1800 954 294
Contact us
Join now

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is complex, so no matter where you are on your NDIS journey, you’re bound to have questions that you need reliable answers to. We know this because – as NDIS plan management experts – we receive questions from our clients every day.

On this page we’ve shared our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the NDIS, in case they’re on your mind too.

To make them easier to unpack, we’ve sorted them by these common topics:

Of course, if you have a burning question (or two or three!) that’s not answered here, help is on hand. You can visit the FAQ section of our website or call us on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (SA time), Monday to Friday. You can also email our NDIS plan management experts at [email protected].

NDIS plan management

Does plan management cost me anything?

No, it doesn’t! Being plan managed means there’s no out of pocket cost to you. That’s because plan management fees are paid from a specific type of funding within your NDIS plan.

It’s a benefit of the NDIS that participants can be supported by a plan manager without having to use the funds set out for their other supports, so if you’d like to engage a plan manager you just need to ask the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to include funding for plan management in your plan.

Does My Plan Manager release funds directly to my providers and to me?

A lot of people think we hold cash and release funds directly to our clients and providers for items approved by the NDIS, but this isn’t true.

We follow a specific process to get invoices and reimbursements paid – a process that protects our clients, their providers, us and the Scheme. You can read more about that here.

Spending plan funding

What can I spend my NDIS funding on?

You must spend your funding on the supports set out in your NDIS plan. The NDIA usually describes supports flexibly, so you have more choice in how you use your funding.

For example, your plan may describe a support as ‘$5000 of therapy’. This means you can choose what type of therapy you buy with this funding. You could use $3000 for occupational therapy, and the remaining $2000 for physiotherapy, or you might spend the full amount on one support type.

Other funding in your plan may be fixed. For example, your plan may say you need to buy specific supports or use specific providers with your funding. If so, you must use your funding in the way it’s described in your plan.

Can NDIS funding pay for expenses like rent, medication, courses or a car?

The NDIS can’t fund day-to-day living costs that everyone has to pay – costs that aren’t caused by or resulting from disability support needs.

Vehicles aren’t typically disability-related supports because people need vehicles whether or not they have a disability, which is why the NDIS won’t fund cars (although it may fund modification of vehicles if that’s required).

Similarly, the NDIS won’t fund rent for the majority of participants. However, some NDIS participants may apply for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) or Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding. An NDIA planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC) will help you to establish whether you qualify for SDA or SIL or, in some cases, for both.

The NDIS won’t fund medicine which sits inside the Australian health system, but you may want to speak to your NDIA planner or LAC about approval of supports that are similar to those covered by the health system, but which are needed due to disability.

The NDIS will typically fund a requested support if it’s related to your disability needs and also meets the below funding criteria:

You can find out more about the NDIS reasonable and necessary criteria here.

Can NDIS funding be used in school?

The NDIS won’t fund school fees, textbooks or other curriculum-based items. However, it can fund extra support needed at school due to disability. These are supports that are not primarily related to your education and learning, and that are beyond what the school is responsible for. For more information, click here.

Do I have to tell a provider I’m paying with NDIS funding?

Not at all! You can negotiate and lock in a provider’s rates up front before telling them you’re an NDIS participant.

I’m having trouble finding service providers in my area. What can I do?

You can look further afield but be sure to consider provider travel fees. 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. You can try negotiating a reduction (or elimination) of travel charges to counter this.

If you live in a community where it’s difficult to access good, local providers at a fair price, the NDIS recently introduced Coordinated Funding Proposals (CFPs) to help participants attract specialist providers to underserviced communities. You can find more information about CFPs here.

Can I buy items and claim them from my NDIS funding afterwards?

Yes, you can purchase items out of pocket and submit an invoice or receipt for reimbursement. If you’re not sure if the NDIS will fund an item or a support you want to purchase, here are five questions to ask that may help you to find out.

I’m running out of funding. What do I do?

Call us. Our team has a detailed knowledge of the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and can support you to use your funding flexibly when it’s running low.

You should also get in touch with your LAC or support coordinator as soon as you feel your funding is getting low.

How do I get things paid for?

