Dino Mennillo is the Director of OTFC Group, South Australia’s longest-standing private paediatric occupational therapy practice. Qualified as an Occupational Therapist (OT) since 1993, he took the time to explain how occupational therapy can benefit children, teens and adults with disability, the joy of therapy through play, and how you can maximise therapy time for life-changing results.
Occupational therapy is a really broad field – we basically are looking at people’s lives and how they participate in day-to-day activities, finding ways to help them overcome challenges and be as independent and functional as they would like to be.
Occupational therapy can help with a rehabilitation process after an injury, getting muscles functioning, but it is also about access, how to use things, and how make modifications to environments like homes, schools or workplaces.
In the area of paediatrics, we deal a lot with families with children who have diagnoses of developmental conditions like autism, intellectual disability, or cerebral palsy – things that impact on how a child typically develops – and how to compensate or provide therapy to improve elements of function.
We help children attend mainstream school or support them being able to access special school. We also support children and young people with learning difficulties, sensory processing disorders, behavioural concerns, and coordination challenges.
OTFC Group liaises with health professionals to help them with a holistic view of the child – basically, we go where people need us to support them.
Part of what we do is also to educate. I do a lot of professional development training for schools and health professionals, understanding the differences that exist, and the strengths and challenges for each child.
We are mindful that our role, particularly in this practice, is that we always ensure the family and caregivers feel a sense of empowerment. They have control of decision making. It doesn’t mean we always agree, but we respect that.
In our clinics, we support children from 12 months to adults and really, the earlier the better when it comes to treatment and support. We often see younger children when parents are concerned their child is not reaching milestones at appropriate times and they may be referred by a paediatrician or other allied health professional.
Then we might see another cohort at four or five years of age if there are concerns that they aren’t ready for school or are not keeping up with their peers.
We work with teenagers and adults for the first time when they may have been diagnosed later – it can be support because they are not accessing school, not able to get a job, sometimes not able to leave the house. There can be co-morbidities like depression or suicidal ideation, gender issues, or dysmorphia.
Currently, for children under seven years, they can go through their local Early Childhood Partner (ECP), and for those older than seven years and adults, they can have a conversation with their Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) planner.
From 1 July, the early childhood approach will be extended.
Most families, before they are certain whether they can apply for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding, might come in for an assessment to determine areas of strength and deficit for their child. This assessment will speak to functional outcomes, and if there are deficits we think we can improve or support, then families can use that assessment in their application for funding.
At the end of a period of occupational therapy, we’ll do a review assessment and sometimes children will not need more sessions, and other times they may need more support as they get older. It doesn’t mean they haven’t progressed, but rather that a child at three years of age doesn’t have the same complexities in their functional life like a child at eight years, or the changes that come again as a teenager.
Functional capacity assessments have become more commonly requested from families as they have been told it’s what they require for their funding.
At OTFC Group, we provide therapy in blocks, rather than as an ongoing commitment. We might see a young person for 10 to 12 weeks and then we take a three to six-month break. Then they might come back for another block.
Instead of having ongoing occupational therapy for 52 weeks of the year, it’s just 20 to 24 weeks – but half the time doesn’t mean half the progress. I’ve found that non-therapy time is really important for progress as well.
We’re hopeful that not only has that child been able to improve their own skills and take on things at home at their own pace, but they can push their own boundaries a bit and become their own ‘therapist’. Parents are also better equipped to understand how to support their children – knowing when their child is most open to play, and how to use items they might already have at home to learn through play.
Other ways to keep costs down include choosing group sessions, which are less expensive than individual sessions and also a way for children to connect with peers.
Using allied health assistants who are not yet fully qualified is another way. They have to have an OT supervise their treatment plans and notes, so you still receive the expertise and oversight, but the hourly rate is significantly less while allied health assistants – usually student OTs – are still studying.
For therapists, they need to be good reflective listeners – knowing when to listen and when to talk. They need to note things that are important to the participant and their family and be very good at engaging the child or adult. They need rapport-building skills so they can start to develop trust.
For participants, they have to be at a stage where they are open and willing to accept help and support. They have to want to engage, to be willing to try and give themselves a go.
I see in my staff how willing they are to do more than the scope of their job. They are people who will forgo their lunch break, or stay later at work, or do an extra set of things to help a client.
