the check-in occurs – preparation should be the same.”
If a check-in doesn’t go as expected, Kelly says participants, their nominees and support coordinators can ask for an internal review of a decision, which means someone who wasn’t involved in the original decision will have a look at it and check if it’s correct under the law, or if the decision needs to be made again.
According to Elizabeth, the NDIA is expecting a short call to ‘check in’ and the aim is to complete that call at the first attempt. However, a participant or nominee can ask if the call is a check-in and if the Agency is using that call to reassess the participant’s current plan. If it is, they can decline the check-in in favour of a more formal and thorough planning meeting.
On the other hand, if a participant is happy with their current plan and a 12-month roll over suits them, they may decide to have the check-in conversation as soon as possible.
If you decide to defer a check-in discussion until you’re ready and able to have it, according to the NDIA you can ask to end the conversation and reschedule it until you’ve had more time to think, or until you can have a support person with you.
“After that first check-in call, I learned to make sure the providers my brother works with submit regular progress reports and end of plan reports, so we have everything we need when the time comes for a discussion with the NDIA,” says Anna.
“We work as a team with him, his support coordinator and providers to bring together all the evidence he needs for plan-related discussions with the Agency, and we don’t have those discussions until he and we are ready – however long that takes.”
The NDIA has now told every participant to expect them, so learn what they’re about and when they’re likely to happen, and be prepared!
Check-ins can take place every three to six months, depending on the complexity of a plan, if a participant is spending too much or too little of their funding, or if the NDIA thinks a participant’s plan isn’t working for them.
Whether you have a support coordinator or you’re doing it alone, make sure all your providers are on the same page about the supports you need, the evidence you need to provide to the NDIA so it will fund those supports, and the timelines everyone needs to meet in order to provide their documentation to you.
Ask your providers to submit regular progress reports and end of plan reports to bring together all the evidence you need for plan-related discussions with the NDIA.
Be prepared to hear from the NDIA at any time – and know you have the right to ask if the discussion the Agency wants to have is a check-in. Remember, you can defer a telephone discussion until you're ready and able to have it – or you can request a planning meeting. You can also ask for the opportunity to have the right people in the room or on the phone for the discussion, and for time to get together the information you need.
Don’t have a check-in discussion if you’re unprepared, if you don’t have the right people involved, or if you’re not able to give the conversation your full attention. It’s a vital conversation and it’s about you – so don’t feel rushed or distracted.
If you receive a call from the NDIA, ask for a reference number – all interactions with the Agency should have a reference number and you can request this number so you can record it and refer to it at a later date.
For the latest NDIA information about check-ins, click here.
If you’re a participant in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), every dollar counts. And experience tells us that getting your goals right can make a big difference when seeking more funding or asking for additional budgets and categories to be added to your plan.
In short, well-crafted, up-to-date goals can equal more funding for you to live your best life – because goals that are on point will better communicate what you need and want, and how you hope to get there.
But setting goals correctly in the NDIS takes both practice and experience, and sometimes that first, second or third attempt at goal-setting won’t be your best. Or your circumstances may have changed and the goals you set earlier may no longer be current or serve you well.
So, how do you fix or update your NDIS goals to align them with the funding you’re after? And who can help? We spoke with Caitlin Nothard, a senior support coordinator at Help Enterprises, and Stephen Dowdy, a specialist support coordinator at Plan Pilot, to get the answers.
We know that goals have a direct impact on funding, but don’t take our word for it. Stephen says that within specific areas – like behaviour support, occupational therapy or speech pathology – clearly written goals identifying a specific need can guide how funding may be allocated.
And Caitlin says the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) uses a participant's goals – together with their previous plan, diagnoses, and allied health reports – to determine the level of funding allocated per plan period and whether a one, two or three-year plan period is implemented.
It’s confirmed: goals impact funding. But how do you set them? According to Stephen, it’s good to formulate goals that guide funding – with statements like:
‘Kate would like support to access the community and increase her social connections.’
Or
‘Jake’s parents would like him to increase his communication skills to help him find and maintain a job.’
These goals indicate what supports are required. The first goal may lead to an increase in Core Supports funding and the second goal may lead to funding for a speech pathologist and a disability employment service.
According to Stephen, a well-structured goal is called a ‘SMART’ goal, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. An example of a SMART goal is:
‘During the next 12 months, I’d like to improve my mobility so I can walk to the shops unaided.’
A goal like this indicates the participant may need to be engaged with support workers who can walk with them to build their confidence in their own abilities, link with a physiotherapist and/or an occupational therapist for assessment, and undertake ongoing therapy for gross motor skill functionality.
Echoing this, Caitlin says it's important to create goals that reflect not only the participant’s desires, but also the disability-specific supports that are required.
Conversely, a poor-structured goal like: ‘I’d like to go to Disneyland’ is vague and doesn’t provide guidance for appropriate supports to be engaged to meet the participant’s needs.
| Poorly-structured goal | Well-structured goal |
|---|---|
| “I would like to move around better.” | “During the next 12 months, I would like to improve my mobility so I can walk to the shops unaided.” |
Caitlin says a well-structured goal is true to both the aspirations and support requirements of a participant.
Stephen says the number of goals included in an NDIS plan depends on the participant’s current circumstances and disability.
“There should be a minimum of three goals – at least one to indicate any core funding needs and potentially two that identify any allied health supports required,” he says.
