How do you balance the delivery of best value, person centred support with the commercial reality of needing to achieve your targeted number of billable hours – in particular, when clients have a limited budget for support coordination?
MP – Gain an understanding of a client’s requirements as early as possible. Refer them to the appropriate allied health team/s who will be able to reduce the requirement for support coordination. Request further funding from the NDIA when required.
Be realistic in what the commercial reality will be (i.e. keep the business small and client centred, rather than based on commercial gain). Understand your personal strengths as a support coordinator and deliver that service well to a small number of clients. Resist the urge to expand your business for financial gain
VS – I have faced the situation many times where a client simply does not have the funding but needs support. I have always chosen to support them regardless, and I am aware of who I need to be cautious of.
Once, my efforts did not pay off. The NDIA removed support coordination funding from the plan completely. My client was distraught, but eventually accepted this was out of my control (we had submitted a review of reviewable decision) and we stay in touch.
AT – I stretch the funding as much as I can. However, if funding is running low or there is no funding and they’re still waiting on the NDIA – which always happens – I continue to support participants regardless. I have placed an issue to the NDIA in terms of support needs and limited support coordination funding, and had not received any response and had closed off the enquiry.
SG – We all do home visits in our service, but offer Zoom or Teams meetings. Don’t charge mileage. Our team is provided work vehicles to use, and the company wears the cost, not the participant.
EH – I hear so many times that the NDIS support coordination budget isn’t big enough for clients – perhaps it is just me, but the number of times one of my clients has run out of funding for my services can be counted on two hands.
It is what it is and as a support coordinator we are there to show a client how to make funding stretch and meet their needs. A support coordinator is not a case manager, and as much as other (especially mainstream) services want us to act in that role, we need to consider what it is the NDIS pays us for (as per the price guide) and ensure that is all we are providing.
As a support coordinator, we need to work out a budget and stick to it. We do not have to do everything – that is when we burn out!
I have built my business on individualised support. I meet clients in their homes and design the services I provide around their needs – making sure I know what I can bill for and considering where and how the services are delivered is absolutely part of a discussion. Experience plays a huge part in making sure you provide the services needed.
Also, make sure you are realistic with the service you can provide based on the budget you have – if there isn’t enough funding, what/who and how can you get the support for the person?
HR – When someone has a limited budget, I try to get to know them as quickly as possible, put in services that I think will suit their personality up front, and then monitor from there.
For participants that don’t have such a limited budget, I set up monthly face-to-face meetings with them and tell them to write down questions for those meetings.
SH – I work for a great company that is ACTUALLY person focused. Billable hours are a low priority.
ZD – I just do the best I can with what I have, and if the client requires more support coordination hours, I get that for them using the appropriate avenues through the NDIA.
SC – Make sure that providers are person centred with the service they are providing.
