Charlotte’s an affectionate young girl who likes school, swimming and cuddles from mum. She has two older brothers who couldn’t care more for their sister!
Charlotte’s mum, Kylie has watched her grow up and transform in the world – a journey that’s helped Kylie to create stronger bonds with each of her kids and seen her grow too.
Kylie says that today, Charlotte is thriving.
“She goes to every class at school and her favorite subject is maths,” says Kylie. “She’s caring and considerate towards other kids and she’s very social too. She really likes the water – it’s a sensory thing.”
Kylie has put a pool in at home, where Charlotte likes to swim, and it’s brought a lot of fun to the household!
But a few years ago, their lives looked different.
Charlotte, who has autism, could only attend school for a few hours each week, she had issues with other children during play time, and she became an expert at going on adventures away from her house.
“I couldn’t watch the boys play rugby because Charlotte would have a meltdown when I brought her with me. Whenever that happened, being out was too much,” says Kylie. “I’d have to divide my time up between the boys whenever Charlotte was asleep.”
To create a more harmonious home life and to help Charlotte to thrive, Kylie set out to find and engage therapists to assist. She found recommendations on social media and through Kinora, an online community created by My Plan Manager, and she did her own research too.
Kylie and Charlotte started working with a play therapist and an occupational therapist, and the outcomes Charlotte has achieved have meant Kylie’s been able to return to work full time and she’s feeling much more present for all her kids. The family is currently planning an interstate holiday, the first since Charlotte was a baby.
Being included in her environment means everything to Charlotte, and thankfully today the world is more inclusive. According to Kylie, it’s not uncommon for her to hear of other children with autism when she’s speaking with friends.
“You speak with other parents of children with autism and see what they’ve done and what’s worked and what hasn’t. Having those conversations is like sharing a recipe back in the day – it’s completely normal,” says Kylie.
“Autism is out in the open, and more importantly, it’s accepted. Having a community to share stories and guide you can change everything.”
Kylie and her family live in South Australia, and in 2023, the South Australian Government introduced improved support services for students with autism, which included appointing an autism inclusion teacher in every public primary school. Having a teacher who understands Charlotte and what she’s experiencing has made a big difference to growing her capacity at school.
Kylie says her journey with Charlotte has transformed her for the better.
“It’s taught me more patience and understanding with all of my kids. I understand the National Disability Insurance Scheme better than I ever have, and I’ve had to build a positive mindset to set an example for my kids,” she says.
“I’m so grateful for what Charlotte’s taught me and how that’s helped me give back. I’m very proud of Charlotte and everything she’s doing.”
Finished reading? Check out Ben's story here.
Payment disputes are rarely black and white, and between National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, their providers and other stakeholders, there’s often several shades of grey!
Few providers like the task of administration and invoicing, and fewer still enjoy the process of following up outstanding invoices.
We spoke with Around the Well’s Selwyn Child to explore common reasons why invoices go unpaid, strategies at your disposal to find a resolution, and ways to minimise not getting paid in the future.
An experienced NDIS support coordinator, Selwyn explains there are many reasons why a client may refuse to pay an invoice – or be unable to. Top of the list are:
So, what do you do when an invoice remains outstanding?
Selwyn says maintaining a professional, empathetic and solutions-focused approach is key.
“The aim is to achieve a resolution that respects the participant’s dignity and rights, while ensuring the provider can continue to offer their services,” says Selwyn.
“If a client hasn’t paid, it’s a provider’s responsibility to continue providing support where possible, especially if services are critical to the participant’s wellbeing.”
With this in mind, here are five strategies at your disposal to approach the situation constructively.
It’s an obvious first step, but often an effective one. When an invoice is outstanding, Selwyn explains a provider can have a conversation with their client, or their client’s representative, support coordinator or plan manager to find out why.
The reason could be simple, and quickly addressed. If not, more problem-solving may be needed!
If you find out your invoice hasn’t been paid because your client doesn’t have sufficient funds to cover the cost, they may be able to leverage flexible funding (if they have it). For example, they may be able to move funding from one funding category to another to pay for the services or supports you’ve delivered. That’s where a plan manager (like us!) or a support coordinator can assist a client by providing them with expert advice about their plan’s flexibility.
“Core Supports are generally the most flexible, allowing funds to be reallocated across different supports within the Core budget,” says Selwyn. “However, shifting funds between Core and Capacity Building or between Core and Capital categories usually requires a plan review and approval by the NDIS, and a compelling justification based on changing needs or goals.”