“A child diagnosed with autism level 3 and an intellectual disability may have numerous needs, like occupational therapy, physiotherapy, behaviour support and speech pathology – and therefore they may have five or six goals. Alternatively, an adult with mild intellectual disability, who only requires support to access the community and some minor assistance around the house, may only have two goals.”
Caitlin agrees there’s no magic number, but says goals do fall into recurring themes.
“Every participant is unique and has choice and control over their goals and plans,” she says. “These goals can be broad, to cover a range of areas, or they can have a specific focus. We often find recurring themes included in plan goals.”
Caitlin says common themes include:
Stephen says it’s good to review plan goals during every plan reassessment, however many plans are being rolled over, meaning participants aren’t offered the opportunity to ensure their goals are still relevant to their circumstances.
“Support coordinators should discuss participant goals prior to a plan reassessment, and their NDIA planner or local area coordinator should also discuss goals during the planning meeting to ensure they’re still relevant to the participant,” says Stephen.
According to Caitlin, you can review your goals and plan whenever you want to. If a participant has a support coordinator, they can set regular check-ins to track progress and discuss potential updates.
“If a participant experiences significant impact to their day-to-day life or ability to hit goals, they can request to change their plan with some support from their coordinator,” says Caitlin. “That’s where we can come in to help a participant review their plan goals though a change of situation form.”
A planner or local area coordinator should also be able to work with you to make sure your goals aren’t overlapping or duplicating.”
In short, your support coordinator, NDIA planner or local area coordinator can help you develop new plan goals, and request to update them in your NDIS plan. They can assist you to write new goals too.
If you suspect your goals aren’t quite right, be sure to contact them.
We asked Stephen and Caitlin to share their top goal-setting tips. Here’s what they told us.
Stephen
Caitlin
Becoming a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant can be life changing. It means you’ll finally have access to funding to pay for supports to live life the way you want to.
It’ll come as no surprise then that, following acceptance into the Scheme, you may feel a flurry of relief, excitement and anticipation – at least, that’s what we hear from many of our clients!
And those positive feelings don’t need to give way to confusion or worry about what to do next, because we’ve gathered the information you need to know from the beginning of your NDIS journey, so you can get the most out of your NDIS plan.
Yes, the Scheme is complex, and yes, there’s lots to learn. But we’re here to help! Together, we can set you up for success.
Here’s what you need to know.
Firstly, as an NDIS participant, you have rights – and you should know about them.
All providers and workers are bound by the NDIS Code of Conduct, and they must respect and uphold your right to safe and quality supports and services. You can access the Easy Read version of the NDIS Code of Conduct here.
As for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), it has a Participant Service Charter that explains what you can expect from it. For example, it includes a Participant Service Guarantee, which sets out the timeframes the Agency must adhere to when making decisions about things like Scheme access, plan reassessments, reviews, and nominee changes. We’ve written more about that here.
You’ve got your plan, and you’ve got your funding… but how exactly do you spend it? The answer to that will be as unique as you are, and a plan manager (like My Plan Manager) can help.
Together – through a budget conversation – we can look at the length of your plan, the categories and budgets included in it, the funding you’ve got, the supports you need, and how often you want to access them. From there, we can set money aside to cover your costs, and create a visual picture of how much you can spend in different areas across the lifespan of your plan.
If you have a support coordinator, they can join the conversation too, or you might like to involve a plan nominee, family member or friend. The more people in your support network, the better!
In the meantime, here’s a quick guide to NDIS funding.
Put away the pen and paper, and close that Excel spreadsheet, because we’ve got the tech to help you keep track of your plan spending with ease.
A digital platform that displays a clear, convenient, real-time picture of your NDIS budget and gives you more control over your plan funding and spending, our secure client portal can be accessed via your computer or on your mobile phone through an app.
It’s available to all My Plan Manager clients, and you can grant access to others (like your support coordinator and family members) if you want to.
Through the client portal (web and app) you can:
You can also contact us directly through the mobile app by pressing ‘click to call’ or by requesting a call back.
A service agreement is an agreement between you and your provider that makes it clear what you have both agreed to. Usually, a service agreement will cover:
When you supply service agreements to us, we can set aside the service fees outlined in the agreement so you’ll always have enough money to cover your supports.
If you catch public transport, you’ll know there are ‘on-peak’ and ‘off-peak’ times that dictate the price of your fare. That’s similar to provider rates in the NDIS.
Rates can vary across weekdays, weekends and public holidays – as well as between mornings, afternoons and evenings. So, it usually costs less to access supports on a weekday morning than it does on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday evening.
Maximum provider rates are set out in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, which you can find here.
Inflated pricing in the NDIS is sometimes called ‘price differentiation’ or a ‘twin pricing regime’. It occurs when a provider charges a participant more for a product or service than they’d charge a person who’s not in the Scheme.
To make it fairer for participants, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is making providers more accountable by homing in on price differentiation and releasing a number of new pricing rules – meaning when you’re charged a higher rate because you’re a participant in the NDIS, you can contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission at [email protected] to let them know.
The two most common unexpected fees that catch participants out are transport costs and cancellation fees – but now you know about them, you may be able to avoid them.
Providers can charge your NDIS budget for the cost of travel when they spend time accompanying you out in the community, or when they travel to you or incur expenses, such as parking fees and tolls. You can reduce travel costs by accessing local providers, and by arranging less frequent appoints that run longer.
Cancellation fees can be trickier to avoid, but here’s our ultimate guide to them. The guide includes this tip – that cancellation fees only apply if your provider can’t fill your appointment with another client or divert their staff member to another job.
