A yellow arrow painted on concrete with a man's boots standing next to it

What your journey with an NDIS Support Coordinator will look like

If your NDIS plan includes funding for Support Coordination, you may be wondering what this service includes, and if it’s worth utilising. We’re here to tell you that yes, a Support Coordinator is incredibly helpful for many people – especially those new to the NDIS or with complex support needs. It’s also a great way to fill a gap in support that may arise if many of your immediate family have disabilities, or if you don’t have much family support nearby. Additionally, it’s a great way to ease the transition if you experience a change in circumstances (like moving out of home); a Support Coordinator provides guidance to help you set up your supports to enhance your new lifestyle. In fact, these circumstances (and others) often determine your eligibility for Support Coordination funding in the first place.

With that in mind, let’s talk about the journey that you will undertake with your Support Coordinator.

Getting started with a Support Coordinator

Participating in the NDIS can involve a lot of decision making and planning. It can be stressful, especially if you are new to the NDIS or have a lot of supports to set up!
First and foremost, your Support Coordinator takes the time to meet with you (either face to face or virtually) and get to know you. You are welcome to bring family or friends to these meetings so they can meet your Support Coordinator. During this initial phase, your Support Coordinator will establish a solid understanding of your needs and what you want your NDIS plan to achieve. This step is important because, from day one, their goal is to help you meet your goals.

Your Support Coordinator has supported many people to optimise their supports, so they know the NDIS inside-out and have the right skills to put plans into action. They combine their NDIS expertise with their understanding of your unique needs and goals to find best possible service providers who are reputable, compliant with NDIS regulations, and meet your requirements. From here, your Support Coordinator equips you with the knowledge to make the final decision on who joins your support network. Plus, your Support Coordinator can arrange for you to meet providers to ensure you feel comfortable and confident with them before agreements are made.

While setting up your services, your Support Coordinator will work with you to ensure all supports are delivered at times and places that best compliment your lifestyle. Your Support Coordinator will also help you design contingency plans to prepare for hiccups in your service provision. For example, you’ll know what to do if a provider doesn’t show up or doesn’t complete the service correctly. While such scenarios may be unlikely because of your Support Coordinator’s thorough selection process, being prepared will help to reduce stress in the moment.

 

Want to find out more about Support Coordination?

Simply complete the form and one of our friendly team will contact you.

Ongoing coordination of your NDIS plan

Once your plan is in full swing, your Support Coordinator will their work mostly behind the scenes. Along with answering your questions from time to time, they will lodge reports with the NDIS and assess the effectiveness of your supports in the context of your goals.

However, everybody has evolving needs, and your Support Coordinator can help you make changes to your supports in accordance with these. They will check in with you regularly to see how you are going, and they may identify possible support improvements based on your feedback. It’s all about continuing to make sure you are getting the most out of your NDIS plan.

Support Coordinators will also help you to build your capacity to manage your own supports, if you want to. Over time, your Support Coordinator will essentially show you how to do their job, which includes identifying support needs, finding good service providers, and arranging and negotiating service agreements. Eventually, you will be able to coordinate your own supports and be self-sufficient in this respect, leading to greater independence and confidence.

Plan reviews with your Support Coordinator

As your needs and aspirations change over time, your NDIS plan will need to be reviewed. But plan reviews can be stressful, and a lot of work goes into preparing for them; you need to make a case and provide evidence for any changes to funding and inclusions. Your Support Coordinator will help you plan ahead, gather the necessary evidence, and prepare for your plan review with confidence. They can also accompany you to your review and support your negotiations.

Why choose Enhanced Lifestyles for Support Coordination?

Enhanced Lifestyles is a unique organisation: our customers sit on our board, which means that every decision we make is customer-led. On the ground, our team is passionate about empowering you to live a fulfilling life by getting to know your unique goals and strengths. That’s what makes our Support Coordinators so effective at supporting you throughout your NDIS journey.

Learn more about our Support Coordination services.

Begin your journey with an Enhanced Lifestyles Support Coordinator

Speak to one of our friendly Customer Relations team about Support Coordination by calling 8340 2000. Alternatively, you can fill out the contact form and we will get back to you soon.

Get in touch

Complete the form to find out if we can support you.
You can also call us on 8340 2000 to speak to one of our friendly team members or email us at hello@el.org.au.
Enhanced LifestylesWe heart NDIS