I found one of my staff photocopying so much the other day, and she looked at me like she was caught doing something wrong. She said she was photocopying and laminating flash cards to send to a family in the country who didn’t have access to them, and I said: ‘You are the exact reason we exist. You are providing a service for someone who wouldn’t be able to access that – I don’t care how much you photocopy!’.
I always say, do not get into this profession if your motivation is money driven. This is not a profession you’ll last in. You have to identify what you love about occupational therapy. You have to have a passion for it.
Oh, and we all seem to love eating tuna and rice!
I have two – my favourite piece of therapy equipment is called the Batman Swing, and it’s made up of cut up tyre inner tube, four parts tied in one central rope, almost like a marionette. To use it, a child must switch on the muscles around their spine and in their abdomen, the core postural muscles. I’ve developed this activity with it where they stand and then jump forward – it’s like a leap of faith.
When you see a child with sensory processing issues or developmental difficulties master the Batman Swing, it’s almost like my secret sign that they are ready to graduate from occupational therapy.
I also love the rubber matting with the alphabet or numbers on it, the tiles that interlock. You can use them to build a cubby, make an igloo, or a cubby that has a small tunnel, or an L-shaped tunnel. Kids have to navigate the space without breaking the tunnel, they have to be aware of their body, and it also helps kids who aren’t good with small spaces.
I can put cushions on them and have them smash the boxes, I could come up with 10 different activities for them! Every night my son would want me to make a cubby, my daughter would take her tea set in there – people don’t realise how much they can actually do with such simple and cheap things!
Find a credible OT – someone who can express to you what their principles are and what their level of training is. Word of mouth is always a good way to find someone, especially word of mouth from trusted professionals in the health sector – ask your GP, paediatrician, even your physiotherapist or other allied health professionals.
It’s important that participants and families realise that therapy isn’t just about attending the therapy session itself. If parents don’t commit, then the child will not make the gains they are hoping to see.
Remember that quantity is not quality. When I started in the 1990s there were about six private OTs in South Australia, because there was no funding and building and maintaining a practice was really difficult. Now, it’s very different – an OT can come out of university and, due to the demand for services, can become very busy quickly.
Some may think that high demand equates to being a good health professional, but that’s not the case. You can’t expect to be a newly graduated therapist and think you have the skills to work with a child of any level, particularly a complex one – I certainly love the enthusiasm, but sometimes that’s not what children and families need.
Therapists at OTFC Group have to be exceptional. New therapists to OTFC Group don’t work with more complicated clients until they have at least 12 months’ experience. OTFC therapists don’t apply to do assessments of children until they have at least two to three years of experience. I find if you have those standards, you can ensure quality is staying at a high level.
Time and resources are the biggest challenges we face. There’s never enough time for appointments, never enough therapists, never enough funding. There’s always a need for more.
Also, being able to predict the changes that will occur, whether that’s with the NDIS or within my own practice.
And then you have the personal work challenges as a therapist – am I doing the best, is the child improving, is the family feeling supported?
The clients and their victories are the most rewarding thing. It’s when someone is able to walk for the first time, able to go out for a meal with their family for the first time. When a young person gets older and gets a job, when they are employed or go to uni, even when they have a brother or sister become an OT because of the impact they’ve seen on their sibling.
It’s the hugs you get from the littlies or seeing their faces light up when they achieve something new.
There is nothing you could give me that I would swap for that. I have the best job. It’s so rewarding!
Want to learn more about Dino?
Your transport budget is designed to support you to get to and from work, study, and a range of other community activities, like grocery shopping or seeing friends.
If you have a transport budget in your plan, we’ve got a few tips around what to look for in a transport provider so you can have a better experience in the NDIS.
You can use a service agreement to lock in funding to access a provider for the duration you want, and to create confidence and certainty with using their services (because you’ll know there’s funding set aside). At My Plan Manager, we can help you to lock that funding in.
This will help you to keep better track of your spending and ensure you use your funding as you need it.
You might not know that 13 CABS (available nationally) bills after service (and can send an invoice directly to us). They can also set up a service agreement. Be sure to ask us for more information.
You can also purchase Cabcharge vouchers and seek reimbursement from us once you’ve received the transport service (this is because the NDIS doesn’t pay for services in advance). However, we encourage you to use a provider that charges after the service to keep your money where it belongs – in your pocket.
Through our client portal and mobile app you can view your budget, submit invoices and claims for reimbursement, track your spending… and so much more!