Submitting an invoice or a reimbursement to My Plan Manager is easy.

Your providers can send their invoices directly to us (email or via our provider portal), you can email their invoices to us once you receive them, or you can submit an invoice or claim for reimbursement via our client portal and/or mobile app. You can download the app via the App Store or Google Play.

For those using email – to assist with prompt processing, please forward your invoices and receipts directly to our Accounts team via [email protected].

If you’re a My Plan Manager client, and you’re seeking reimbursement, please be sure to include ‘Reimbursement’ in the subject line of your email and make sure we have your up-to-date bank account details on file so we can pay you.

Providers wanting prompt payment should attach a compliant invoice as a PDF. Find out more about invoice payments here. Providers can also use our invoice template to assist with submitting a compliant invoice.

How do I maintain my assistive technology and what happens if it needs repairs?

Here’s everything you need to know about assistive technology repairs, directly from the NDIS.

Invoicing

How long do I need to keep invoices and receipts once I’ve submitted them for processing?

The requirements for keeping invoices and receipts vary depending on how you choose to manage your NDIS plan.

If you’re self managed, you need to keep records of invoices and receipts for five years to show you’ve paid for your supports and used your funding in line with your NDIS plan.

If you’re plan managed, your plan manager is responsible for keeping records on your behalf. As an added bonus, if you’re a My Plan Manager client and you use our client portal or mobile app, you can log in at any time and view any of your invoices.

If you’re Agency managed, the NDIA will store records on your behalf.

I think a provider has claimed from my NDIS plan when they weren’t supposed to. What can I do?

If you use the My Plan Manager client portal and/or mobile app, or you’ve opted to receive SMS notifications from us, you can see who’s claiming from your plan and how much, and you can contact us to query invoices if they don’t look quite right.

If you haven’t elected to receive SMS notifications, you can switch them on at any time by calling us on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.

If you suspect someone is doing the wrong thing with your NDIS funding you can report suspicious behaviour by calling the NDIS Fraud Reporting and Scams Helpline on 1800 650 717 or by emailing [email protected].

Do I have to pay for my support worker’s meals?

No, you’re not responsible for covering the cost of your support worker’s meals – including when you dine out together. That’s because each person is responsible for their own food expenses, and the NDIS doesn’t cover your meals or theirs.

If a one-on-one visit with your support worker is going to extend through a regular meal time, you might like to speak with them in advance to let them know your dining preference. Doing this will give your support worker the opportunity to plan ahead by either packing a meal or bringing money to purchase one.

My support worker is going to support me to attend a concert. Do I need to pay for their ticket?

For events, the National Companion Card (if you have one) may cover the cost of a support worker’s ticket. The National Companion Card enables eligible people with disability who require support to participate at venues and activities without incurring the cost of a second ticket for their companion. Click here for more information.

Providers

What are the rules of provider travel?

Providers can charge a participant’s NDIS budget for the cost of travel when they:

When a provider 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 and when you can. You can try negotiating a reduction (or elimination) of travel charges, or you might like to visit providers at their premises.

Are unregistered providers ‘riskier’ to use?

Registered providers are verified by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and bound by the NDIS Practice Standards, which means they’re heavily regulated, compliant with NDIA requirements, and providers of verified, quality services.

However, getting NDIS-registered takes time and is costly, which is often a hurdle for smaller businesses, so they choose not to register – even though they may provide a high quality service that suits their clients and is completely covered by the Scheme.

You have choice and control over your providers, and you can decide whether a registered or unregistered provider is going to best meet your needs. Remember that only plan managed and self managed NDIS participants can use unregistered providers!

How do I find the providers I need, including a good support coordinator?

On way you can find the providers you need is by searching the NDIS Provider Finder or by accessing the myplace portal.

You can also connect to trusted providers in Kinora, an online community created by My Plan Manager to help people with disability and their supporters to connect with peers, NDIS experts, disability sector professionals and service providers.

Other ways to find providers include searching free online directories such as Clickability, Disability Support Guide, Karista, and My Care Space, and seeking word of mouth recommendations from your networks.

