Partnering with participants – how support coordinators and service providers work with their clients to avoid NDIS budget blowouts

Running out of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funds isn't good for anyone. For your clients, a budget blowout could mean they miss out on continuity of supports that are vital to achieving their goals. For you, a budget blowout could have a significant impact on your workflow and income.

It's clear it's in everyone's best interests for plan funding to be spent at a Goldilocks pace – not too quickly and not too slowly, but just right!

We spoke with five experienced support coordinators/recovery coaches to get their advice on how providers can attract and serve loyal clients by supporting them to avoid over and underspending their plan funds. Our editorial roundtable – a think tank that brings together support coordinators from across Australia to share insights, experiences, challenges and solutions with others in the disability community – has unpacked the issue for you.

Read on to find out which budgeting tools they recommend, what to do if a client is running low on NDIS funding, and how to support participants to get the most out of their NDIS plans.

Partnering with participants – panel members

• Kylie Walker (KW) – Owner, Healthy Emporium
• Danni Bament (DB) – Managing Director, Aspire Recovery Connection
• Elizabeth Hickey (EH) – Support Coordinator, AFA Support Coordination
• Zena Dyson (ZD) – Specialist Support Coordinator/Team Leader, Esteem Care Services
• Aylin Taylor (AT) – Support Coordinator, Tailored Options 

Here’s the questions we posed and the answers they gave. Click on each question to open up their answers and learn more. We hope you get as much out of it as we did!

1. Why is it important for participants to budget their NDIS plan spending? How do they do that and what tools and supports are available to assist them?

2. What are the impacts of overspending and/or underspending an NDIS plan budget?

3. What role does a support coordinator play in assisting their clients to understand their overall budget and the different categories of funding within it – and helping them to budget and allocate their funding to the supports they need?

4. How closely do support coordinators work with plan managers and other providers to assist participants to manage their funding?

5. What are your top three tips for helping participants to get the most out of their NDIS plans and avoid budget blowouts?

6. How can providers (e.g., allied health, accommodation etc) support their clients with budgeting? What can a provider do to set their clients up for success from the outset, so their NDIS plan funding is available for continued supports.

7. If a participant is running low on funding and thinks they won’t be able to continue to access the supports they need, what can support coordinators and other providers do to help them?

8. What are some creative ways participants can get more bang for their NDIS buck so they can access supports for the entire duration of their plans (e.g., booking therapy sessions that are less frequent, but run longer, to reduce overall spend on provider travel)?

9. What are some alternative funding streams and supports that participants and their family members may be able to access via mainstream services (e.g., Medicare)?