We’re here to help
If you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected] or call us on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.
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:
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!
2. What are the impacts of overspending and/or underspending an NDIS plan budget?
If you or your employer provides a service to a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant, and either or both of you gets paid under the NDIS, then you’re required to adhere to the NDIS Code of Conduct.
The NDIS Code of Conduct is designed to promote a safe and skilled workforce to serve participants in the Scheme, and it applies to every provider – both NDIS registered and unregistered – and to NDIS workers.
Brush up on what the NDIS Code of Conduct sets out for providers and workers – and find out what we’re doing at My Plan Manager to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of people with disability – by reading on.
The NDIS Code of Conduct helps 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.
NDIS providers and workers must:
1. Act with respect for individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making in accordance with applicable laws and conventions.
People with disability have the right to make their own decisions, to be free to live the life they choose, and to have the same rights and freedoms as any other member of the community. (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission)
That’s why, at My Plan Manager, we place huge emphasis on supporting choice and control for every client – a commitment that forms the basis of every decision we make.
We aim to present information to our clients that they can use to make decisions – like what kind of providers they want to use and where they want to spend their funding. Then, if requested, we assist them to act on those decisions by helping with budgeting and setting funding aside to access the providers they want to see. This gives our clients more control of their NDIS plans, their budget and their lives.
2. Respect the privacy of people with disability
Everybody has the right not to have their personal information disclosed without their informed consent. NDIS providers should respect and protect the privacy of everyone they provide services to and have policy and procedures to ensure they manage information in accordance with privacy laws. (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission)
At My Plan Manager, our staff are trained to protect the personal information of our clients and we’ve created policies (if ever there’s a case where client privacy is compromised) to minimise exposure of personal information and the subsequent damage that may arise from it. You can find our Privacy and Dignity Policies and Procedures here.
We also undertake proof of identity checks when clients and providers call us and request private information.
We have specific training about privacy and dignity that we approach from a rights-based agenda (as opposed to a box our team members have to tick). This means our clients’ privacy is at the heart of the training we provide to our team members and is emphasised through it, as part of the person centred approach we take.
We’re also currently working towards being accredited with the International Standards Organisation (ISO) 27001 Standard, which assesses and accredits information security management. The 27001 Standard entails an external and independent review of our policies and systems to ensure we protect the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of our client data at a world class level.
Once accredited, we’ll be one of the first plan managers to achieve this external validation of our systems.
3. Provide supports and services in a safe and competent manner with care and skill
Providers should ensure they have competent workers to serve their clients. They should ensure their workers have the necessary training, skill and qualifications for the services they provide. (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission)
At My Plan Manager, our team members are provided with training at key stages of their employment, including induction and refresher training, to have competence in assisting our clients in a range of areas – in addition to processing their NDIS invoices.
We also have a competency framework that’s used to structure our team member training, which is externally reviewed as part of our ISO 9001 accreditation. We’re one of only a few plan managers to have the ISO 9001 accreditation at present.
We also adhere to NDIS Practice Standards that are audited every three years.
4. Act with integrity, honesty and transparency
People with disability have a right to accurate, accessible and timely information that includes the cost and efficacy of services. (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission)
At My Plan Manager, we scrutinise every invoice to make sure clients aren’t being charged more than the rates set out in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. We also help clients to verify the services they’ve been invoiced for, and they can let us know if they have any concerns about invoices or the charges being made by their providers.
We’re able to provide accurate, accessible and timely information through technology that lets our clients see their information – including their NDIS plan budget – in real time, via the client portal and mobile app.
Our clients can choose to receive SMS text notifications when their invoices are processed, and we have service level standards – including call response and invoice processing times – that we monitor and are reviewed under our ISO 9001 accreditation.
5. Promptly take steps to raise and act on concerns about matters that may impact the quality and safety of supports and services provided to people with disability.
NDIS providers have a responsibility to provide safe and quality services. That’s why they should have effective complaints, resolution, incident management, investigation and disciplinary processes. (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission)
At My Plan Manager, we can provide information if clients have concerns that need to be reported to the NDIS Qualify and Safeguards Commission or to the National Disability Insurance Agency.
If a client has a concern about fraud, if something goes wrong with their supports or services, or if they’re at risk of danger, we can provide information on who to report it to and how, and we’re committed to reporting first and third party reports if ever required.
This basically means we’ll provide a report to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission if ever we become aware that a My Plan Manager team member or provider is involved in a ‘reportable incident’.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission considers a reportable incident to include these scenarios when they’re related to NDIS services provided:
We have a dedicated Quality and Risk team that’s in charge of notifying the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission if a reportable incident does occur. The team looks after subsequent requests, and answers communication from the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, once informed.
6. Take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against, and exploitation, neglect and abuse of, people with disability.
Evidence demonstrates that people with disability are at a far greater risk of experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation than others in the population and this often goes unrecognised and unaddressed. Women and girls with disability are at far greater risk of violence, and children and young people with disability experience violence and abuse at approximately three times the rate of children without disability. (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission)
We know that people with significant or profound disability are particularly vulnerable to systemic and opportunistic harm, and we’re often their first line of defence in raising concerns about actual and potential risks.
That’s why we proactively work to detect and report vulnerability, safety and safeguarding concerns, to improve outcomes for the thousands of Australians with disability who we support.
7. Take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.
Sexual misconduct is a broad term encompassing any unwelcome acts or behaviour that are experienced by the person with disability as being sexual in nature. This includes physical and verbal actions committed without consent or by force, intimidation, coercion or manipulation. It includes sexual violence and exploitation but is not limited to actions which constitute a criminal offence. (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission)
The relationship between a worker and a person with disability relies on a great degree of trust. All forms of sexual misconduct constitute a breach of this trust and a breach of the NDIS Code of Conduct.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission states that an NDIS provider’s guidance for their workers should:
As we’ve outlined above, we know that people with significant or profound disability are particularly vulnerable to systemic and opportunistic harm, and we’re often their first line of defence in raising concerns about actual and potential risks.
That’s why we proactively work to detect and report vulnerability, safety and safeguarding concerns, to improve outcomes for the thousands of Australians with disability who we support.
We often get asked the difference between the NDIS Practice Standards and the NDIS Code of Conduct, and here’s the simplest response:
The Practice Standards outline the legally binding quality standards that registered providers must adhere to, while the NDIS Code of Conduct sets out expectations of how providers and workers will conduct themselves when delivering services.
For the latest information about the NDIS Code of Conduct, visit the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission website.
As a former National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) staffer, who went on to create My Plan Manager from her kitchen table in 2014, our founder, Claire Wittwer-Smith, knows the NDIS inside and out. We spoke with her about the review, her vision for how the NDIS can return to its roots, and why it’s so important to hear from everyone in the Scheme – providers and participants.
To start with, Claire says she believes the Albanese government is truly committed to implementing the Scheme in the way it was designed in legislation.
“I think the Federal Government really wants the opportunity to shape it and get it right, true to the legislation,” Claire says.
“After all, it was a Gillard government that implemented it and it follows on from Medicare, which was the Whitlam government. Both initiatives are based on the principles of fairness and equity for all, and that everyone has the opportunity to develop to their full potential, and that’s what we’re aligned to here at My Plan Manager.”
Bill Shorten, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, announced a review of the NDIS in October 2022. The review, led by an expert panel and co-chaired by Professor Bruce Bonyhady AM and Lisa Paul AO, has the goal of putting people with disability back at the centre of the NDIS and restoring trust, confidence and pride in the Scheme.
The review will have two parts:
Crucially, Minister Shorten has said that changes will begin happening to the NDIS before the review’s completion date. He’s already made changes to the way the NDIS operates, with a commitment to putting more people with lived experience at the helm – including NDIA Chair, Kurt Fearnley – and a new culture at the Agency.
Claire says providers should be contributing to the review as it will take feedback from everyone involved in the NDIS to make the review – and the Scheme – a success.
“I think we have to work together to make the Scheme a success. I’m sure we would all agree that the most important voices are the participants and ensuring that participants are able to reach their potential and live their lives with the intended quality that an insurance scheme brings,” she says.
“I think we should look at how the caring sector actually starts to work together. We have the disability sector, aged care, child care – I think we should start streamlining our education in those areas, so your qualifications and skills are transferable and we’re not duplicating training and paperwork unnecessarily.
“There are such similarities in terms of supporting vulnerable people – children and adults – how participants access funding and so on, and we should be capitalising on that.”
Claire says it’s also important that the wider community understands the benefits of the NDIS and recognises it’s an insurance scheme – not welfare.
“It shouldn’t be seen as a burden. I think we need to get better at measuring the benefits of the Scheme – what it’s providing – not only in terms of economics, but in terms of quality of life for people with disability and their families. It’s about everyone having a fair go.”
Claire says listening to client feedback and implementing it has been a gamechanger at My Plan Manager, so she knows the NDIS review has the power to make change.
“Clients have been able to help us understand what a plan manager should be providing for a participant, and the information and insight they give us about that is so rich,” she says. “If you want to be able to provide a good service, you have to be able to listen and be informed by your consumers.”
The NDIS review is open for feedback until the end of the year. However, early feedback is always valuable, and Minister Shorten has said changes will be implemented while the review is open.
To provide feedback, or for more information on supporting your clients to provide their feedback, go here: https://www.ndisreview.gov.au/have-your-say/have-your-say-online
As a former National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) staffer, who went on to create My Plan Manager from her kitchen table in 2014, our founder, Claire Wittwer-Smith, knows the NDIS inside and out. That’s why we asked her about the latest NDIS review, what it means for participants, and why you should get involved.
A quick recap: Bill Shorten, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, announced a review into the NDIS in October 2022. The review, led by Professor Bruce Bonyhady AM and Lisa Paul AO, has the goal of putting people with disability back at the centre of the NDIS and restoring trust, confidence and pride in the Scheme.
The review will have two parts:
Claire says this review is a chance for the Scheme to come back to its roots.
“The NDIS is based on those principles of fairness and equity for all, and that everyone has the opportunity to develop to their full potential – which is what we’re aligned to here at My Plan Manager,” Claire says.
“I don’t think the Scheme has been achieving what it was set out to do, but I don’t think it’s easy either, and I don’t think it can achieve that for everyone with one implementation of the Scheme.”
Much like Minister Shorten, Claire says all participants should have their say in this review, because it’s the voices, opinions, and experiences of people with disability that are the most valuable. As the saying goes, ‘nothing about us without us’.
“People with disability know the experience and know their disabilities better than anyone else. That’s why you are the key to the design, and I think Minister Shorten has really demonstrated that he wants to hear from you,” she says. “He’s demonstrated that with half of the NDIA board being people with disability. The legislation was written by people with disability and it still is a beautiful piece of legislation.”
“Find the easiest way to share your voice – whether that’s by video, a voice recording, in writing, or telling a story about your experience. I’d urge you to do that. They want to hear from you by the end of the year (though you can tell them if you need more time) and you can have your say online at https://www.ndisreview.gov.au/have-your-say/have-your-say-online.”
Minister Shorten has said that changes will be happening while the review is ongoing – it won’t be held up unnecessarily.
The review will look at:
Claire’s vision for the NDIS is for it to be a true insurance scheme and for it to be recognised as that – the NDIS isn’t welfare, she says.
She offers the example of ensuring early access to funding for children, without the administrative burden of obtaining a diagnosis and joining the Scheme. By trusting families and professionals to use funding in a nimble way to get support for children, the NDIS allows for targeted early intervention, which may prevent those children from needing to formally join the Scheme down the track.
“The whole model of the insurance scheme was built on both the social and economic return on investment – if you give a mother, who was previously caring for her 20-year-old son, the ability to employ someone to support that young man, you enable her to go back to work,” she says.
“That creates more taxpayers – the support staff for the young man and the mother back in the workforce. And, best of all, you give people back their relationships. They go back to being mother and son again, caring as part of that relationship, but not the whole relationship.
“I would like people to have more certainty about what their package is going to be, based on their functional capacity, year after year. I hate participants being beholden to a planner who might change their budget. If we allocate payments on a tiered system there is transparency and certainty and the ability for participants to move forward, rather than spending their whole lives justifying why they are entitled to payments from the insurance scheme.
“At the moment, the system has created a situation where you’re not going to get the same funding unless you say you haven’t improved. I believe there should be set packages based on functional capacity and then, if you have a specific goal in mind, you could apply for extra funding for a short period of time. Start giving ownership back to the individual.”
Overall, the NDIS is the envy of the world when it comes to disability support. Claire says the review is the chance to get it back on track.
“This is a time for Australia to be really proud of how brave we were to implement a Scheme like this, it’s world class,” she says.
“The last 10 years haven’t been easy or perfect, but we have the opportunity with this review to look at how we can ensure the brilliant legislation is realised and the operations of the NDIA enable the success of the Scheme.”
As a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant, your plan funds are precious, and you want to make the most of every single dollar.
And – as Australia’s leading (and largest!) NDIS plan manager – we know the hacks to help you do just that. After all, we see hundreds of NDIS plans and invoices every day!
In this article, we give you some tips and tricks to remove unwanted costs – meaning you can maximise your plan funding and live your best life. Have a chat to your support coordinator or local area coordinator to see if they can help you to put some or all of these ideas into practice to help you:
Has a provider ever charged you for travel? Providers can charge a participant’s NDIS budget for the cost of travel when they:
If a provider who comes to you – like a mobile physiotherapist – charges the maximum hourly rate under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, adding travel to that cost can quickly add up. That’s why it’s good to consider local providers if you can – and try negotiating a reduction (or elimination) of travel charges.
If there’s provider travel involved, then less frequent sessions that run longer in time can help to reduce unwanted travel costs.
For example, you could ask a provider to deliver 8 x 90 minute sessions instead of 12 x 60 minute sessions. Both options equal 12 hours of support, but the first removes four sets of travel expenses.
Be aware there are different provider rates in the NDIS for weekdays, weekends and public holidays. That means it’s cheaper to see a provider during the week, rather than on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday.
Make sure your providers build a schedule of supports that meet your needs, rather than sending through a service agreement that utilises all your available funding.
If a provider asks to see your NDIS plan budget before sending you a service agreement – or if their service agreement equals the total value of a particular budget category – it’s worth digging a little deeper to understand what they’re recommending, and why.
Don’t forget, if you aren’t happy with a provider you’re using, you have every right to change.
Certain services, like rehabilitation and support after a recent medical or surgical event, sit under Medicare – Australia’s universal health care system.
Be sure to first check the support you need isn’t covered there or under a different mainstream service, which might save your NDIS funding.
We occasionally hear of providers charging more when they know a client is a participant in the NDIS. This could be because they see their client’s funding as ‘government money’ to stake a claim to, or they may think NDIS participants are less likely to shop around or negotiate a lower rate.
This practice is sometimes referred to as applying an ‘NDIS tax’ – and the good news is, you can avoid it. How? Negotiate and lock in a provider’s rates up front before telling them you’re an NDIS participant.
Allied health assistants can provide supports under the guidance of an allied health professional at a lower cost and are often students accruing experience in their final year of study. Because of this, they often have the latest knowledge and training in their field.
If you see an allied health professional, you may want to ask if an allied health assistant can provide some or all of your supports at a lower rate to help your funds stretch further.
If you have support workers to help you with daily living activities, be sure to know the range of services they can provide – like supporting you to maintain your garden, clean your home, do your washing, and prepare your meals.
This may mean you won’t have to spend your NDIS plan funding to pay a cleaner, a gardener or a meal delivery service.
Group sessions can provide a great way to get out and about in the community with like-minded peers – and you can often participate in a group where there’s a lower ratio of support (i.e. more participants per support worker).
By joining in a group activity with two other participants (1:3) instead of alone with a support worker (1:1), you can get supports at a third of the cost.
Have an open dialogue with providers about what supports you may be able to utilise in a group setting to help cut costs and still get the full value from activities.
If you’re reading this, you want maximum value from your NDIS budget. The problem is, a lot of providers charge the maximum price in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, leaving little space for competitive pricing. This is where Coordinated Funding Proposals (CFPs) can help.
CFPs let you form a group of people with the same or similar support needs and combine funding to:
For more information about CFPs, click here.
An allied health practitioner, like an occupational therapist, may recommend assistive technology to maintain your independence and decrease reliance on external supports.
From combi-reachers to walking frames, dressing sticks to portable clothes lines, there’s a seemingly endless range of assistive technology tools designed to support people with disability get the most out of life.
We’re here to help
At My Plan Manager, we see hundreds of NDIS plans and invoices every day and know how to cut unwanted costs.
If you have any questions about using your NDIS plan funding, email us at [email protected] or call us on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.
Are you wanting more value from your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) budget? Or perhaps you live in a community where it’s difficult to access good, local providers at a fair price?
If either – or both – of these sound familiar, we’ve got some news that might help you out.
The NDIS recently introduced Coordinated Funding Proposals (CFP) to help participants get better bang for their NDIS buck, exercise the purchasing power of a group, or attract specialist providers to underserviced communities.