We’ve created this checklist of what to know and ask to help you engage the right providers (and avoid those who aren’t the right fit).

Can I delete information from a provider’s report?

Redacting (deleting) information from a provider’s report isn’t allowed. That’s because the provider is the owner of the report, even though it’s about you, and even if you’ve paid for it.

If a provider has made a mistake in their report, you can ask them to correct it, and if you don’t agree with their assessment, be sure to ask what they can do to make the changes you need.

If they don’t agree to change the report, you can write your own statement that highlights your differing views and why you believe the assessment isn’t accurate. Then submit that statement with their report to the NDIA.

Can my relatives be NDIS support workers or support coordinators?

Generally, the NDIA will only fund family members to provide supports in exceptional circumstances, like when:

The NDIA will consider the circumstances of each case and any wishes expressed by the participant, and also take into account what it is reasonable to expect others to provide.

The NDIA will not fund a family member to provide personal care or community access supports unless all other options to identify a suitable provider of supports have been exhausted.

Service agreements

Do I need to put service agreements in place with my providers?

Not at all! Having service agreements with your providers is optional, but they are recommended.
When you provide us with signed service agreements, we can set aside funding for the supports you’ve agreed to receive, to give you confidence and certainty that funding is there each time you need it.

When I get a new plan, do current providers need me to sign a new service agreement?

Yes – if there’s a new program of support. A program of support is an agreement between you and a provider that shows the supports you’ll receive.

I’m not happy with the service delivered by one of my providers. Can I end our service agreement?

Yes, you can, but you may have to pay a cancellation fee if it’s stipulated in the service agreement. You may also need to give the provider some time to cancel their services, which is called a notice – or cancellation – period. We recommend checking the terms and conditions, especially for appointment cancellations and cessation of services, before you sign a service agreement.

Before looking to cancel a service agreement, you may want to talk with your current provider and ask them if they can change their supports to meet your needs and preferences.

The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits sets out the conditions for providers to claim cancellation fees.

Do I have to sign a service agreement if I don’t agree with information in it? How enforceable is it?

You don’t have to sign a service agreement. But, if you want to sign it but you don’t agree with the information in it, you can talk with your provider about changing it.

Service agreements are covered by Australian Consumer Law and are enforceable by law if the promised services in it aren’t provided.

Accommodation

How do I pay for Short Term Accommodation (STA)?

The easiest way to use your NDIS funding for STA is with a specialist provider that provides all your accommodation, personal care, meals, and activities. However, you can claim these items separately for the period you’re staying in STA (so, you can source them from more than one provider) if they’re within the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.

If STA isn’t stated in your NDIS plan, but you have funding available in your Core Supports budget, you may be able to use it to cover STA – if it ticks the boxes in the NDIA’s reasonable and necessary funding criteria. In short, the criteria states that the purchased supports (in this case, STA) must relate to your disability, provide value for money, and be effective and beneficial.

Accommodation for support workers can also be covered under STA. However, if you instead have your informal supports staying with you – people like parents, siblings or friends – you can only claim your share of the accommodation.

For more information, we’ve unpacked everything you need to know about STA and respite care here.

Whose responsibility is it to find, or assist with finding, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) housing?

If you need help finding SDA vacancies or would like to discuss if an SDA vacancy is suitable for you, talk to your NDIA planner, LAC or support coordinator. You should check that the dwelling meets your needs before committing to a service agreement.

The NDIS also has an SDA finder that can help you to search for accommodation vacancies that match your needs. If SDA has been included in your NDIS plan, the SDA building type and location will usually need to align with your plan.

NDIS plans

I’m confused by what my NDIS plan means. Who can help?

You can contact your LAC or support coordinator, or speak to us.

Can I ask for a different NDIA planner if a planning meeting didn’t go well?

No, but you can ask for a review if you’re unhappy about a decision the NDIA made when developing your plan. A review means that an NDIA staff member who wasn’t involved in the development of your plan will have a look to decide if the decision was right.

You can ask for a review for a range of reasons, including what supports are included in your plan, how much they’re funded for, and even how your funding is managed. The important thing to remember is that you need to request a review within three months of the date you received a copy of your plan.