Selwyn says maximising the effectiveness of NDIS budgets and navigating the flexibility between different funding categories requires an understanding of the NDIS framework, particularly the principles outlined in Section 34 and the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
In the instance of a client experiencing a significant change of circumstances that’s resulted in the exhaustion of their funding and your invoice remaining outstanding, their plan may require reviewing.
Selwyn explains that providers can, with the participant's agreement, advise either the participant or their support coordinator to initiate a plan review with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), in line with the NDIS framework.
It's important to note the NDIA is unlikely to allocate additional funds simply because the existing funds were depleted, particularly if this was due to how the plan was managed. But if the initial funding allocation proved insufficient due to a misjudgement of the participant's needs or if the participant's circumstances have evolved, necessitating different supports, then a request for a plan review is the appropriate course of action.
“This step is crucial for ensuring that participants receive the tailored support they need, reflective of their current circumstances,” says Selwyn.
“Providers can contact the NDIA directly for advice on how to proceed when a participant has run out of funding. The NDIA can provide information on the process for requesting additional funding or an early plan review.”
Remember, before having any conversations with the Agency about your client’s plan or funding, make sure you have your client’s consent, respecting their privacy and rights under the NDIS framework.
When insufficient funds isn’t the barrier to receiving payment, but client dissatisfaction is, Selwyn suggests getting to the root of the problem together, or with a neutral third party.
“Engage in open and empathetic communication with the participant to understand their perspective and address any concerns or misunderstandings directly,” he says.
“It’s crucial to review the service agreement together, as it outlines the expectations and obligations of both parties, and to discuss any discrepancies between the services delivered and the client’s expectations.
“If this direct approach doesn’t resolve the dispute, the provider can suggest involving a neutral third party to help facilitate a resolution.”
Selwyn adds that providers can also seek guidance from the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, which offers resources and support for resolving disputes between providers and participants.
“Throughout this process, maintaining detailed records of services provided, communications, and attempts at resolution is essential,” says Selwyn.
“Providers should remain committed to finding a resolution that respects the client’s rights and needs, while ensuring that services are appropriately compensated.
“This balanced approach encourages a resolution that supports the ongoing provider/client relationship and upholds the principles of the NDIS framework.”
If a resolution hasn’t been found, providers can contact the NDIA for guidance about how to proceed.
The Agency can offer advice, and in some cases it can intervene. Make sure you’ve exhausted all available avenues for resolution first though, including internal dispute resolution mechanisms, mediation, and consultation with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
There’s steps you can take to minimise the risk of your invoices going unpaid.
Clearly worded service agreements are key to managing the financial relationship between providers and their clients.
“Be sure your service agreement outlines the scope of services, payment terms, schedules, and the dispute resolution process,” says Selwyn. “Ensure the language is accessible and clearly understood by the participant.”
“Take the time to explain service agreements to clients, focusing on payment obligations and how services will be billed.
“Check they understand their plan budgets and how your services fit within them.”
Transparent pricing is vital too, and best practice providers are up front about the cost of their services, often providing a detailed quote alongside an explanation of the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and how their services are billed against it.
This clarity helps participants to budget for the supports they need, so they can work with the providers they choose.
To support clients and assist with continuity of payment, Selwyn recommends implementing a consistent billing cycle and issuing regular, itemised invoices that clearly correspond to the services provided.
He says regular progress reports that outline service outcomes and participant achievements can also help clients to see the value a provider delivers and open conversations about supports and the wider client/provider relationship.
“Establish open lines of communication for participants to express concerns or changes in their support needs,” says Selwyn.
“Being responsive and flexible can prevent minor issues from escalating.
“Providers may want to schedule regular meetings with their clients to review service agreements, discuss services and outcomes, and address any potential issues early in the picture.
“Keep detailed records of services provided, communications, and any adjustments to the service agreement. Documentation can help resolve disputes by providing a clear history of the relationship.”
Support coordinators have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. They need to get to know their clients, build relationships of trust with them and their support networks, foster positive engagement with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and providers of disability and mainstream supports, and coordinate a team of wrap around supports designed to assist their clients to achieve their goals.
But what about their own goals? Where do they find time for those?
In recent months, we’ve convened an editorial roundtable to bring together support coordinators from across Australia in a virtual forum to discuss a range of topics and issues impacting them and their work. We’ve passed the baton to Elizabeth Hickey of AFA Support Coordination, one of our roundtable members, to cover off on a key issue arising from recent discussions – how to build a successful business in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) marketplace.
