NDIS Basics: Your Participant Journey - Webinar Replay
Recorded 1 March 2023
The NDIS process is a tricky journey, and many people find themselves taking a wrong turn before they’ve even been approved. But just like with any road trip, being in the driver’s seat and knowing what to expect makes the ride so much smoother.
In this webinar we explore every stop on the road to the NDIS and beyond, so that you can be prepared, be proactive, and get yourself to where you want to go, leaving the overwhelm behind and get the most from your plan.
For access to more resources, as well as support, connection, and answers to your NDIS questions, become a Kinora member for free.
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If you're stepping into the world of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) or simply want to make the most of your NDIS plan, this webinar provides you with insights and knowledge to embark on your NDIS journey with confidence and clarity.
What is the NDIS All About?
The NDIS is your go-to support system if you have a disability.
It's all about tailoring support to your unique needs and goals.
Getting Ready for Your NDIS Planning Meeting
To ace your planning meeting, start by gathering your paperwork.
Be crystal clear about your current and future requirements.
Confirm if you meet the NDIS eligibility criteria.
Deciphering the NDIS Price Guide
The NDIS Price Guide is your handbook for understanding costs.
Don't skip it! Get familiar with it to decipher your funding.
Core Supports: The Foundation
Core supports are your day-to-day essentials.
Dive into the three core categories: Daily Activities, Social and Community Participation, and Consumables.
Learn the art of budgeting and using funds flexibly.
Capacity Building: Unleash Your Potential
Capacity building supports are your path to independence and achieving dreams.
Explore various categories like Support Coordination, Improved Living Arrangements, Employment, Health and Well-being, and more.
Prioritise preparation for your planning meeting to lock in the right supports.
Capital Supports: The Big Investments
Capital supports fund significant items like equipment or home modifications.
Understand their purpose and limitations.
Don't forget to bring quotes to your planning meeting for major purchases.
Stated Supports and Quote Requirements
Stated supports are budget segments reserved for specific purposes.
Quote requirements hint at the need for additional documentation.
If possible, arm yourself with quotes during your planning meeting for a smoother approval process.
Plan Management and Provider Search
Plan managers help with budget management.
Tap into recommendations from friends, family, or your local area coordinator (LAC) when picking service providers.
Kinora's marketplace and supportive participant community are fantastic resources.
Evaluating Plan Success
Keep a close eye on your budget to ensure it's neither overspent nor underspent.
Assess your progress toward your goals.
Don't hesitate to voice unmet needs and maintain open communication with your LAC, support coordinator, or plan manager.
Concluding Your Plan: What Comes Next
As your plan end nears, reflect on your experiences and what needs tweaking.
Expect a contact from the NDIS roughly six weeks before your plan concludes.
Know your options: extension, reassessment, variation, or rollover.
Seeking Help and Advocating for Yourself
Reach out to your LAC, support coordinator, or plan manager for answers to your queries.
Stay persistent with your communication to ensure your needs are met.
Don't hesitate to enlist the support of advocates, friends, or family for administrative tasks.
Difference Between Support Coordinators and Recovery Coaches
Support coordinators connect you with various supports, while recovery coaches specialize in psychosocial support.
Keep an eye out for upcoming webinars and events through Kinora.
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0:05
If you're not a Kinora member, a brief background is that Kinora is a safe and supportive online community where you're able to get support for your NDIS, Questions from NDIS coaches and our community of thousands of NDS participants, their families, and their support coordinators. And you're also able to find service providers in our Marketplace directory who are experts in their field.
0:31
Over the past month, the team at Kinora have been talking within the community about NDIS basics. We've really taken some time to breakdown the participant journey through the NDIS system and we want to point out and explain the key landmarks along the way.
0:48
If you're already a Kinora member, you would have received some of our resources via email, including the map of the NDIS journey that we'll be talking through today, as well as an incredible blog post and some pointers on how to understand your budget allocations and categories so you can fully make use of your plans budget. If you haven't received any of that, that's no problem at all, as we'll be taking you through each of the resources today and they'll be made available to you in one spot after the webinar
1:19
so you can work through all of the resources at your own pace. Also to let you know, as you might have just seen earlier, that today's weather will be recorded. And later this week we'll post the replay within the Kinora community. And we'll also email it out to everyone who's registered their interest in the webinar and you can rewatch it and share with anyone that you think it will be relevant to at a later date.
1:46
We'll also be taking questions during this session, time permitting. If you look at the top of your screen, you'll see the chat button. So if you click on that now, it should open up the chat view on the side. So this is where you can introduce yourself entering your comments and ask your questions. Tam, thank you so much, has just demonstrated how to write your questions in there. And Tam will just bring our attention to any questions that come up during the session. So feel free to jump in there anytime. But before we start, I'd just like to make an acknowledgement of country.
2:23
I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the country we are meeting on today all across Australia, wherever you are, as we broadcast this webinar across the nation, we recognise their continuing connection to the land and the waters and thank them for protecting the coastline and its ecosystems. We pay our respects to elders, past, present and those to come and to all First Nations people today.
2:48
Alright, cool. Erin, let's jump in. Let's get into it. Yes, if you're joining us now, this is the NDIS Basics webinar and wherever you are along the journey at the moment, we really hope that you get something out of today's presentation. We'd really love to hear from you after the webinar after we wrap this up. So yeah, please let us know how you go. I'm Yvette, otherwise known as Kinora Coach Yvette, and I've asked Erin to join me here today to walk us through the participant journey and the resources that the Kinora team have been putting together this month.
