The NDIA is continuing to support participants, their families and carers by making the plan review process simpler, easier and more efficient, and by giving participants longer term plans if their support needs are stable and they choose to.
What does this mean?
This means that not all participants will have to undergo a full plan review every 12 months, which can take time for participants.
Since we’ve moved toward longer plans and updated our system to make renewing your plan simpler and easier, more participants have chosen plan renewals and longer term plan renewals instead of full reviews.
Since March 2021, the number of participants who have chosen a 13-month or longer plan has increased from 20% to nearly 50% each week.
That’s why we’re continuing to make plan renewals and longer term plan renewals an option for more eligible participants.
Plan renewals are voluntary and participants can continue to request a review at any time. This change has no impact to the review rights of participants.
Why are we making these changes?
These changes mean participants can continue to work towards their goals and access the services they need, with more regular check-ins to replace the requirement for a full plan review for eligible participants.
This change is about helping participants who have stable needs and goals, with receiving longer plans or a plan renewal as their support needs are not likely to change.
Participants should contact their planner or LAC if their needs or circumstances change.
Embedding the participant check-in approach
As more participants choose longer term plans, we’ll continue to embed the participant check-in approach which puts participants in regular contact with their NDIA planner or LAC to discuss if their supports are working for them.
Participant check-ins focus on having a conversation about the participant’s goals, funded supports and wellbeing, to make sure they are getting the supports they need.
Participant check-ins can happen throughout the plan duration, but always occur near the current plan end date.
If a participant has a change of circumstances, they can request a plan review at any time or raise this during their check-in conversation.
The participant check-in process also helps us to identify if we need to make small changes to a participant’s plan or renew their existing plan and funding for a longer duration.
What is the impact for providers?
There is no change to the requirements and expectations of support coordinators. A plan renewal will apply the latest Price Guide and Support Catalogue price limits.