Unfortunately, filling out paperwork doesn’t stop with your Access Request.
There are several key documents that you or your providers may be asked to deliver at one stage or another of your NDIS journey to ensure you keep receiving the funding you need.
For example, if your support needs change, your occupational therapist may be asked to supply a functional capacity assessment, a provider report or a letter of recommendation. And you may have the opportunity to supply a lived experience statement or a carer impact statement – learn how to write those here.
The NDIA will schedule a check in with you every year to explore how you’re going with your plan. A check in can take place face-to-face, by phone or online – and you’re welcome to include a family member, support coordinator or someone else who supports you.
During your conversation, an NDIA representative may ask you how you’re going with your goals, how you’re using funded supports in your plan, and if you have any questions.
If you’d like support with understanding and managing your NDIS funding, we’re here to help. You can email us at [email protected] or call us on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.
When you’re a person with disability, it’s more than likely you have a whole host of professionals in your life. Allied health staff, disability support workers, support coordinators… and plan managers, like us!
Together, there should be strong working relationships. But the reality is that pretty much every relationship – personal and professional – will have a bump or two in the road along the way.
While you’re working with professionals, we’re all human, everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes we can miss the mark. At times like these, you may need to speak up.
It’s rare to find someone who enjoys confrontation. But there are ways of being assertive and empowered that can make sure you get the care and support needed – and which you’re paying for. It might take a difficult conversation or two, but it can be done!
NOTE: Difficult conversations don’t relate to concerns of abuse or neglect by a provider or professional. If you’re concerned about the immediate safety of yourself or a loved one, dial 000 for assistance.
To report abuse, neglect or exploitation to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, phone 1800 035 544 or visit the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission website.
To report abuse or neglect of a child (with or without disability), contact the child abuse report line or child protection department in your state or territory.
More general information about safeguarding National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is available here.
Did you know that communication is the most common underlying cause of complaints in the healthcare system, according to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care?
That statistic doesn’t include the NDIS, but we can conclude that this cause of complaints shows up in the Scheme too. If you’re finding communication is a stressor, take heart in knowing it’s a common problem – and there are steps you can take to fix it.
Service agreements may seem complicated, but their purpose is simple: to set out in writing what you can expect from a provider, and what they can expect from you. It’s key to creating better outcomes and a positive experience, and it’s exactly why a service agreement is recommended.
Check your service agreement to understand what your provider has committed to, and what you can expect from them, before you enter into a difficult conversation. If a provider isn’t fulfilling their end of the agreement, this creates a quick case to fix it.
When you’re having a difficult conversation with a provider, it’s key to know your rights. A lot of people avoid confrontation because they don’t want to seem ‘difficult’, but that doesn’t serve them. Knowing your rights as a participant can change that mindset, and help you to create a more convincing case, advocate for yourself, ask better questions, and hold providers more accountable.
The NDIS Code of Conduct sets out expectations of how providers and workers will conduct themselves when delivering services and it’s a good place to start if you want to brush up on what your rights are. It’s created to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of people with disability by setting out acceptable, appropriate and ethical conduct for NDIS providers and workers.
The requirements in the NDIS Code of Conduct are fundamental to the rights of people with disability, as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
You may also want to refer to the NDIS Practice Standards, which outline the legally binding quality standards that registered providers must adhere to. Together with the NDIS Code of Conduct, the NDIS Practice Standards can help you know what you can expect from registered providers.
You may choose to have an independent disability advocate speak, act or write on your behalf. It’s their responsibility to assist you to exercise choice and control and to have your voice heard in discussions about matters that affect you. You may also choose to use an independent disability advocate when you make a complaint.
For more information about how to find an advocate, click here.
If you have a support coordinator, they can speak, write and act on your behalf too.
It’s hard to get the outcome you want without knowing what it is. That’s why it’s good to head into a conversation with clear objectives.
Write down the outcomes you want to achieve, then work backwards and write down the questions you want to ask. This can make the conversation more structured and strategic, and geared towards serving you better.
In stressful situations it can be hard relying on your memory. It could also be good to prepare notes that you can refer to and even share after the conversation.
You might want to make notes about:
Don’t underestimate the importance of writing things down as they happen or as soon as you remember. It can help you and your providers identify any patterns, and it could be the key to finding solutions or resolving matters faster.
Alternatively, you could use voice notes or ask a friend or family member to take notes for you.
People with disability can experience barriers to having their voices heard, which is where advocacy is vital. In this case, it’s recommended to contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and let them know.
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability recognised these barriers and made specific recommendations around enabling autonomy and access for Australians with a communication disability.
The Disability Royal Commission delivered its final report – its vision for an inclusive Australia – in late 2023. You can find the easy read version here.
Most professionals want to do a good job. And they want to be able to fix things if they’re going wrong. If possible, bring an open mindset to your conversation and tell everyone you want to work things out as a team.
You could say:
Did you know that up to 90 per cent of communication is conveyed by our tone of voice and body language?
If you’re having a stressful conversation, it’s very common for your tone of voice to convey how stressed you are. And that’s okay.
Sometimes even just acknowledging that our tone of voice sounds harsh can be a way of dispelling stress around the conversation.
If disability impacts your tone, behaviour or body language, it doesn't hurt to reiterate that, even for providers who've worked with you for a while.
For example, try saying something like: “I find it really stressful having conversations like this. I already don’t like making eye contact, so thank you for understanding that I definitely don’t want eye contact in this conversation. It’s not personal. It’s just me.”