3:20
But just to give us a bit of foundation work around like why the basics? Why is it important to hold a webinar on the basics? I mean, are we are we teaching people stuff they already know?
3:33
Well? No, we're not. Unfortunately. Something that we hear again and again from NDIS participants in Kinora is that generally people are given their plan and they just have no idea how to use it. They're not sort of walked through how to actually understand what you can and can't spend it on, how to find providers, anything like that. Obviously there are some lucky people that do understand it, you know, they understand the language and everything like that, and that's fantastic. But for the majority of NDIS participants, it can be really confusing.
4:03
So we decided to go back to basics for everyone, so that you've got that kind of foundational knowledge, so that you can use your plan to its fullest, basically, and get out of the NDIS. What it's there for, Really. It's a good place to start for everyone, really, just to make sure we've got foundational knowledge. So we've got the map up already.
4:24
We want to get a little bit poetic is potentially the wrong word, but especially for something that can be so challenging with a lot of significant bumps in the road as a participant's experience with the NDIS.
4:38
But you can kind of think of it as a really long road trip. And they do say that it's not the destination, it's the journey. So let's start the journey. Erin, can you briefly take us through the landmarks on this map as a general overview? Yeah, yeah, sure. So just to quickly go through it, obviously, the first step on getting to the NDIS is the application, which seems like it's just, you know, a really easy start to the journey. But that can be quite tricky in itself. Once you have been approved as an NDIS participant,
5:09
you'll have what's called a planning meeting with your local area coordinator or NDIS planner. After that, they'll finalise your plan, they'll go away and approve what they think should be included, and they'll give you a copy of your plan. And then it's up to you to actually implement that plan. So going out and finding the service providers that you need to actually use that funding
5:30
Step 4 here on the map, we've added this ourselves because we think it's a really important one. It's just to basically check in periodically that your plan is still working for you. You know, making sure that it's doing what you need it to do basically. And then you come up to the end of your plan. And it kind of loops back and starts again. So the NDIS journey doesn't really have a start and finish. It is always evolving, continuing round and round, making changes and you know hopefully each time you go through that circle you'll understand
6:00
more and more and have a better idea of how to use your plan. Yes, it's great to see even though it is a continuous circle, it's good to see the key part. It's kind of broken down. So simply just gives a bit of an easier understanding of what's involved in the process. But then if we go back to the beginning, so applying to the NDIS, I think you said earlier, Erin, we do get quite a few questions within the community.
6:27
Just where do I start? How do I even go about this? So yeah, it can be a really big hurdle for people to take that first step and knowing how to do it, what to include. So what's involved? How do we go about applying?
6:41
Yeah, so the first step is obviously to check your eligibility requirements. So there's a couple of things that you need to tick off before the NDIS will even really look at your evidence. So you need to be between 7 and 65 years old. If it's for a child under seven, they go through what's called the early childhood approach, which is very similar, just, you know, slightly different track. But for between 7 and 65. Yep, NDIS. So you need to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident and then you need to meet their disability requirements as well.
7:17
In terms of the disability requirement. So basically the disability requirements are that you've got a permanent impairment that impacts your day to day activities. So that could be a change or a loss to body part or you know how you think and learn how you move, anything like that. If that impacts your daily activities, then that's what the NDIS calls an impairment, right. Alright, there's further information on the lists that automatically qualify you. So there's some conditions where the NDIS automatically consider you.
8:01
Yeah, they have two lists. So the NDIS does recognise some diagnosis that will just automatically meet the disability requirements and they have another one that they recognise will generally have a permanent impairment because of their disability. So you can check out these lists on the NDIS website, So yeah, if your disability is on that list, it means that you will more than likely be accepted into the NDIS. You'll just need to provide evidence of the diagnosis itself.
8:37
However, as we said, the NDIS does look at impairments. So if your disability is not on that list, it becomes really important to provide other evidence of that impairment to your daily life, right? Yeah, that's it. So just jump back a little bit there because I just wanted to mention that your local area coordinator, so they are partners in the NDIS wherever you're living in Australia, should have local NDIS office and they should have a local area coordinator that can help you. If you're having any trouble with any of this, they should be able to help you with it so you can get in contact with them and then to actually do the application you just need to fill out
9:20
Access Request form, which again is on the NDIS website. If you can't fill out the form, you can do it verbally as well, just calling the mods on the 1800 number. But yes, once we filled out that form, then we get into the evidence, which is the really important part.
9:36
So as you were saying that, yeah. It’s a big word: evidence. Like is it a bit daunting and is it really like, do we need specific reports and are they expensive and like what? What is this evidence that we need to provide? So it can really be anything. Obviously some evidence is going to hold more weight than other evidence. The best evidence I guess would come from your professional treating health teams. So your GP, depending on, you know, your disability, what services you're getting, it could be a
10:12
psychologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, anyone like that. Which one that you've been working with already. Yeah, right. Absolutely nothing necessarily outside of what you're already doing. But people that are working with you to manage your ongoing condition at the moment, Yeah, exactly. They're probably going to know your impairments better than anyone else, aside from you and your family. So they're really well placed to write a report.
10:39
Yeah, depending on what your impairments are, but there's a bit of a list here on what it should focus on. So not all treating health professionals are well versed in the NDIS and what they want to see in reports coming to them. So it's a good idea to have a chat if you are getting reports from people to make sure that they're checking these things off in their reporting because it's really important. The NDIS need to see any impacts that your disability has on your communication, how you socialise with other people, how you learn, your mobility, and self-management. So that's things like getting yourself dressed, feeding yourself, just those type of day-to-day activities really needs to show how your disability impacts them specifically.
