Support coordination: Lessons from the trenches – Question 8

Lessons from the trenches – panel members

• Miranda Purchase (MP) – Support Coordinator, MP Coordination
• Veronica Santomingo (VS) – Support Coordinator, Richmond Fellowship Queensland
• Aylin Taylor (AT) – Support Coordinator, Tailored Options
• Sue Grier (SG) – Managing Director, Let’s Connect Support Services
• Elizabeth Hickey (EH) – Support Coordinator, AFA Support Coordination
• Hannah Redford (HR) – Support Coordinator, Tulip Coordination
• Sabine Hazlett (SH) – Support Coordinator, Lifestyle Mentor Services
• Zena Dyson (ZD) – Specialist Support Coordinator/Team Leader, Esteem Care Services
• Sera CrichtonAita (SC) – Support Coordinator, Australian Regional & Remote Community Services

The NDIS is a complex beast – how do you stay up to date so you can navigate the system effectively for you and your clients?

MP – Relevant Facebook support coordinator network groups, and subscribe to the NDIA newsletter, DSC blogs and Growing Space.

VS – A spreadsheet with important review dates, reports, and reminders.

AT – I receive ongoing emails from provider support and the NDIA newsletters, as well as staying connected with other large organisations that provide similar updates.

SG – I’m part of many online groups, have membership with NDS, do training through DSC, and am on ongoing email lists with NDIA provider engagement. I also attend network meetings.

EH –

• Networking, being on all the mailing lists that are for your area (both location and service delivery niche) and paying attention to the NDIS information is imperative to staying up to date.
• Treat the price guide like a bible (even for self-managed participants).
• Be aware of the historical documents (Reasonable and Necessary support Across the Lifespan and COAG Agreement) and the NDIS Act.
• Stay up to date on what is coming out of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
• Participate in local NDIS information sessions (direct from the NDIS and from organisations like NDS).
• Have a membership or two – e.g. Disability intermediaries Australia, NDS or NDP, DSC etc. Some are free and some are paid.
• Become part of an appropriate paid association for your profession.
• NETWORK – though networking you can utilise the connections, so if you don’t know something, need help or support, your network can usually help.

HR – I find the best way for me to stay up to date on the system is to take a multi-pronged approach and try to find information from multiple sources. For example, I read media releases on the NDIS website, I seek out social media groups and posts about the NDIS, I keep up to date with what Bill Shorten is saying and announcing, and I’m part of Disability Intermediaries Australia, who often send out information on any updates.

SH – A weekly check of the NDIS website. Within the company, we all have our own area to check, and we communicate the changes to the team.

ZD – Around once a month I check the NDIS website for updates news.

SC – Training, and by talking to providers and colleagues.