Don’t be afraid to ask everyone in the conversation to slow down, repeat information, or even stop and take a break. It’s important you have time to collect your thoughts, understand what’s being said, and make your voice heard.
You could use break time to regroup, reassess your thoughts, go over any notes, or chat to your support person or loved one.
This could be a good way to keep the ball rolling and also make use of any notes you prepared or took during the meeting. You can reiterate your points, make requests, and play an active part in setting a plan for the future.
And remember, don’t delay a conversation. The earlier you can communicate an issue with your provider, the better – and also the earlier they can work to fix it.
We’ve all experienced it at some stage. We’ve sat across from an expert – like a doctor, a chemistry teacher or a financial adviser – who used technical words that didn’t make sense.
What they were saying sounded right, but it felt really complicated. And because of that, we didn’t take action.
If you’re serving clients, this contains a valuable lesson that complicated communication simply doesn’t cut through.
You might be an expert who cares for your clients and has the knowledge to serve them well. But expertise isn’t everything that goes into providing a great service – and communication that’s complicated can be disempowering and cause people to walk away.
FACT: Within the service-based sector, consultants who speak and write to their market at the level you’d expect a child in Year 4 or Year 5 to understand are known to achieve better results. That’s because simple converts.
This means that whether you’re asking a person to buy a luxury car, explaining an exercise program, or recommending technology to assist them, simple works better.
To that end, we wanted to share four free tools that automate clear and simple communication. They can help empower your clients to get better outcomes, which equals better results for your business too.
Whatever you’re writing, simply copy and paste it into these apps (excluding private information) and they’ll do the work for you.
Using these tools can keep you aware of the importance of making verbal conversations simple too.
Hemingway App is a free tool that highlights lengthy, complex sentences and common errors. If you see a red highlight, your sentence is too dense and complicated – so try to simplify it.
Grammarly is a free tool that recommends improvements and highlights mistakes as you write. Unlike Hemingway, you need to download and install it. It contains paid upgrades.
Microsoft Word's readability tool does spelling and grammar checks. When Word finishes checking the spelling and grammar, and errors are corrected, you can choose to display information about the reading level of the document, including readability scores.
ChatGPT certainly disrupted the market when it launched! If you're using it, remember to exclude private information, because everything you put into it trains the technology to become smarter. But, you can remove personal information and run the rest of your content through it, asking ChatGPT to rewrite it to make it easier to read. Then, you can check your content again in Hemingway.
Happy writing and, for your clients, happy reading!
PS. If you’re a client and you think one (or more) of your providers could benefit from knowing about these tools, share this article with them!
Do you want to do something that’s almost guaranteed to improve your mental health?
You don’t need any money right now and you can start immediately… pretty much as soon as you read the next sentence.
It’s planning a holiday!
It doesn’t have to be a big holiday – though, if someone wanted to invite us on an international trip, like the Grand Tours of Europe of old, we’d find it hard to say no – it could literally be a staycation in in an undiscovered area of your home town.
But here’s the magic – it’s the anticipation of planning a trip that gives us such a boost.
Whether it’s thinking about what you’ll do, who’ll you go with, or what you’re going to eat (ahem, surely that’s not just us!)… planning the trip and looking forward to it is one HUGE part of the joy of travel.
So, let’s get those endorphins sparking now as we set off with our ultimate guide to planning your next holiday. And we’re talking everything… the journey AND the destination. So buckle up!
This is great to ensure you catch the travel bug – check out what other travellers are recommending!
We love Have Wheelchair Will Travel, founded by former travel consultant Julie, whose son Braeden is a wheelchair user and non-verbal. Julie has a great focus on accessible accommodation, tips and tricks for long haul flights and how to plan your perfect trip (while also being prepared for the mishaps of travel).
Another excellent source of travel inspiration is Flynn Rigby, founder of Everybody deserves a holiday, which focuses on travelling when you have an invisible disability. Flynn, who’s non-verbal and on the autism spectrum, loves planning and taking holidays and sharing his experience of tourism with an invisible disability – but no mobility access needs.
If you’re looking for comprehensive accessible tips for the United States and beyond (like Egypt, India, the Caribbean, Europe and more), you’re going to love the award-winning Curb Free with Cory Lee. Cory, a wheelchair user, has travel tips, inspiring interviews and itineraries galore!
The saying goes, if you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel. Also, some countries – like the United Arab Emirates and Singapore – won’t allow you to enter unless you have travel insurance.
When you’re overseas, the Australian Government won’t pay medical bills or other costs, including medical repatriation flights back to Australia, if things go wrong.
The Government’s Smart Traveller website has general information about travel insurance, while Compare Travel Insurance offers a disabilities guide.
You don’t have to declare your disability, but it’s probably a wise choice to be up front about it. This is because of the term ‘pre-existing condition’.
While you may not consider disability to be a condition, in the eyes of insurance it can be considered as such. Some disabilities would be automatically covered with no extra cost, some are conditions to declare that you can have insured for an extra fee, and some will be excluded from travel insurance. In short: it pays to ask.
For more information, read Smart Traveller’s travel insurance buying guide.
There’s no one size, fits all when it comes to insurance. Make sure you check with your travel agent or travel insurer about the items and services you need, like:
There are places around the world with some viruses which can be life threatening – for example, yellow fever, which is endemic in parts of Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Some countries won’t allow you to enter without evidence of a yellow fever vaccination, or you may have to be vaccinated on arrival.
That’s why it’s best to do your research and meet with your GP or a travel doctor about recommended vaccinations for you. Find out more here.