11:38
So you could essentially take that list of ways that your life is affected to people that you're currently seeing for management of your ongoing condition and say, I just would like your written evidence on how my condition is affecting these areas of my life to use as evidence. You can actually get a “functional capacity assessment” is what they call it, where it's specifically for these types of things, but you won't necessarily need it. You did mention cost earlier. Obviously, these types of reports are not covered by NDIS because they're, you know, before the participant. So it can get quite pricey.
12:10
So if you can't afford that assessment, yeah, just adding to who you're treating professionals are now. If you don't have a treating team at the moment, or you want to provide extra evidence, which is always a good thing, you can actually write your own as well. So if you're a parent applying on behalf of your child, you could write what's called a career impact statement. Or if you're applying for yourself, you can just write this on your own behalf. Basically just giving that information that the NDIS needs to know.
12:41
Obviously be truthful, but think about your worst day with your disability impairments, how that affects your day and your day-to-day activities and just writing that out, that's evidence in itself, you know, It doesn't all need to come from doctors, it can come from you and your support people around you, your friends and family, because ultimately the plan will be there to support you in your day to day life.
13:03
So just going back to what you said, functional capacity, it's really something that gets emphasised a lot when it comes to the NDIS. There's also already a lot of information within Kinora and online about how to
13:16
correctly express or not correctly but to adequately express how your conditions affect your day-to-day life. So there's a lot of stuff on functional capacity out there. If you wanted to go and have a look further into how to finesse that evidence, alright great. So we've got awesome evidence from all the people that were already currently working with and we've been accepted.
13:42
Yes. What sort of time frame do we find out that our application would be accepted? What sort of time should we have in our minds for as to whether or not we're being approved or rejected in the process? Yeah. So once you've put in your application, you should get a response within 21 days from the NDIS. Now there's three different outcomes. You could either be approved, you could be denied, or they could ask for further information. So that might be you might have to go out and get more evidence.
14:12
Maybe they don't have quite enough to justify a decision either way. So that's really a chance to just get a bit more, you know, make that, application just that little bit more stronger, hopefully. Yeah. And then if you've been rejected and you think that that is an incorrect decision, you've got an opportunity to appeal that decision, Absolutely, yes. You can apply for what's called a review of an internal decision. So basically what they would do is get a different staff member from the NDIS to review all of the evidence that you provided.
14:44
You know, your application form, everything like that, and just double check that the correct decision was made. They might decide it wasn't, or they might ask for further information at that point as well. Cool. So that would be a good outcome of that situation. Just asking for further evidence. Awesome. Yeah.
15:00
So access approved, we're on to the next stop, which is the planning meeting. Yes. Can you take us through what's involved in a planning meeting, Erin? Yeah, sure. So once you have been approved and you you're now an NDIS participant, you should get your first plan within the first 56 days. Sounds like an odd number. I think it works out to 8 weeks. I haven't actually done the maths on that, but I reckon that's it. For children it's a bit longer, 90 days, we generally get your first plan.
15:31
So somewhere within that you will be contacted to have a planning meeting. Now this will either be with your local area coordinator or an NDIS planner who are the ones that actually write and approve the plans.
15:47
So do you get a choice in how that meeting comes about? Yeah, absolutely. And you should ask for the type of meeting that is best for you. You know, however you're going to feel most confident, whether that's face to face or if you prefer over the phone or a video call like this, that might be best. And you can take a support person with you as well. So yeah, and they can just be friends or family. They don't necessarily need to be a professional. Yeah, I think it or anything like that.
16:17
Anyone that's going to be there to have your back, help explain things if you need it, remind you of things if you need that. And yeah, just be your support person. Yeah, Amazing.
16:28
So in the lead up to your planning meeting, I think the booklet two is a good way to go. Yes, yes, it's really good. The NDIS has put out a really good resource with this. So if you don't have a copy, you should download it from the NDIS website. Again, we'll get Tam to put the link in so you can grab a copy for yourself, but it basically walks through what you're going to be talking at the planning meeting about.
16:53
So we've got a bit of a list up there, but you will go through your goals. So if you're new to the NDIS, you're probably not aware. But goals are a huge part of NDIS plans. They sort of become the gatekeeper of what you can and can't use your funding on because one of the criteria when they're looking at how you use your funding is will it help you meet one of your NDIS goals. So they are quite important. And then ultimately, you're in charge of the goals, right? So you're the one that determines what your goals are. So then you're essentially determining where the money is.
17:24
So you just got to figure out how to write your goals so that the two meet, right? Yeah, yes, absolutely. And we won't get too much into that now, but we did actually hold a webinar specifically on goals recently. So we can share that with you as well. That goes through heaps of information about, you know, how to write them in NDIS speak basically so that you get those good outcomes from them. But yeah, you're totally right that it's all down to what you want.
17:53
So awesome. It's good to spend a bit of time going through that and thinking that through. And then the other things you chat about in the meeting are all about, I guess, how you're living at the moment and what supports you need. So what are your living arrangements and support network? You know, do you live at home? Do you have family and friends around that can help you? Is your home suitable for you? You're studying, work, or if you want to, do you need any assistance in either of those areas?
18:21
How you move around your home and community? Are you able to get to the shops by yourself? Are you able to use public transport, that kind of thing, social and recreational activities again? So are you able to get out into the community and do those sorts of recreational activities? Do you need help to do that? And is there any equipment or devices that you're currently using or that you might need that will help you with your day-to-day life? Yeah, cool. So I think it's a lot to go through in a meeting. It is.