If you’d like a new planner because you’re unhappy with the planner you have, you can lodge a complaint with the NDIA.

To gain more plan funding/keep my current funding, the NDIA has asked me to provide reports and assessments, which cost a lot of money. What can I do?

You can claim the cost of reports and assessments from your Improved Daily Living budget if you already have an NDIS plan.

I’m coming up for a plan reassessment – what do I need?

You may need to provide reports or assessments from some of your providers for your plan reassessment meeting. This is to show how your supports and services are helping you work towards your goals.

Reports and assessments can also make recommendations for supports and services you might need in the future. Your early childhood partner, LAC, support coordinator or NDIA planner will discuss this with you, or you may want to ask them yourself.

For more information and tips for preparing for a plan reassessment, click here.

My child is a participant in the NDIS and they’re turning 18. What do I need to do?

When a child turns 18, they legally become an adult and the NDIA encourages adults to be involved in making their own decisions. If they aren’t ready to, or can’t, a person appointed as a ‘nominee’ can act on their behalf or make some decisions for them. This can be part of a plan to transition towards independence.

If you think your child will need a nominee when they turn 18, contact the NDIA, or your child’s LAC or support coordinator well before their 18th birthday to discuss it.

For more information about appointing a nominee, click here.

What if my circumstances have changed?

If your circumstances have changed, you’ll need to let the NDIA know and you may want to ask for a plan reassessment. To let the NDIA know about a change of circumstances, you can:

The NDIA will respond within 21 days by doing one of the below:

The NDIA will contact you to explain its decision, which you can ask to have reviewed if you don’t agree. You can find more information here.

We’re here to help

If there’s a question we haven’t answered here, you can visit the FAQ section of our website or call us on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.

A lot of people think that a plan manager holds cash and releases funds directly to participants and providers for items approved by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). But this isn’t true.

At My Plan Manager, we follow a specific process to get invoices and reimbursements paid – a process that protects our clients, as well as providers, us, and the Scheme.

Here’s how it works:

  1. A provider sends us their invoice, or a client sends us a receipt for reimbursement.
  2. We review the claim to ensure it meets our invoice requirements and aligns with our client’s NDIS plan.

    Our technology is the most sophisticated in the sector and allows 32 checks (and counting) to be completed on every invoice – providing confidence that our clients’ finances are in safe hands.

    It also allows us to scrutinise every invoice to make sure providers are charging the rates set out in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits – if they are, we can process the claim.

    We also verify the services our clients are invoiced for and make sure they’re being claimed against the correct budgets.
  3. We submit the claim to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
  4. The claim will either meet the NDIA’s validation rules or it won’t (it’s not manually reviewed).
  5. If the claim meets the NDIA’s validation rules, the NDIA will release the funds to us. We’ll then make the payment to you on our client’s behalf or pay our client their reimbursement.
  6. We make a record of each payment, so it’s reflected in our client’s plan budget, and they can see it at any time in our client portal and mobile app – and in their monthly budget report too.

    Our client portal and mobile app are great for helping clients to keep track of their plan budgets and our provider portal is perfect for streamlining invoicing for you too.

    Don’t have access to the provider portal? Contact us and we’ll happily assist. You can email us at [email protected] or call us on 1800 861 272 from 8am-6pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.

How to best assist clients at every stage of the NDIS journey

As a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) service provider, it’s clear you’re in the business of empowering people with disability. After all, you wouldn’t be in the industry otherwise.

So, as a service provider, how can you best be of service to your current and future clients at every stage of their NDIS journey?

It’s good to understand the NDIS journey, the way potential participants will traverse that journey, and how you and your business can be of assistance.

Want to see what the NDIS journey looks like? Meet us at Kinora

Kinora is My Plan Manager’s online community – a platform that connects people with disability with each other as well, as with providers. Kinora has loads of free, accessible content to support participants and their supporters, as well as providers, to understand the NDIS and how to best navigate it.

As a provider, you won’t want to miss this NDIS Basics for Providers webinar. Settle in for 60 minutes and get a thorough understanding of the NDIS and everything providers need to know.