In this article, Elizabeth shares her perspectives and learnings on how to build a business and juggle client needs and the delivery of quality service at the same time.
For any National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) business, no matter the size or type, balancing service delivery and business processes with bringing in the next client is vitally important.
One of the biggest issues facing many support coordinators today is ensuring they’re able to juggle the jobs that bring in money, along with administration and business building tasks – all while ensuring they deliver a quality service and avoid falling casualty to burnout.
For every business, but especially NDIS businesses, ensuring every client receives quality service is paramount, and should be the number one focus. As disability service providers, we should be aiming to assist all people with disability and their supports by delivering quality services that empower people, support choice and control, and help our clients to live in their communities in the way they’d like to.
When asked, most clients say they want a provider who’s approachable, able to assist and help in developing solutions to their problems, available when needed and willing to help them achieve their goals. Remember, without clients you don’t have a business, so the clients you already have on your books are more important than the clients you may potentially have tomorrow. By focusing on a quality product, everything else will fall into place.
Client load is one of the make-or-break points for quality service, staff retention and business reputation. Understanding how many clients you can work with, and what the client need actually is, is as individual as the clients you work with, and typically it can’t be pinned down to one number.
Every support coordinator will have a different skill level and different strengths, and this may impact on the number and type of clients they’re able to manage. While billable hours are key to the equation, remembering that your hourly rate includes an amount to cover administration and training (and then ensuring it’s implemented!) is important, as those two things will directly relate to the end quality of your service.
When looking at client load, you also need to consider the type of clients you work with and where they are on their NDIS journey. Ensuring there are a variety of clients with different levels of need in your business is important, so you can spread what’s required of you a little more evenly.
Allow for a balance of need, but also for movement through the service. When looking at client need, clients will typically fall into two different categories:
Having a mix of both types of clients can help to ensure that when things get busy, you’re less likely to have everyone calling at once.
Regular and ongoing review of your client load is critical, as is consideration for how many new clients you can manage at one time.
When onboarding a new client, you should think about the amount of time you have available to help get them set up and fully engaged, which can be intensive.
Making sure you know how many new clients you can work with, while also providing ongoing services to your current clients, should be a consideration for all businesses, and remaining focused on reporting and planning – and scheduling time to do this – is important also.
It isn’t unusual for a number of clients to need support and reports all at once, so knowing what your schedule looks like for reporting and planning can be important in ensuring ongoing quality.
One of the comments I regularly hear from clients and providers alike is that communication is key to providing great service.
Clients are individuals and, as such, each client will communicate differently. Ensuring their communication needs are met – both for routine needs, like putting service agreements in place and booking appointments, as well as for service delivery – can be a huge part of ensuring quality. If you can communicate in a way that meets each client’s needs, you’ll have the basis for a great service.
All NDIS service providers (registered and unregistered) are bound by the NDIS Code of Conduct, which is a great place to start when measuring how well you’re working to provide quality service, and deciding where to focus for further business and worker development.
As an NDIS business, working to empower people with disability and their informal supports to make decisions about their lives, and providing supports that are safe and respected, is the basis of great service.
Understanding the concept of choice and control, and dignity of risk, allows providers to support people with disability to exercise their freedom of choice and explore what their life means. A good worker is someone who’s able to support a person in their choice, even when they may not agree with the decision the person has made.
The NDIS Code of Conduct is also a roadmap for reviewing your service delivery. You should regularly seek feedback from your clients – whether it’s through a casual conversation, informal and formal reviews or surveys, or even complaints – to identify potential improvements that can help serve them better.
Ongoing improvement and training for workers is paramount to ensuring that a business continually develops. Improvement can be something as small as changing an invoice number to better identify your business and make it easier for a self managed client to pay the bills, or as big as training in customer service, if that’s a weakness.
Documenting every business process is vital to support delivery of a consistent, quality service, but there are times when documentation can cut into client time and compromise outcomes.
One of the biggest things I’ve learnt in business is that having the right systems in place can save time, help serve clients better, ensure you’re compliant and you meet the standards you’re upheld to, help manage risk, and make you even more attractive to new clients.
Many new businesses may not have the time or capital to invest in streamlined systems. However, even a simple system that’s easy to implement can make a huge difference to compliance and risk and the ease with which you can grow your business.
One of the easiest and cheapest ways I found to set up systems to manage different processes was to use the inbuilt forms tool through Google Workspace. This allowed me to create easy spreadsheet data entry for processing – including risk management, continuous improvement recording, personnel training/education registers, client intake and exit processes, and quality review recording. It allowed me to design and record the information my business needed, while keeping an easy-to-use record.
Once you have them in place, it's important to review systems and processes to make sure they’re working and helping to reduce time spent on tasks that don’t create income. One consideration should be the time spent completing the different workflow tasks – both client directed and administration focused – and if you’re able to implement a system that will reduce the time required, sometimes paying for it up front is a better investment in your business in the long run.
Systems that assist, including business registers, and accounting and client management software, should be reviewed regularly and not set and forgotten. By continuing to consider different options and improving your business in small steps, continued growth will naturally occur, along with the ability to easily show compliant systems and supports are in place.
Every business is different, and both the systems you need and the clients you work with will vary. Identifying what makes your business special, and different to others, is important when considering how to balance the client experience and business development.
No NDIS business will, or should, suit all clients – because, just like the people we serve, each business is individual. Focusing on what you do well and providing a niche service can help to ensure everything your business delivers is quality.
It’s easy to fall into the mindset that you’re competing against all the other providers who do the same thing as you do for clients. But comparing yourself to others is probably the worst thing you can do.
The NDIS is still growing. In December 2022, there were approximately 573,000 participants, and this is expected to grow to 670,000 by 2025. By identifying your perfect client, letting people know who you work with, having a great reputation, knowing who else is out there, and then referring clients you can’t serve to others, you’ll benefit your business and ensure you get to work with the people you can best support.
Working in the disability industry for more than 20 years has taught me one big lesson. For an NDIS participant, the best way to find support is to ask around.
Word of mouth is the best form of advertising for a business within in this sector, simply because people talk and the disability community is just that – a community. It’s close knit, extremely supportive, and will offer guidance to its members. So, doing the right thing – and being known for it – will serve you well.
When it comes to word of mouth, networking is key. Connecting with other businesses and having great relationships with others will ensure you’re able to access services, get help when you need it, and also refer clients if you’re not the right service or you don’t have availability at the time.
Connection to networking and training opportunities is also a fantastic way to ensure your business is participating in ongoing education and training and keeping up to date with changes, both in the NDIS and your local area.
I’ve come to learn the following five things are important to building a successful business:
Work with clients to find the way they need you to communicate with them to get the best results. Communication can look like an in-person catch up, a phone call, an email, an SMS, a direct message through social media, or a physical letter. Every client will have a difference preference for communicating.
Their decisions are not yours, and your job is to assist them to be supported, so they can make the right decisions for them – even if they’re not decisions you might make for yourself.
Make sure you document everything, but don’t let it compromise service. Whether you own the business or work in it, you should aim to document things in a way that someone new can easily understand. This ensures clients can continue to receive services and the business is compliant.
Even though the initial investment in systems may be daunting, in the long run it may mean you’ll actually free up time and capacity and make more money than before. You might even find a little time in the day for yourself!
Figure out what you do best and don’t try to be everything to everyone. By developing a business that serves a specific group of people well, word of mouth will do most of your advertising for you, and you won’t need to worry about getting clients.
When looking at how to build a business that balances client expectations and growth, providing quality service should be the top priority for every business owner.
By ensuring you have a quality service that sells itself, a sustainable client load, and that you focus on continually improving your service, you can know that your business will be sustainable and continue for many years to come.
With residents of Queensland and New South Wales continuing to be impacted by severe wet weather and flooding, the team at My Plan Manager wishes to extend its support to our clients, their families, and communities in both states.
We are thinking of you all, and we are here to assist with identifying and connecting you to some of the important supports you may need at this time.
For the latest updates in your region, including evacuation orders, visit the Queensland SES or New South Wales SES websites.
For disability related supports, including the urgent replacement or repair of assistive technology, please call the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) national contact centre for help with flood related matters. NDIS supports can be approved over the phone in some circumstances.
Contact the NDIS national contact centre on 1800 800 110 and press ‘5’. NDIS staff will advise you about the assistance that is available and outline the next steps for you.
We also recommend you contact your support coordinator or local area coordinator for further assistance.
To discuss access to your NDIS plan funding, you can call My Plan Manager on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (ACDT) Monday to Friday.