And, of course, while we take a holiday, our health doesn’t. Talk to your GP about your general health and anything you can do to maintain your health while travelling or prevent any negative changes to a chronic health condition.
Do you have different access needs? Organisations like Accessible Accommodation can connect you with holiday properties around Australia that meet your needs.
Push Adventures, a travel consultancy founded by wheelchair user Scott Crowley and his wife Clair, has partnered with Big Heart Travel Agency for a focus on accessible travel. You can find out more about that here.
And these are just two of many… just Google ‘accessible travel agent’ and you’ll find loads of choices.
No matter where you are in your travel planning journey, make sure you keep all your receipts to make any National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) claims easier! Remember, if you’re plan managed you can claim from both registered and unregistered providers (and plan management doesn’t cost you anything!).
If you’re interested in becoming plan managed, you can talk to us to find out more. Just give us a call on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.
Are you staying local to your town, city, state or territory? Is the open road calling your name? Then a road trip is perfect!
And have you considered camping or staying in a cabin in one of Australia’s National Parks? Don’t be fooled – there are loads of accessible options in our great outdoors.
If you’re travelling further afield or overseas, then of course a flight could be in the mix.
Or does the lure of the high seas appeal? Cruising is perfect for when you want to visit multiple destinations… but unpack only once! Or perhaps you’re planning to live it up on board the ship, with the journey itself being the true holiday appeal.
Things to consider:
If you’re a wheelchair user or you use mobility aids, you could be forgiven for thinking that National Parks aren’t for you. Well, they can be – if you want them to!
Check out the National Parks website for each state and territory to explore parks with wheelchair accessibility.
Some sites also offer information about wheelchair accessible accommodation, wheelchair accessible fishing spots, and accessible canoe launch sites. You can also research social media for information on park visits, find virtual reality park tours, discover the go-to spots for wheelchair accessible cave visits, or find out where to grab an all-terrain mobility wheelchair.
Below are some websites and pages to get you started:
Along with the anticipation, being as prepared as possible means you’ll be able to be more confident.
The Australian Government has information about security screening at airports for people with specific needs, including people who use mobility aids or prosthetics, people who are vision or hearing impaired, and people who need to travel with medical equipment or medication.
Not every disability is visible and, sometimes, it can be helpful if people know and understand you have a disability and might need more time, patience and support. This is especially true when you’re at the airport!
You might want to consider using a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. Recognised at airports in Australia and around the world the Hidden Disabilities Sunflowers makes sure those in the know are aware that you might need some extra support.
Also, keep an eye out (or search before your trip) as some airports have special features. We love Adelaide Airport’s official Facility Dog, Elmo, a very good boy who’s there to provide support and receive pats from nervous travellers, and the world’s first Recombobulation Area in Milwaukee in the United States, where people can put themselves back together after passing through airport security.
Do you need assistance throughout a flight? That could be with mealtime management, taking medication, using the aircraft toilet, orientation, communicating with flight crew – the list goes on. If so, you can apply for a Qantas Carer Concession card through People with Disability Australia.
The card offers discounts on your ticket and discounts for your carer. There’s a fee to apply and it lasts for three years.
If you’re blind or vision impaired and you have a current Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card with blind entitlement, or a current travel pass for Person with Vision Impairment issued by a state or territory authority, then you don’t need to apply for a separate Qantas Carer Concession Card.
Virgin Australia also has a range of services to support people with disability, including a Disability Concession Fare. Find more information in their Guest Accessibility Plan or their website.
What if you need a support worker while on holiday?
While you’re travelling, you may need to bring along a support worker to provide you with assistance, and their invoices for direct support time might be able to be claimed from your NDIS budget.
If you need intermittent direct support during travel time, you should negotiate this with your provider (especially in the event of long haul travel, as this could add up to a very large invoice).
You may wish to explore hiring a local support worker who lives in your holiday destination, which may be more economical than paying for a one to travel with you.
You might be able to use your NDIS plan outside of Australia for up to six weeks, and the NDIA may extend this (find information here), but it’s best to speak with your plan manager, support coordinator or the NDIA before making any plans or incurring any expenses.
What about when you’re on the ground? Public transport is one of the cheapest, most interesting, and greenest ways to see a place – with the added bonus of feeling like a local!
This is a great guide to accessible public transport in Australia.
Your National Companion Card is an invaluable resource! Using it means you pay for your own entry or ticket, and your support worker or carer can attend with you for free.
Your state or territory-issued Companion Card is valid around Australia at venues and with tourism operators that recognise it.
You can find more information, including how to apply, here.
If you opt for a tour, a company that specialises in accessibility will lead you on the flattest, smoothest, shortest tour routes.
Before you take a tour or hire a guide, ask these questions:
Anyone travelling needs to take as much care with their medications as they do with their money and passports. Don’t pack them in checked luggage, and don’t leave them lying in the open in your hotel room. And always make sure you’ve got enough medicine to last you an extra day or two, just in case your travel home is delayed.
It’s recommended that you keep a list with the names of any essential medicines you take, and their dosages, so you can try to replace them if needed. If you take a brand name medication, write down the generic name too. Even better: try to find out the name of the medicine in the language of the destination you’re travelling to.
Keep your medications in their original packaging where possible and consider travelling with a hard copy, printed letter from your doctor or specialist (on their treating rooms’ letterhead) explaining what your medications are and what they are for.
If you’re going to be travelling solo, you should let others know your daily itinerary. Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back, then stick to your schedule. Keep a mobile phone on you at all times and ensure you have roaming activated.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a list of ‘Before You Go’ recommendations.
This doesn’t mean exhausting yourself during every moment of your holiday – even the trip of a lifetime will have some down days or times when things don’t go to plan. And sometimes, it’s the moments where things go wrong that turn into memorable, happy accidents where we do something we weren’t planning to do!
So, make the most of your time away, enjoy some rest days, see new things and… have a happy holiday!
Scammers are getting more sophisticated in their attempts to steal people’s private information and move their National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding into their own pockets. This can be done using a variety of simple but increasingly common tactics, like a text message, email or phone call from a scammer masquerading as a disability provider.
You have to be careful to keep your funding secure, so we’re here to guide you on some of the most common scams reported.
Scammers use phishing to steal confidential information through fraudulent messages so they can commit a crime.
In phishing attacks, people typically receive a text message, email or phone call claiming to be from their bank, a company, or a person – and they’re usually asked to click a link to transfer funds or provide information, like a credit card number.
If you’re contacted in this way and asked to provide confidential information – like your NDIS participant number – it could be a scam. Be sure to report it to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) by calling the NDIS Fraud Reporting and Scams Helpline on 1800 650 717 or by emailing [email protected].
A compromised email attack is type of phishing attack that involves a scammer taking over the email account of a business and tricking a person into sending them money or providing confidential information. For example, a scammer may pretend to be a disability provider and send you an email to ask for your myGov password or your NDIS participant number.
When a scammer claims they’re someone they’re not to get hold of confidential information, money or funding, this is known as an impersonation scam.
Scammers are also known to set up fake email addresses that look legitimate but aren’t. Often, they include the name of a well-known company to help to convince a person to share private information.
Another type of cybercrime is email spoofing, which involves a scammer changing an email template to make it look the same as an email from a legitimate sender. They do this so they can get confidential information or money.
When a cybercriminal uses email spoofing to submit fake invoices to a plan manager, this is known as accounting fraud.
When a scammer – claiming to be from a legitimate company – contacts a person and convinces them to hand over control of their electronic devices remotely (by installing malicious software or enabling remote login), that’s known as a remote access scam.
Remote access scams can be initiated via a phone call, email, or text message, or even through pop-up ads that claim the user has a virus and include a phone number to call to fix it.
Remote access scammers gain access to personal information of the person they contact – information like their NDIS participant number, bank account details or credit card number. Often, they try to intimidate the person or use technical words to confuse them and create a sense of urgency.
For more information on scams, click the links below.
If you receive a text message, email or phone call that asks you to share your information, and it’s unexpected or doesn’t look quite right, be sure to stop and think before you do anything.
The NDIA explains how to report suspicious behaviour here. Alternatively, you may wish to contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
For people with disability, consistent access to reliable supports is vital. But keeping those supports in place across the festive season can get complicated and leave you feeling vulnerable and alone – especially if the providers you count on are taking time off for the holidays.
We chatted with Cassandra Bell, a specialist support coordinator at Blue Iris Support Services, to get her tips for managing the impact of the festive period on supports. Emily* – another experienced support coordinator – also gave us some useful insights and ideas.
If your regular support worker is taking time off, there are things you can do to manage disruptions and maintain continuity of supports. What you do will depend on whether your support worker is independent or employed by a service provider, and if you have a support coordinator, a Local Area Coordinator (LAC), or neither.
With that in mind, if your support worker tells you they won’t be available, we’ve got some tips to guide you on what to do next.
If the person who supports you is employed by a service provider, their employer will know in advance that they’re taking annual leave, and it will be their responsibility to cover the absence with a different staff member.
Make sure to keep communication open with both your support worker and the organisation they work for, so you’re told well ahead of time about any planned absences and given the opportunity to have input into which replacement staff are engaged to support you.
“If your support worker is independent and they tell you their intention is to go on leave, and you have a support coordinator, let them know,” says Emily. “Your support coordinator will discuss your options with you.”
Some of the options worth exploring include:
“If you don’t have a support coordinator and your support worker’s independent, it’s wise to have a plan in place for when they’re not available,” says Emily.
According to Cassandra, if you have a good rapport with your support worker, you may want to consider asking them to help you to identify other providers to help fill support gaps.
“If your support worker is unable to assist, you or your support coordinator can always touch base with your LAC office to seek assistance to connect to additional providers over the break period,” says Cassandra.
She says LACs are well networked and can usually assist National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants with referral and connection to new providers. Recovery coaches and social workers can also help with support connection.
Whatever supports you have in place, preparation is key.
“Holiday periods often make access to supports difficult,” says Emily. “Service providers often have increased support requests over holiday periods and reduced staffing availability, and independent and sole traders may have reduced availability over holiday periods too.”
“Don’t leave it until the last minute to ensure you know what’s happening with your supports.
“You should also check the service agreement you have in place with your support provider. What does the service agreement say the support provider will do in the event that your usual supports are unavailable? What are the required notice periods for either party cancelling a shift?”.
Cassandra says it’s good to communicate with providers, so you’re prepared for known and unforeseen events.
She recommends keeping a diary or calendar of leave planned by your regular support workers and, wherever you can, starting conversations early to help with advance planning so you can secure the supports you need.
There are several public holidays and weekends during the festive period, and across all of them providers typically charge higher rates. It’s critical to factor these rates in to ensure you don’t run out of funding.
“If you’re not funded for support hours on weekends or public holidays, it’ll be important to review this with your provider, support coordinator or recovery coach, to see if the provider is willing to negotiate their rate to accommodate the hours,” says Cassandra.