NDIS journey overview

The NDIS journey is one with many critical junctures, where participants will need extra support from their providers. We’ll explain what happens at each point, what participants need to do, and how you, as their trusted professional, can be of assistance.

1. Applying for the NDIS

This is when parents or carers of children with disability and adults with disability and/or their supporters will contact the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and begin the process of applying to become participants in the Scheme.

The NDIA has lists of disability diagnoses which are likely to be automatically accepted as needing NDIS support. Here’s a list of conditions that are likely to meet the NDIA’s disability requirements.

There are also lists of conditions which are likely to result in a person being permanently impaired, thus they are also eligible for the Scheme. You can find out more here.

However, anyone can apply for the NDIS. They must have evidence of how their disability impacts on their functional capacity, which is their ability to live their day-to-day life.

What the applicant needs to do

Fill out an Access Request Form or phone the NDIA on 1800 800 110.

How providers can help

Are you already working with someone who plans to apply to the NDIS? Your evidence about your client’s functional capacity is crucial to the outcome of their access request. This could be supplied as a report, an assessment, or a letter. Professionals should also fill out Section 2 of the Access Request Form.

Important!

Your evidence must be factual and it should not shy away from conveying what life is like for your client on their worst day.

TIP: There are three options for NDIS participants to manage their plans. They can elect to be plan managed, to self manage, or to have the NDIA manage their plan (Agency managed).

Plan managed and self managed participants are free to choose from any providers. However, Agency managed participants are only able to use professionals who are registered NDIS providers. You can find out more about getting registered here.

2. Planning meeting

What the participant needs to do

Now the NDIA has accepted the access request, the person with disability is known as a participant in the NDIS. The participant and their supporters will meet with their NDIA Planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC), and together they’ll discuss the participant’s current life, hopes, and plans for the future. They’ll also support the participant to set their goals.

How providers can help

If you’re already working with a participant, you can help them prepare for their planning meeting by reporting on what they’re already doing and providing a specific roadmap as to how your supports could assist them to achieve their goals. Remember to consider how you could expand your support to assist the participant:

Important!

Goals are some of the most important parts of a participant’s NDIS plan. It’s where providers can really provide support and advice to families. Need some prompts to help your client get started? Find eight prompts from Kinora on setting goals here.

3. Implementation meeting – for new participants

What the participant needs to do

Implementation meetings are not compulsory, but they come highly recommended for new participants who are joining the Scheme for the first time. Held within the first 28 days after a plan has been finalised, an implementation meeting will be scheduled by the participant’s LAC if they have one.

Participants can use this meeting to ask questions about their plan and how to use their funding, raise any concerns, find out what they can and can’t buy with their funds and – crucially, for you – receive advice about finding providers and setting up service agreements and service bookings.

Participants can also ask about extra supports they could access, like community or mainstream supports.

How providers can help

This is another opportunity for participants to know about you and your services as a provider. If you’re a registered NDIS provider, LACs and participants can find you on the NDIS Provider Finder.

Important!

Only providers who have registered with the NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission will be listed on the Provider Finder. Registered providers are then authorised to use the logos ‘I/We Heart the NDIS’ and ‘I/We Support the NDIS’, along with the text ‘NDIS Registered Provider’. For more information, click here.

4. Assessment of the plan

What the participant needs to do

Again, this isn’t compulsory, but it’s highly recommended – a review every three months to see how everything is tracking with their plan. Participants may review this themselves, check in with their LAC or an advocate, or reach out to their providers.

How providers can help

Using quarterly reviews is a great way of checking in with participants and seeing how your working relationship is progressing. How have your supports or sessions been of assistance? Is your client still engaged with what you’ve been doing or is it time to introduce some variety – which could be new activities or even a new environment?

Quarterly reviews also allow you to speak with your client about their plan and their spending and what stage their plan is at – if it’s coming towards the end of their plan, now is the time to talk about report writing and supporting documentation that you can help with in the lead up to their plan reassessment.

Important!

Sometimes we can just drift along in our work with clients because everything seems to be on track and clients are satisfied. Of course, that’s great, and that doesn’t mean that every single session or day has to be a winner – after all, is every single person on the planet optimising every moment and smashing a goal every single day? Of course they’re not.