18:52
Which is why preparation is key. Yeah, for sure. So like I said, that NDIS Booklet two has questions listed about these. So if you get that all squared away first when you're in the meeting, you hopefully won't feel like a deer in the headlights not knowing what to say. You've actually had a good think about it and you know what your situation is, what your needs are. It's important to remember that the planer or LC doesn't know you as a person, so you can't assume if you, you know, just mention something briefly that they'll understand
19:23
that's actually a really major part of your life or a really major support need or something like that. So yeah, it really is about, making sure you're getting across what you need. And so that's where having an idea of what sort of supports you need, like a shopping list of what an ideal sort of outcome with your plan is a good idea to have as well. Because just because you have XY and Z condition doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be allocated a certain
19:51
funding or support or whatever. So yeah, that that is actually a really good point of that because they may, especially I find this a lot with younger children, but in adult plans as well, the NDIS does sometimes tend to just look at a diagnose and think, OK, well, they'll need XYZ. Everyone is different. Everyone is completely different. Their needs are different. So you can't just let them assume that your needs are going to be XY and Z if you need ABC. So yeah, be quite specific with any sort of supports that, you know, that will have a positive impact for sure, yes.
20:22
And then evidence and quotes. So we've got, we were speaking about evidence before, but quotes, what's that? Yeah. So basically, if there's any big pieces of equipment that you need, if you need a new wheelchair or you need modifications to your home so that you can move around more easily, anything like that, it's good to go in with those quotes first up so that they have an idea of what type of funding needs to be included. You can also provide more evidence.
20:51
So as well as what you provided in your application, if there's anything else that you have, or anything else that you've received since you applied it doesn't need to be from before, then bring that along with you as well.
21:03
And yeah, as you said, they come with a shopping list. So sure, we always say, you know, if you don't ask, you don't get you're not going to get everything that you ask for. Of course, but don't ask. Great. Yeah. Don't be afraid to make your needs known. I know it can be tricky sometimes. You know, I feel like you don't want to say, oh, I want the entire world, but the worst they can say is no, like 100%. So yeah, just go for it. Alright. And then the last thing to consider in this planning meeting is the plan management option.
21:34
So the three options are planished. Yeah, plan managed. So that basically means that you'll hire a plan manager to do the sort of admin work for your plan. So paying invoices to your providers, that type of thing. It also means you've got a plan manager there who hopefully knows a lot about the NDIS. You've got someone there to ask questions and bounce ideas off. You can use NDIS registered or non-registered providers. So there is a bit of flexibility there as well in how you use your funding.
22:06
The plan managers fees come out of your NDIS plan but it's like a separate budget that can only be used for plan managers fees. So which is why when you're going to your planning meeting it's good to have an idea of what you want so they can put that into your plan from the first from the get go, right. Yeah, yeah absolutely. Because if it's not in there you won't be able to hire a plan manager basically. Well, you can, it's just that will be a process and you already, you're already at the meeting, so let's get it done now and then waiting another admin turn around time.
22:36
Yeah, you can request changes. That's one of the changes that should be quite easy to add in, you know, later on in the Plan. But yeah, going into the meeting, it's always best to know what option you want because then, yeah, they can add it in then and there. All right. So then that's plan managed, self managed. So self managed basically means that you're doing that admin work yourself, so you're paying providers directly, you're claiming it from the NDIS yourself. There is a lot of flexibility in self management.
23:07
It means, you know, you have a lot more choice in the providers that you use and how you use your funding and that type of thing. But it does mean a lot more work, you know, behind the scenes sort of with that admin bookkeeping type stuff too. So that does sound like quite a bit of admin involved in that side of things. Yeah. And then agency managed. So agency managed means that the NDIS will manage your funding themselves basically. So they'll pay your providers directly. You don't have a lot of flexibility. If you’re agency managed, you can only use registered providers. Which somewhat limits you know what you can do.
23:44
Generally it will be for people with really high complex support needs or something like that. The NDIS might make them agency managed. Yeah, that's fair cool. Alright, so having an idea of how you want to manage your plan is something to have a real good think about prior to your planning meeting. And it's also a really good idea to speak with other people and how they other participants and how they have their plan managed.
24:16
So you can get some feedback on what works and what doesn't and also can you have parts of it plan managed and parts of it self managed. Is that an option? Yeah, it is. I think it definitely does happen. Some budgets might be agency managed, some might be plan managed or a particular, you know, piece of equipment or something might be agency management.
24:36
The NDIS wants to pay for that directly, probably as an overall thing it's easier just being self managed or being plan managed. Then you don't have to worry about it. Well the provider I guess doesn't have to worry about where do I send the invoice. It's a bit less chance for it to be, you know, missed. Yeah for sure. Alright, cool.
24:54
So got an idea of how we want our plan to be managed. So from the planning meeting, we've we received our plan. How long does that normally take for us to have a plan? Generally within seven days. Well, they say seven days of when they approved the plan. So that might not be the day of the meeting that they approve it. Yeah, right. Yeah, around that time frame. So it shouldn't take too long to get a copy. Great. Alright, so then will we have it in our hands or is it digital form? Yeah, there's one sent out in the mail, but also
25:25
you can log into the NDIS Myplace portal, which is their sort of online system and they'll have an electronic copy up there straight away, so you can always access it there if you need it. Awesome. Cool. Alright, so we we've received our plan, got the online portal set up and now we're implementing all our supports in line with our goals. So where do we start? Well, first of all, the NDIS should offer you what they call an implementation meeting. So this they usually give you a call. I think it's within six weeks if you're receiving your plan
25:58
and just ask if you want to have an implementation meeting. I don't know if they do all the time. They might, They should. They should call you. And if they don't and you feel like this is something that you could use, just contact them and request it, but basically it will be sitting down with your local area coordinator again and just going through the plan. So you'll have a chance to ask any questions about how you can and can't use the funding that's been included. You've got any concerns about, you know, something wasn't included.
26:25
They can talk you through how to use the My Place portal, things like that, you know, give you advice on how to find providers, that type of thing. So it's just sort of a bit of an information session for NDIS newbies literally like a chance to kind of go back again after you've received it. So you've had all of these meetings, you've been given this massive document and then a chance to kind of go back and just clarify. Absolutely right.
26:49
So huge things to understand in your in your plan. So yes, you recently wrote an awesome blog on this Erin. Please share that in the chat because that that's a big one to go through all the different budget funding categories.
27:06
Yeah. OK, take us through, Erin. Well, this is probably the area that, you know, we get so many questions on it because it can be really hard to understand. And this is one of those things we said right up at the top that the NDIS don't really explain that well, generally speaking. I know there's some awesome LAC's out there that do, of course, but it can be quite tricky to understand how you use your funding, like now you've got your plan, but what can you actually use it on?
27:37
So to break it down, there's basically three larger sections, so there's core, capacity building and capital. Each of those there might be broken down into smaller support categories. So each one has different ones that can be included. Just putting it out there right now that you know, whatever I mention now, it doesn't mean your plan will include all of these. Obviously, each plan is unique. So I'm just going to go through what could potentially be included. Yeah. So you've got your bigger buckets, each one has smaller support categories and then under each of those support categories, there's basically a list of the different services
28:09
that you can access with that funding. So that list the NDIS actually calls the pricing arrangements document and that sets out max price limits and stuff like that for each of them, as well and the rules around what the providers can and can't claim and stuff like that. So that document in itself is a bit mammoth and hard to get through, but it can actually be really helpful if you're struggling to know what exactly a support category can cover because you can just go through the list and see like, oh, I could get, you know, physiotherapy or whatever.
28:40
You know, we'll go through the back to the big buckets. What are the big buckets? Let's start the big and then go small. What are the big buckets?
28:53
So the main one is core. So that covers like your day-to-day kind of basic everyday living type costs. So daily life, daily activities, consumables. Assistance with social and community participation and transport. So in this bucket, those four categories are actually flexible. So not always transport, we’ll leave transport out of it. for the moment.
29:23
Yeah, the other three. So assistance with daily life, consumables and assistance with social and community participation. If your plan has included funding in one of those, they actually are quite flexible that you can use that funding in the other two. Like you don't need to just use it in that category. Depending on your needs, you'll be able to use it for all three, which is really, really helpful.
29:46
It gives you that extra flexibility. It does. And I would say, suggest that the best way to fully use that flexibility is with open communication with your LAC or your plan manager to make sure that if you're taking flexible funding from one area of your budget, you're not neglecting another area. So you're not going to run out of funding for another area. Yeah, so flexibility is great as long as everything's covered. Absolutely. Because they might have included a certain amount to cover a support,
30:16
OK, for X amount of hours per week, for the entire year or however long the plan is. If you're then using that money for something else, obviously that's going to be affected. So, totally, yeah, very important to sort of keep an eye on the funding that's there.
30:30
But it's just good to have that flexibility in case different needs arise throughout the year. Totally. Alright, next big bucket is capacity building. So that's things that will help you be more independent or grow your skills in some way, help reach your NDIS goals, basically.
30:51
So this is where support coordination, improved living arrangements, increased social and community participation, finding and keeping a job, improved relationships, improved health and well being, which is where your physio and exercise phases would come in. Improved learning, improved life choices. Just wanted to point out that that one, the plan managers, so that will always be included if you have a plan manager, but you can't use it for anything else.
31:26
Yep. And then improved daily living, and that's things like therapies and that type of thing. So yeah, quite a list under that big bucket, huge. Now this bucket is not flexible. So within those smaller support categories, if you've got funding included in one, you can only use it for the services that fall under that support category. So say they've included finding and keeping a job because you're, you know, having trouble finding work or that's one of your goals, that funding you can only use for the supports that help with that.
31:58
So going back to that list of the price limits, there'll be a list of the specific services that you can use within that category. You can only use it for that. You can't use that funding to go, you know, use it for something in improved daily living. So yeah, that's where preparation for the meeting, again, harking back comes in. Really important because if you need it, it needs to be included in there, basically.
32:35
Yeah, right. Awesome. All right. And then the last big bucket is capital. So that is for like larger types of equipment or home modifications, you know, if you have trouble getting around your home, those sort of, yeah, real larger things. And again, that is not flexible. So it'll say specifically usually what it's for. And so for those sorts of purchases, you'd have a really solid idea of what would be your best solution to that situation. So the next point you've got is stated supports and quote required. We didn't say quotes taking that to your planning meeting as well will help that capital funding be put in place.
33:20
Yeah, absolutely. So if, let's say you did take a quote to your planning meeting for a new wheelchair, let's say they say yes, that's reasonable and necessary and will include it in your plan. It will generally be put in your plan as a stated support. So it just really means you can only use that specific amount of funding for that specific purpose. There's no flexibility whatsoever there. And if something says quote required in the plan, that's usually an indication that you've spoken about something at the meeting, you didn't have a quote with you.
33:51
They weren't sure if the pricing or how much they wanted to approve at the time or something. So they might put in their quote required. That just means that you then need to go to a provider that sells that type of equipment or whatever it may be that we're talking about. Sometimes they use that for like meal preparation services, that type of thing. Driving lessons is another one that you might need a quote for.
34:17
You go get that quote, send it to the NDIS. If they agree that that funding is value for money and everything like that, then they'll approve it and that funding will then become available. So maybe that's where it's better to bring the quote with you if you can. If you're planning meeting, sort of skip that whole step afterwards and it should already be in there as a stated support. Yeah, totally right. And then from that point, it's a matter of finding providers essentially. Yep, that's it. So obviously you should have a really good idea of what your needs are, what services are going to help you with those needs at this point.
34:49
So then you just gotta go out there and find the service providers yourself. Can be a bit of a big step, especially if you're living regionally or remote or something like that. It can be a real struggle, but some of the best ways are yeah, via recommendations from friends and family, if they've, you know, worked with someone that they gave the thumbs up to, is good chance that you'll give him a thumbs up as well.
35:15
And just checking things like online reviews, you can ask your local area coordinator. Yeah. Or support Coordinator, they’re going to be really instrumental in in connecting you with some great supports for sure. Yeah. Particularly support coordinator. That's their role.
35:36
Just on support coordinator. That is something that will need to be included in your plans. So if you feel like you might need someone to help connect you with supports and explain your plan a bit better, make sure you ask for support coordinator in that planning meeting, right. Cool. And then obviously we're from Kinora, and Kinora has a marketplace of service providers as part of the Kinora community. So you can go there, they interact within the participant community as well, so you can ask them questions about their experience working with participants. So that's always an option in terms of sourcing you service providers as well.
36:17
Alright, great and we've also got a lot of information coming out in the next few weeks about what to look for in a great service provider as well. So it'll be a bunch of emails and blogs about that as well. And they really kind of talk about the theme of how to advocate for yourself or your family members, when implementing your plan support, so making sure that you are getting what you need as part of that service provider relationship, right.
36:49
But, but for now, Erin, how do we know if the plan is working? Well, it really just comes down to reflecting on it. You know, sitting down, we sort of recommend every few months or so, depending on how long your plan is and how well things seem to be going. It's a good idea to just, you know, take a minute or a few minutes one evening and go through a few things, just looking at your plan, making sure that everything sort of feels like it's working. So yeah, we've got a few specific things that you can use as those kind of metrics.
37:19
So the first one there, how is your budget tracking? This is something you should be looking at all of the time, not just periodically I would say, because this is very important even if you plan managed, is that, is that something that you still need to be on top of your plan managed? I would say yes. It's it's always important for you to be across your own plan. However, if your plan managed, if you're if funding is running out too quickly or something like that, your plan manager should be notifying you of that and sort of sending like warnings basically to let you know where it's at. That's a conversation to have. Yeah.
37:50
So,and keeping track of your budget is to make sure that it's not running out, but also that you are actually using it as well. Yeah, yeah, that's right. A lot of people don't actually use all the funding that's been included in their plans. So it's super important to just make sure that there's not a big pile of funding there sitting, you know, not being used. Yeah, Cause it's there.
38:18
It's kind of a little tense point. Like they might take it away because it's deemed as unnecessary or surplus to requirement, but more often than not it's something as simple as wait lists or yeah, something. Just keeping track of that reasoning I suppose of why there is no funding, but also if you're checking this continuously, you don't have to, you know, wait till the plant the next plan meeting to sort of bring that up, go chat to your LLC now and let them know those reasons. They might be able to help you find someone if you're on a waiting list or something like that, Yeah, course. Alright, so then the other ways that we can track if it's working.
39:07
So are you progressing towards your goal? So not necessarily achieving them because, I mean, some of them might be super big goals, Yeah. But then, just making sure that you're making some progress on them. Do you feel like you're actually working towards them with your providers? You know, Is your provider working with you in a way that is going to help get to that goal eventually? You know? Do you need to change providers? Do you need to change something that you're doing in your life to help get to them?
39:34
Yeah. And then the next one under there we've got are any needs going unmet now I want to acknowledge that I am seeing a whole bunch of questions come up and we will get to questions at the end of the prepared information. I have a feeling that there's a fair few needs being unmet in these questions. So being very aware of what are those needs and what's not being met and then having that conversation with the LLC about what's going on.
40:02
Yeah. And keeping that Channel of communication open about what's going on with your plan continuously. Yeah, right. With your LAC, support coordinator if you got one, plan manager if you've got one, continuously talking about how can I spend more of my plan or use it more wisely.
40:22
Be annoying. Be as annoying as you wanna be. Seriously. Yeah, be that person. Yeah. Alright. And then we've got here, we were talking about thinking outside the box and seeking advice in terms of plan, plan, flexibility, excuse me. Yeah. So I guess that sort of ties into what we were just talking about. If you're not able to use your funding that well, if you're not utilising it in some way due to whatever reason, the plan is somewhat flexible, at least in that core budget.
40:57
So I guess, talking to the people that know how you can use it a little differently. So yeah, again, LAC or plan manager, they might have ideas, you might not be able to get into a psychologist right now, but they might suggest seeing a counsellor, you know that that can come from that budget. Or can you find a piece of equipment that you can get out of your consumables budget that will help you do something like let's say some type of cleaning because you can't get a cleaner in for whatever reason.
41:15
You know, just finding those sort of like back ways to get the supports that you need that's going to help you. I've just seen a few comments pop up about Lacs, how they're quite elusive and are scary and that Lac details are not in plans. I would say a really good resource would be going back to one of the original links that were shared early on in the webinar about finding, according to your post codes, who and where your LLC is located and then it is unfortunately the onus is on the participant to get in contact with them. Obviously the administration load from their side of things is not ideal.
42:05
But yeah, you need to keep calling. Unfortunately, yeah. It's really, it's actually that's the way it has to be. Yeah. Like well, it doesn't have to be that way. But it's actually, that's what it is. Yeah, we hear it from community members a lot that LAC's just don't get back to them or or whatever. So I guess the only way to get around that aside from you keep keep contacting them, ask to speak to their manager, you know keep going up higher, call the NDIS and say this Lac isn't getting back to me or something. I know it, it's no good that we have to do all this work just to get them to contact us. But I guess the other point to note is that there are other supports than the LAC.
42:45
So if it's questions, you know, yeah, give you plan manager a call, jump on Kinora and ask a question. If you've got any friends and family that know about the NDIS, ask them. So there is lots of support out there that's not your LAC. Yeah. So there's a lot of stuff to kind of take into consideration when whether or not your plan is working. And it does sound like they're. There's a lot of inconsistencies and potential pitfalls with the administration side of things which yeah, we're totally aware of. And yeah, that is a very massive concern for a lot of people and wait lists are also really hard at the moment.
43:18
Yeah. We did recently share a bunch of information about alternate ways of getting a similar outcome but going through different means. So rather than, you know, I need to see a physiotherapist, well, can you go and see an exercise physiologist and do an exercise plan that might get you close to the similar thing in the meantime as you're waiting to get into your physio. But fill in the gaps. Yeah. Fill in the gaps and utilise the funding while you have it and as long as the outcome is positive and you're progressing then it's a good thing.
43:49
Alright, yes. Yeah, so in the in the scheme of our journey, so we're coming towards the end of the plan. So that's a pretty big landmark along the way. What sort of things do we need to take into consideration as we come towards this point? Yeah, well, I guess the main thing is that you go through basically the same preparation steps that you did for your first planning meeting. However, you should hopefully know a lot more about, you know what your needs are, what didn't work in the plan, What did work?
44:23
Just going through all of that so you can go into this new meeting knowing what needs to be changed, I guess. So they'll basically contact you about six weeks. I think it is from memory six weeks before the end of your plan for a bit of a check in they should be anyway to. And will that book you into a plan, end of plan meeting? Yes. Well, if you need in the ideal situation, yes. Yeah,
44:50
So I did skip a little bit there, sorry. You should be getting reports from your providers about three months out, just about your progress, especially if anything does need to change. If, you know, you were doing that reflection all through your plan and you realise, hey, you know, I'm not progressing towards my goals, this needs to change or whatever.
45:06
Getting those progress reports from your providers is really important because that will be your new evidence to take to the planning meeting, right. You you won't always need a planning meeting. When they do that checking call, they will sort of see how you're going, see if the plan does need any major changes. If it doesn't, then you might not need a plan of meeting at all. Yeah, right. OK. So then we get into the different options in terms of when we get to the end of a plan. So, yeah, an extension that's necessarily, no, that that just basically happens when, if the LAC is too busy or something, you know, like if they've got a real backlog, they might just extend the plan to make sure that you've got funding there to cover you until they can actually do the planning meeting, right.
45:43
So how long would that normally go for that extension or hopefully not that long, but it's literally probably due to an administration. Yeah, that would generally extend it for a year and add in the same amount of funding that it would originally have for a year. But those should get in contact with you well before that. See if you do need a plan, any changes. Yeah, for sure. And then a plan, any assessment?
46:13
Yep. So that's when you do need those major changes. So that is when you'll have a planning meeting and really, there'll be major changes to your plan needed. So changes in funding or different support categories included, that type of thing. So say, if you've been living at home and you've decided that you would like to move out of home or if you've had significant changes in your condition with extra supports required, that sort of thing. So that would require a planned reassessment. Yes. Yeah, absolutely. Or maybe your, you know, physio has identified a piece of equipment that you might need.
46:45
Something like that. Really, any big changes? Big changes. OK. So then plan variation. So that's any small changes to your plan. So if everything's going well, you know you're using your funding, it's sort of an appropriate rate. All of your needs are being met, but you might want to update your goals or just maybe a slight change in budget or something. That's when they would just do a planned variation. So it's just quite minor.
47:13
And then a rollover, no change. Yeah. So again, if everything's fine, if nothing needs to change, they'll just usually call it a rollover. Just it's like that plan extension, they'll usually extend it for a year basically like just do the same plan again basically, but with no changes at all.
47:29
So then getting to the end of the for the the plan, these are the options in terms of what will happen after the the plan meeting, if it's required, if there is a plan reassessment required, we're getting quotes for any large equipment. There'll be potentially a discussion if funding was under or over utilised. So it's a good idea to have some explanations as to why that is the case.
48:12.
Yeah. So that we said before, if you were on a wait list, let them know that. And then as you said, reflecting on how everything's gone, plan management and support coordination is definitely part of that in terms of if it worked for you, if you wanted to try alternatives and then then plan length as well, is that. Yeah. So they are trying to make plans longer at the moment, generally speaking. So they'll usually be from one to three years long, with the onus that that reduces the administration loads.
48:43
If you've if you figured out what works for you, then they'll just extend that. So there's less reporting required. So if you're going into that meeting knowing that everything's fine, you might say, yeah, that's fine or have a three year plan. But like you said, there are points in your life where you might be moving out of home or starting work or something. You know that your supports are gonna change probably sooner than that. So you might request. But it's a shorter plan. Yeah, yeah, cool, amazing. Alright. So ultimately, when it comes to the end of your plan, again, being prepared and proactive about what you want next is the best ticket to getting the most out of the funding and the plan on going. Yes. And just continually asking those questions until you're clear on what's next.
49:34
That's so much content covered covered in all of that. I know we have lots of questions. Tam, Did you wanna throw some in there, see if we can help? And obviously if we can't help you today or if we need to go and verify any information, we will then follow up with you after the webinar. So if there's anything that's in the too hard basket for right now, we'll definitely be able to get back to you at a later point. OK.
50:00
So yeah, Tam, so sure. I know I, we do only have about 8 minutes left. I'll just try to do a general broad overview. But I think there is generally a lot of confusion about what LAC should be doing, you know, what support coordinators are should be doing and what can I do if basically they're not being helpful. So I know we've covered a little bit of that, but maybe we could just go over that again and emphasise a little bit on those options that people have.
50:30
Yeah so local area coordinator, what they should be doing, their role is basically to help you with your plans. So they should know your local area, there's lots of them around if you know your local area. So they should know what some providers are available. They should be able to help you go through your plan so you know how to use it. They should be able to answer any questions that you have about it. Generally, we found, I think in the community that, yeah, good luck calling the general numbers. I think each of the different LAC offices have their specific local telephone number going specific to that telephone number because like when you get your list, say on the NDIS postcode search, if you go to that local telephone number and call that number, find a name of someone and yes, they do move on.
51:22,
So I'm sure people do get disenchanted very quickly. Find it the name of the best person for you to speak to and ask for that person every time. If that person moves on, ask for a new name to refer back to you every time. So you're speaking to a person. So there's some continuity of being able to speak to someone that knows who you are and knows what your situation is. So get a name, get a local number and keep at it. I would also say if you if you have the ability to write emails as well, then you've got a paper trail. You can say I contacted you on this day, this day, this day, got no reply. Yep, you can even start. I have seen this work, CC’ing in complaints at NDIS 100% because then you know it might get looked at a bit sooner. It's very unfortunate that you have to do to get action sometimes, but I would definitely suggest to me that yeah, utilise all of the tools that your disposal to get what you need.
52:14
OK. Ultimately support coordinators and the LACs are there to help facilitate your journey on the end of this so that that's their job. So they're there to support you as a participant. So yeah, there might be scary, but they're there to help you. So maybe flip that a little bit and use their scariness to your advantage.
52:51
Anyways, on the support coordinator, obviously you don't hire our own LAC's. If you've got a real problem with them, I'd be requesting to switch to a new one. I know that's not always possible and they're not always gonna say yes, but I would try that first. But on support coordinators, if you've got a support coordinator that's not helping you, you can find someone else. Like you don't need to stick with someone that isn't there to support you.
53:09
Yeah. I would be seeking those recommendations from other people about someone in your local area that has helped them and trying to, Yeah, get on board with them. That's really it. Yeah. And that there, there is a lot of administration requirements in that regard in terms of phone calls and emails. So if if that is very overwhelming, if that's an overwhelming concept for you, having an advocate, a friend or a family member that can do that on your behalf, that would be so helpful in actually getting some outcomes for you for sure.
53:48
Was there just a quick one to, I know that none of the questions are quick, but one more before we wrap it up. I think they are all fairly complete and complex and there was you know and I think we have covered a little bit of it, but we will definitely get back to everyone and just let them know our response. And yes, there absolutely is a difference between a support coordinator and recovery coach. I don't know if you guys, I know it's a little bit of context, but just want to quickly touch on that.
54:24
Well, yeah, basically the main difference is that a recovery coach is specifically for participants with a psychosocial disability. So they'll generally either have training or lived experience in some kind of mental health capacity. So they can, I guess, work with you would be better and sort of know what supports you'll need. And it's one of the main things is to help you reach your goals. So there's sort of more goal oriented, I suppose, whereas the support coordinator can be for any type of disability. And they're more about connecting you to the right supports, helping you understand your NDIS plan, helping with budgeting and that type of thing. Yeah, that's there's quite a difference. We do have resources on recovery coaching and I think we've got another webinar coming up about support coordination soon as well.
55:13
So Yep, we can pop the links. If you're interested in learning more about what support coordinator should be doing you can come along to that one. Alright, Amazing. Thank you Erin. Alright, well, as we said, we'll get back to all of the questions after the webinar. We've come to the end of our allocated time. We'll be sending out an email to all attendees and those who registered for this webinar with the video and all of the resources that we've spoken about today. Please feel free to share it with anyone that you think it will be relevant to join us.
55:47
Join us in Kinora, and continue the conversation in there, tell us about your experiences, you've always got a supportive community to hear your experiences, whether they are good or bad. Any of your questions jump into Kinora, It's free, we will be there, we'll see you there. Just to let you know, Part 2 of the NDIS Basics webinar series will be happening early next month. Check out the events section of the Kinora website & up there. I'm Yvette. This is Erin. Thank you for joining us today, we hope to see you in Kinora soon. Hope it's been helpful for you. Alright, have a great day. Bye. Bye.