“Or, if you know there’s a particular activity that’ll occur on a weekend or public holiday, you may need to decrease your support hours prior to the activity in order to ‘bank’ your hours to ensure you can attend.”
For those who are unable to negotiate reduced rates or utilise current support hours flexibly due to the level of support needed, Cassandra recommends submitting a change of circumstances to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) or requesting a review of a reviewable decision.
“For both of these, it’s critical to have supporting evidence – such as occupational therapy reports, positive behaviour support practitioner reports or supporting letters from your provider,” she says.
“If you’re not funded for a support coordinator, recovery coach or social worker, you can seek assistance from an appropriate advocate to support you through the review process. Advocates work separately from – and aren’t funded by – the NDIS, so there’ll be no imposition to your plan to access this type of support. It’ll be about the capacity of the advocate if they can take you on.”
To supplement the roster of support workers, Cassandra also suggests approaching informal supports, such as family or friends, to see if they’re able to provide additional support during the holiday period.
Of course, downtime during the holiday break doesn't stop at support work – your therapy provider could be shutting up shop during the festive period too. And if this happens, it’s important to start planning early, so your progress isn’t affected by their absence.
“You should be having open discussions with your provider or independent support worker about what support you need over the closure period and working with them around how to achieve this,” says Cassandra.
“Keep in mind you may need to be flexible to ensure that your workers also get time off to be with their families and friends as well!”.
If you access allied health supports, consider asking your clinicians if there are any exercises, activities or programs they can create to carry you through the closure period, and ask them to show you how you can complete them with your support workers.
“If you require more health-related supports, make sure you connect with your general practitioner and community health providers to come up with a plan for your support, including any risk management plans (if necessary),” says Cassandra.
We asked Cassandra and Emily for their top tips for keeping supports going during closure periods. Here’s what they had to say:
#1 Start planning as early as possible with your providers, support coordinators, or recovery coaches. Give your providers time to sort out their staffing rosters and remember, it’s good for your support workers to also have breaks and time with their family!
#2 Speak to your allied health clinicians to see if there are any activities or programs you can complete with your support workers to ensure you can still make progress towards your goals.
#3 Come up with a plan or a risk management plan of what you expect to happen if things deteriorate or escalate. This could include discussions with your providers, general practitioners, and hospital or mental health teams.
#1 Ensure you’re aware of the terms of the service agreement and schedule of supports you have in place with your support providers. Ensure there’s a shared understanding of how supports will be provided in the event of a support worker becoming unavailable.
#2 Plan ahead. Speak to your support workers and other services to ensure that you’re aware of any planned changes to your supports and any periods when your regular support workers may not be available.
#3 If you have a support coordinator, keep them in the loop with the discussions you have with providers. Reach out to them as soon as possible if it looks like your regular provider will be unavailable and you’ll need assistance to find an alternative.
#4 Check your NDIS budgets if you need to change shifts, providers or support arrangements. Ensure you can afford the changes you’re seeking and aren’t faced with the pressure of unpaid invoices after the event. If you have a support coordinator, they can assist you with this.
*Emily is not her real name.
No one likes to wait, whether it’s at the bank, the local café, or at airport security. But with waiting lists for therapists in some areas of the country blowing out to weeks and even months, queueing to see a provider is a reality for participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
That’s why we asked three sector professionals for their tips on how to get to the top of the waitlist faster, as well as recommendations on how to progress towards your goals while you wait.
Lean in and learn from their practical advice – and hopefully speed up the process for securing those much-needed appointments!
Katie McKenzie recently swapped a career as an early childhood partner – where she regularly connected people to service providers – to join My Plan Manager’s Community Engagement & Partnerships team.
It’s against that backdrop that she confirms that waitlists for allied health services can range from a few weeks to well over a year. But she says there are several easy-to-adopt strategies available to help participants to keep moving forward.
“I’ve seen families accessing free, short term therapeutic intervention through schools, early years centres, community allied health centres, and non-for-profit organisations whilst they’re on private waitlists for NDIS-funded supports,” says Katie.
“I’ve seen families promoting their child’s development at home with strategies they’ve learnt through videos and online information sessions made available to them whilst they’re waitlisted. These resources are often not readily available on websites and may require a link from a service provider.
“And I’ve seen families attend local inclusive playgroups and library sessions. Both provide children with opportunities to build new skills and have fun doing it.”
Although Katie’s tips are child-focused, they can easily be adjusted to meet the needs of adults with disability too.
She suggests looking at the mainstream and community supports available in your area and recommends getting in touch with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) if you’re worried about losing funding because you’ve been unable to use it while waiting to access supports.
“It’s unlikely that you’ll lose funding due to circumstances that are beyond your control,” says Katie. “You might also receive some extra support to locate services with availability.”
With a wide range of providers under one roof, Ability Action Australia is familiar with the tips and tricks NDIS participants use to cut down wait times and use their funding more efficiently.
The business’ Relationships Manager, Joshua Preston, says it starts with using your support needs and goals to inform the delivery of allied health services.
With some supports able to be delivered by providers across a number of disciplines – from occupational therapy through to physiotherapy and exercise physiology – Joshua says savvy clients leverage the overlap of service to their advantage.
“If an allied health provider has immediate capacity for physiotherapy or exercise physiology, and there’s a 12-week wait time for occupational therapy, services can commence with the physiotherapist or exercise physiologist until the occupational therapist becomes available,” says Joshua.
So, if you’re up against a queue, speak to your provider (especially if they operate within a multidisciplinary practice) to see if one of their colleagues or peers may be able to support you while you wait for them to become available.
A lot of people don’t know that telehealth – which removes the need for a face-to-face appointment – can be useful when there are long waitlists in your area.
“In a situation where face-to-face is preferred, but telehealth is still suitable, work with the allied health provider to create a plan where telehealth is used initially until there’s availability for in-person supports,” says Joshua.
Alternatively, if age, support needs or other factors mean telehealth services just won’t cut it, an alternative therapeutic model based on parent or caregiver coaching, rather than direct intervention with the participant, can be an effective option.
Jemma Grunsell-Kerr, Director at Sydney-based support coordination provider, Marli and Moe, agrees.
As the head of a team of support coordinators, Jemma is all too familiar with the impact that provider wait times have on NDIS participants, and together with her team, she’s learnt the tricks to overcome them.
“If there’s a queue, a participant could ask their provider if they could get into a telehealth session to be seen faster,” says Jemma.
She’s also seen people take advantage of the shorter wait times that come when seeking assessments and reports, rather than an ongoing program of therapy, and says some participants use their support workers to implement recommendations made by practitioners following an initial assessment.
Therapy assistants and informal supports are also used to assist people to implement therapeutic strategies while they wait for allied health providers to become available.
If a participant is younger than seven with developmental delay or younger than nine with disability, they may be able to access early childhood intervention supports through a key worker – like an early childhood special educator or paediatric allied health professional – who will work alongside the participant, their family members and carers.
When the waitlists for allied health services are long, Joshua suggests asking if a key worker is available.
“To achieve what’s needed for a participant, a key worker forms a multidisciplinary team, where they collaborate with specialists, like occupational therapists and speech therapists, then implement the therapeutic interventions and coordinate all reporting,” he says.
Allied health professionals are well connected and often know other local providers, and Joshua recommends tapping into that knowledge base to get the supports you’re after.
“Don’t hesitate to ask a provider that has a long waitlist if they know of other local providers with capacity,” he says. “Most of the time, providers will be more than happy to collaborate and refer to one another so participants can receive the support they need in a timely manner.”
He also suggests approaching educational institutions, such as universities, which often offer student-led clinical services that are simpler to access than private providers.
Jemma also encourages participants and support coordinators to follow up contact with service providers after a referral has been made, to keep the participant's name top of mind.
“I contacted a practitioner directly on LinkedIn who I had no connection with after a referral was put in. That sparked them to check in with the intake team and the referral was fast tracked to get the initial booking scheduled,” she says.
Depending on the complexity of a participant’s needs, or whether they’re in a crisis and require time-sensitive supports, some providers have extra provisions in place or are able to escalate referrals due to priority requirements.
“If a participant’s in a crisis and doesn’t have a support coordinator, they can call their provider to explain their situation to potentially escalate supports,” says Jemma. “This is a great strategy."
”A participant could also request assistance from their local area coordinator, early childhood partner, or NDIA planner regarding this, plus any other service providers they’re currently engaged with.”
Jemma says health and hospital engagement pathways can also be explored as an interim measure.
“For example, if a participant is linked with a certain section of a hospital, such as the brain injury clinic, they can see therapeutic supports through the health system within the clinic at the hospital location,” she says.
And here’s a hack a lot of participants don’t know about – there are health care and mental health care plans available through a doctor’s referral that can be used for a small number of allied health sessions. The plans can assist with engaging both registered and unregistered providers at a reasonable out of pocket cost.
Typically, Agency-managed participants can only see providers who are NDIA registered, but if they’ve found an unregistered provider that has capacity to support them in a shorter timeframe, they can ask that the Improved Daily Living category in their plan be plan managed so they can access a broader range of providers.
“If the non-registered company provides services through Medicare, the participant can ask their doctor to provide an allied health plan or a mental health care plan in the interim for capped sessions,” says Jemma.
Jemma also says providers should consider the individual circumstances and needs of each participant. She recommends case conferencing with the participant, their support coordinator, their multidisciplinary support team, and informal supports to identify strategies to get things moving.
“There are always options for service providers to get creative with things and have stakeholder or multidisciplinary catch ups (if other services are engaged) to see what they could do to fill the gaps of other services they’re waiting a long time for, such as charity or community supports that could be options,” she says.
Katie told us that, in a deep sea of providers, finding the right one often starts with a simple internet search.
“You’ll find NDIS platforms such as Kinora (created by My Plan Manager), Kynd and Kismet that can connect you directly to service providers,” says Katie. “There are also service directories such as Health Direct, Clickability, and Disability Support Guide that list information and contact details for thousands of allied health providers.”
“Or you could use the ‘find a therapist’ search function on official allied health websites such as Speech Pathology Australia and Occupational Therapy Australia.”
To finish on a bang, here are Katie’s top three tips for getting to the top of the waitlist quickly.
Tip #1: Different waitlists move at different speeds. Add yourself or your child to more than one.
Tip #2: Remember the adage ‘the squeaky wheel gets the oil’. Don’t just wait. Regularly check in with service providers.
Tip #3: Watch for new allied health services popping up in your area. New services can have shorter waitlists.
And a bonus tip if you have or care for a child in the NDIS: Not everyone has a support coordinator, but if you do, they can open up doors to help you to receive therapies quicker.
If you have a small support coordination budget, you can lean on an early childhood partner instead – they should be able to help you access therapies quicker and their support doesn’t cost you anything.