Participant journeys should have peaks and troughs like everyone else. But, as providers, we should always be keeping our clients’ goals front of mind and supporting the journey of progression, whether it’s paused or moving slowly forward.

5. End of the plan

What the participant needs to do

Participants should be prepared to hear from the NDIA about six weeks before the end date of their current plan, in readiness for a plan reassessment. If they haven’t had any contact, it’s important to be proactive and contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110.

How providers can help

This is where your reports about the work between the participant and you will be vital. Remember – NDIA Planners and LACs will not know what progression has occurred without personalised, detailed reporting from you. This will support your participant’s experience of working with you and how it’s supported their progression towards their goals. For more information about reporting for participant plan reassessments, click here.

Important!

The NDIA has provided specific advice about what allied health providers should include in reports for plan reassessments. The prompts will be helpful for many providers, and the Agency has included report writing tips too.

There throughout the journey

Of course, providers are there for support throughout a participant’s entire plan. You can make it easier for participants and their supports to find you and work with you by being a fair, respectful, and honest provider. That means:

Want to know more about becoming a provider of choice? Join Kinora as a service provider for free and become part of a community that’s working together to ensure participants and providers get great outcomes.

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!

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)?

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.

Why the NDIS Code of Conduct is important

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.

The NDIS Code of Conduct

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.

What’s the difference between the NDIS Practice Standards and the NDIS Code of Conduct?

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.

More information about the NDIS Code of Conduct

For the latest information about the NDIS Code of Conduct, visit the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission website.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) review is underway and it’s an opportunity for providers to have a say about how to make the Scheme better for everyone.

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.”

About the NDIS review

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.

Provider contributions are vital

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.”

The value of participant feedback

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

Thinking of registering for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to attract new clients? We wanted to recap the pros and cons of registering for the NDIS if you have a business that works with – or has the capacity to work with – participants.

Registered providers have committed to practicing and upholding the quality standards that are set out by the NDIS, and they can also deliver some services that unregistered providers can’t.

But, while registering for the NDIS can open your business up to more customers, lift service quality and reputation, and help you cut through a cluttered market, there are also downsides to consider, which is why we’ve created this pros and cons list.

Before we get started, we want to explain what a registered provider is, and what it can mean to NDIS participants.

Service providers – or ‘providers’, as we generally call them – are businesses or individuals that provide participants in the NDIS with services and products that relate to their NDIS goals. They can be cleaners, physiotherapists, support workers, gardeners and more.

An organisation or individual can apply to be a registered NDIS provider with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Registered providers must meet the NDIS Practice Standards that create an important benchmark to assess performance and demonstrate that providers deliver high quality and safe supports and services to NDIS participants.

Registered providers are recognised as providers that are committed to practicing and upholding the quality standards that are set out by the NDIS, but they can also deliver some services that unregistered providers can’t.

These registered provider-exclusive services are plan management, Specialist Disability Accommodation, Supported Independent Living, behaviour support or behaviour management planning, and supports that involve restrictive practices (these are practices that have the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability, like physical restraint).

With that being said, here are some of the pros and cons of registering for the NDIS:

Why you may choose to register for the NDIS

Why you may choose not to register for the NDIS

Support coordinators play a key role in the delivery of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), supporting people to implement their plans and exercise choice and control over the supports and services they choose.

They’re also vital supports in helping to secure the funding you need to achieve the goals in your plan, as well as better outcomes and more independence.

But, as we all know, support coordinators and their clients can take every measure to secure funding and it still may not come through from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

What do support coordinators need to do to aid their clients in putting forward the best case for a funding increase? And, if you don’t get it, or your funding is cut, what happens next, and how can a great support coordinator help you get back on track for success?

We invited one of our support coordinator editorial roundtable panel members – Zena Dyson of Esteem Care Services – to discuss this important topic. Here’s what she had to say.

Zena Dyson

Q. What do you believe are the biggest factors that influence a participant’s NDIS plan and the funding allocated to them?

