Do I really need to prepare?

Yes! During the planning meeting with the NDIA planner or your Local Area Coordinator (LAC), individuals or their nominees ( a person of choice to support the individual through the process), will be asked a range of questions in an interview that will take approximately 90 minutes.

Preparation for this meeting is vital and you will need to know:

• Services and supports you currently recieve
• What supports are missing
• Evidence of support
• Overarching goals you want to achieve that are tied back to the disability.

It is also helpful if you have:

• Supporting letters from specialists
• Price quotes for potential equipment purchases

Preparation is key- Whether you do a pre plan or not, you can easily miss out on funding if you are not prepared for your meeting. Having said that, a pre plan does not guarantee that you will get everything that you ask for, as it needs to be assessed as being reasonable and necessary. In some cases, a continuance of existing supports will be all that is required, and this is a perfectly acceptable way to enter your first NDIS plan.

Your plan will last 12 months, you can have your plan amended if necessary, however the goal is to review annually.

What are the new NDIS terms?

With the introduction of the NDIS there are a collection of new phrases that we must familiarise ourselves with including core, capital and capacity building supports, support coordination, price guide and types of plan management.

Core funding relates to the funding needed to maintain daily living such as domestic tasks, consumable items such as continence aids, meals and short term accommodation.

Capital funding relates to equipment and home modifications this funding is not flexible.

Capacity Building funding supports the individual to build their independence and skills for example behaviour therapy.