Like most participants in the NDIS, you no doubt want maximum value from your budget so you can access the supports you need and work towards achieving your plan goals.
The problem is, a lot of providers charge the maximum price that’s set in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, leaving little space for competitive pricing.
And many of them are not available in remote communities – which reduces your options for exercising choice and control over the providers you see.
This is where CFPs can help.
CFPs let you form a group of people with the same or similar support needs and combine funding to:
CFPs provide an option for every NDIS participant – regardless of location – to group together with peers and maximise their return on investment by ‘buying in bulk’ from providers of choice.
The win for providers is they get multiple participants on their books, while people with support needs can drive down costs per session or improve efficiency by sharing associated fees (such as travel).
We’ve listed the steps below, taken from the NDIS (2023), and added a few extra tips to get maximum success from your CFPs.
1. Find other NDIS participants with the same or similar support needs to build a CFP group
If you have a support coordinator, chances are they know a lot of people just like you, so they may be able to help you find others with similar needs by asking their client base.
They may also be willing to act as a ‘team leader’. While a team leader in a CFP group isn’t compulsory, it can help to have a person dedicated to contacting providers and locking in services to get things underway.
If you don’t have a support coordinator, a team leader can be any trusted person who supports you or any member of the CFP group.
2. Agree on the supports you want to buy
When discussing your plans for a CFP, make sure every member of the group creates descriptions of the supports they want to purchase and that you agree the volume of supports together.
Check that everyone in the group has the funding in their NDIS plans to purchase them, and then start searching!
3. Ask providers how and if they can provide NDIS supports and request a quote
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) recommends picking three providers the group has agreed on and approaching them to discuss suitability, availability, fees and charges, and willingness to enter into a CFP.
Let the providers know the number of participants in your group, where they’re located, and the supports required.
You can ask the providers if they’re willing to offer a more competitive price point for a higher volume group purchase.
4. Choose a provider
Come together as a group to talk about the quotes and the scope of services they cover, and agree which provider – or providers – the group wants to use.
This decision can factor in the providers’ credentials, whether they can provide a specialist service, and their cost, availability and cultural awareness.
5. Notify the providers that are chosen and initiate service agreements
You – or the team leader – may want to meet with the agreed providers to discuss start dates first.
Each participant in the group will need to have their own service agreement and bookings in place before the CFP can be formalised.
At My Plan Manager, we can help you initiate a service agreement if you’re a client of ours.
6. Keep in contact with your group to make sure everyone receives their supports.
The provider should deliver the supports as per the service agreements. To make sure you and everyone in your CFP is happy, it might be worth considering a group meeting or discussion every couple of months.
Below are some NDIS templates which aim to assist in the development of a CFP.
For more information about CFPs, you can email [email protected] or call the NDIS on 1800 800 110.
If you have any questions, we can also assist. You can email us at [email protected] or call us on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.
The below is drawn directly from National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) resources.
“The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has zero tolerance for fraud against the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), participants and the NDIA. Any amount of fraud is unacceptable.
Fraud is a crime. It requires intent. People who commit fraud try to get benefits for themselves or others by being dishonest.
Fraud is more than carelessness or making mistakes. If someone unintentionally does the wrong thing, we call this non-compliance.
There are a number of ways people commit fraud against the NDIS and the NDIA:
Criminal behaviour will always be investigated and perpetrators will be prosecuted.
Consequences of fraud
When people do the wrong thing with NDIS funds:
Participants who have been the victim of fraud and non-compliance have also told us they:
(NDIS 2023)
We recently heard this great podcast in the Summer Foundation’s ‘Reasonable and Necessary: Making Sense of the NDIS’ podcast series (see 31 January 2023 episode). It features a discussion with the Assistant Director of the Fraud Fusion Taskforce at the NDIA, Bruce Graydon, the Director of Compliance and Worker Screening at the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Matt Barr, and disability ally Peter Gregory, and provides some brilliant tips for protecting yourself against NDIS fraud.
If you suspect someone is doing the wrong thing with NDIS funds, you should report it to the NDIS. You can report suspected fraud or non-compliance by calling the NDIS Fraud Reporting and Scams Helpline on 1800 650 717 or emailing [email protected].
Or you can contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission by clicking here.
If you have any questions, we’re also 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.