A. The number one factor that influences a participant’s NDIS plan and the amount of funding they receive is EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE, related directly to the participant’s disabilities, which proves that their daily living is affected by their disabilities. The newer the evidence, the better!

Q. What steps can a participant proactively take to help themselves achieve the funding they need – both in their first plan and their subsequent plans?

A. The participant can proactively help themselves achieve the funding they need by asking their GP, specialists, allied health professionals, or any other services involved with them in regard to their disabilities for current reports, recommendation letters, or test results that prove their incapacity to complete their daily living tasks.

Q. What role do support coordinators play in helping their clients to secure the funding they need to achieve the goals in their plan, better outcomes, and more independence?

A. To help my clients to secure the funding they need to achieve their NDIS goals, I encourage them to gather all the correct, relevant evidence directly related to their disabilities and their NDIS goals combined.

To do this, I advise my clients of what they need to relay to their health professionals and service providers for better outcomes. If the participant does not have the capacity to do this, I ask if they would like me to attend appointments with them, if they would like me to write down information to give to their service providers, or if they would like me to email all their service providers with the correct information required for the best outcomes.

Q. What is the expectation of providers in this regard – how can they assist their clients to put forward the strongest case for supports and funding?

A. Service providers can assist their clients to put forward their strongest case for supports and funding by offering comprehensive reports and recommendations for further funding for their clients’ NDIS supports.

I also expect service providers to relate their reports directly to the client’s NDIS goals.

Q. How can support coordinators and providers work together to ensure the best funding outcomes for their mutual clients?

A. I always ensure I have supplied the client’s NDIS goals to all their service providers, so they can best support our mutual clients to achieve their goals.

Communication between myself and my clients’ support providers is a huge key to ensuring the best funding outcomes for all clients.

Q. When it comes to planning meetings, reviews, reassessments, and everything in between, how important is the relationship between the support coordinator and the NDIA planner in achieving a positive outcome for your client – and what tips can you offer other support coordinators about building strong working relationships?

A. The relationship between the support coordinator and the NDIA planner and/or their partner in the community, such as Carers QLD – who often conduct plan meetings – is extremely important. Respect goes a long way within these relationships, as well as effective communication, great rapport and knowing the NDIA’s rules and responsibilities.

I have built wonderful working relationships, particularly with many of the Carers QLD Local Area Coordinators (LAC), from Rockhampton to the Gold Coast, to the point where they contact me with many referrals of NDIS participants for support coordination.

Q. During your career in the sector you must have seen times when things have not gone according to plan. What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve seen made that have negatively influenced the outcome of a participant’s plan/funding – and what can people do to avoid making similar mistakes?

A. The single biggest mistake that participants make is filling in the NDIS access request form and sending it in themselves, or getting help from people who do not have the knowledge of what is required, and submitting it without any evidence to support their needs associated with their disabilities.

These access applications generally come back from the NDIA unapproved or with the absolute least amount of funding to support the participant to achieve their NDIS goals.

To avoid making this mistake, the participants must source help to apply for the NDIS from either an NDIS partner in the community, such as Carers QLD, or a support coordinator who is willing to help with this process, such as myself.

Q. What happens if a client receives their NDIS plan and doesn’t agree with the funding that’s in it? What are the next steps and what actions can they be supported to take?

A. If a client receives their NDIS plan and they don’t agree with it, then it is up to their support coordinator to contest the plan with supporting evidence for a review. The participant has three months to do this. If this fails and the NDIA disapproves of any changes, then the next step is to take it to the tribunal.

Q. What are the greatest challenges you and your clients are currently seeing and/or experiencing in the area of NDIS funding?

A. The greatest challenge I am currently seeing and/or experiencing in the area of NDIS funding is with child/teen participants not receiving funding for respite and support workers.

It is extremely frustrating when I see a family suffering and struggling due to their child with disabilities not having the help of support workers, especially where the parents either both work full time jobs or do not have the capacity to support their child’s daily needs due to their own disabilities.

Q. We all know that sometimes the best laid plans don’t turn out exactly as we hope. Can you provide an example of a time when a client had a poor funding decision delivered to them and they and you turned the situation around? What was the challenge and what steps did you and/or your client take to remedy it and achieve the required funding?

A. I have had many clients come to me asking for help because they have put in their NDIS access application and have been denied access to the NDIS, usually due to no evidence going in with the application.

I have then helped the client to collect all the correct evidence and helped them to reapply. They have then received approval for access and gained their first NDIS plan. This happens quite frequently.

Q. As a support coordinator, how do you manage news about a client’s plan funding that’s not positive, and how do you best deliver it to them?

A. I believe honesty is the key in this situation. Explain to the participant why their funding was not approved and explain the next steps to take in gathering evidence etc to try applying again. Do not give up!

Q. We often see stories in the media and elsewhere about NDIS participants who have seen their funding drastically cut. This comes in the context of serious concerns about whether the NDIS is financially sustainable. How do you think things will play out in the long run? Do you believe the Scheme is sustainable – and if not, what needs to be done to make it more robust?

A. The only time I have seen funding drastically cut is when the participant did not use that particular funding prior to their plan review. In this case, I agree their funding should be cut if they are simply refusing support services and not using their funding.

I believe the NDIS is sustainable if the NDIA ensures all participants only receive funding that they absolutely need to support their disabilities and NDIS goals.

Q. The Labor party promised a sweeping review of the NDIS if it was elected, vowing to save money by cutting excessive costs and cracking down on fraud. How do you think the review of the NDIS is going and what do you think the likely outcome will be?

A. I have seen a few cases in the media where the NDIA has cracked down on fraud and exposed people who have been exploiting the NDIS and participant funding, and I agree with the Labor party that cutting excessive costs and cracking down on fraud is correct and justifiable.

These are the types of things that will ruin the NDIS for participants with disabilities that absolutely require the Scheme. Therefore, ‘nipping it in the bud’ now is the correct and the right way to keep the NDIS sustainable.

Q. There’s a statistic that says the NDIS produces more than double in the Australian economy for every dollar spent, creating jobs and better lives for people with disability and their families. What are your thoughts?

A. I would say that is a fantastic statistic, if it is correct.

As a support coordinator, I see the huge differences that the NDIS creates for people with disabilities and their families. I have seen clients go from complete hermits to outgoing community members who now enjoy their life, which would be impossible without NDIS funded support services.

The smile on my clients’ faces when they are achieving in life says it all!

Q. Lastly, what are your top three tips for support coordinators and participants wanting to put forward the best case for a funding increase?

  1. Gain the relevant evidence needed to support your client’s current disability needs and their NDIS goals.
  2. Make sure you attach the relevant NDIS forms, such as change of situation form or home and living form etc, with all the evidence.
  3. Make sure you have a good support coordinator who is interested in putting your best case forward to the NDIA, who cares about your wellbeing and wants you to succeed in achieving your NDIS goals.

We’re launching an editorial roundtable – a think tank that will bring together support coordinators from across Australia to share thinking, information, and insights.

The roundtable, which will be conducted virtually across the coming months, will deliver engaging and informative content to readers of Insider (My Plan Manager’s e-newsletter for providers).

What’s in it for you?

We all know how competitive the market is. There are barriers to building a business, navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and serving clients better, and nothing beats peer support and the opportunity to learn from others’ experiences.

Through participating in the roundtable, you’ll have the opportunity to consider those challenges with colleagues from around the nation, share ideas, unearth solutions, and find support along the way.

In addition to your inclusion in Insider, opportunities will be available to engage and share your knowledge with potential new clients through Choice (our e-newsletter for people with disability and their support networks), as well as via our website and social media channels.

Workshop presentations – showcasing your brand and expertise to our national network of disability sector professionals and our team – will also be explored.

Subscribe

Stay up to date with the latest information, updates and NDIS news. Sign up to our e-news today.
For disability sector participants, supporters and advocates.
Subscribe now
For service providers, intermediaries and industry partners.
Subscribe now
NDIS provider number: 405 000 1826

My Plan Manager acknowledges the objectives of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

My Plan Manager acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past and present.
© My Plan Manager 2020
arrow-right linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram