Monitor plan budgets and support effectiveness

Coach, refine and reflect

A support coordinator should coach the participant to become more confident and independent when:

navigating NDIS systems and processes
establishing their supports, including negotiating with providers
choosing and controlling how to make the best use of their supports in plan.

When implementing supports in a participant’s plan, a support coordinator should help the participant:

evaluate how effectively the supports have met, and continue to meet, the participant’s needs
track progress towards pursuing the participant’s goals, including how their current supports contribute
adjust the mix of supports or how they are delivered according to the participant’s needs and wishes.

When preparing evidence to support an upcoming plan reassessment, a support coordinator should also reflect with the participant on:

what worked well, including what outcomes were achieved
what the participant would like to explore, change and/or improve in their next plan, including what evidence might be needed.

Key tasks for support coordinators to help coach, refine and reflect

Support the participant to develop skills and build capacity to manage their plan in line with their goals.
Support implementation of service agreements and ensure service bookings are in place.
Assist the participant to monitor the implementation of their plan in line with their goals and plan budget.
Assist the participant to reflect where plan utilisation is not aligned with their goals and/or expected spend.
Assist the participant to plan ahead for their plan review meeting.
Support the participant to understand NDIS processes.

Sam lives in a small rural community in NSW and has a history of misusing alcohol and other substances. Sam is looking to end their long stay in the hospital after a NDIS hospital liaison officer supported Sam to access the NDIS. They recently received their first NDIS plan.

Sam has engaged a support coordinator to help with their transition out of the hospital.

The support coordinator works with Sam to find and access community housing support. Sam’s support coordinator also helps Sam to set up regular drop-in domestic assistance to help around the house while they settle in.

Sam’s support coordinator also works with Sam to set up NDIS and other supports to prevent a relapse and needing to go back to the hospital.

Over time, the support coordinator coaches Sam to re-establish the formal and informal supports in their life.

Sam also works with the support coordinator to regularly refine their supports as Sam adjusts to their new environment and living arrangements.

As part of this, Sam and their support coordinator regularly reflect on the successes and challenges they have had.

Sam’s support coordinator also makes sure Sam knows what to do and who to contact if anything unexpected happens.

With the support coordinator’s help, Sam has not had a relapse since leaving the hospital. Sam is also settling in to their new house and beginning to make friends in their local community.

Reporting to the NDIA

Support coordinators and participants should regularly talk about how a participant is going with using their plan to pursue their goals.

These conversations should be documented in the following reports:

Initial plan implementation report completed 8 weeks after a participant’s plan begins or after the support coordinator accepts the request for service. Support coordinators should review and outline:
- what the participant and support coordinator have agreed to work on during the participant’s plan
- steps taken by the support coordinator within the first few weeks to help the participant to use their plan.
Mid-term implementation report should be completed on a regular basis. How often these reports must be completed will be outlined in the request for service. Support coordinators should:
- detail what they done so far to support the participant with plan implementation
- provide a general progress update on how the participant is going with using their plan and pursuing their goals – including any emerging risks or participant concerns
- outline what the support coordinator will do in the future – including any actions or strategies to address risks or concerns.
Plan reassessment and evaluation report should be completed before the participant’s next plan reassessment. The participant and their support coordinator should reflect on how the participant’s plan has been implemented, including:
- how the participant used their supports in plan to pursue their goals, progress towards their goals, and the outcomes achieved in line with the NDIS Participant Outcomes Framework
- what actions were taken to ensure that the plan is implemented
- any barriers or challenges which may have impacted on the plan implementation – including what the impact was and how the support coordinator worked with the participant to address and overcome these
- any recommendations about what the participant might need for their next plan.

Support coordinators must provide these reports to the NDIA. Reporting requirements will be outlined in the request for service.

It will include details about what information and when these reports should be provided to the NDIA.

Support coordinators can claim report writing time for an NDIA-requested report if all the conditions in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits are met.

Funding for support coordination in a participant’s plan will consider report writing time.

Support coordinators play an important part in promoting and protecting the safety of participants.

All NDIS providers, including support coordinators, must 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.

Key tasks for support coordinators reporting to the NDIA

Report on progress in achieving the participant’s goals.
Outline progress in building the participant’s skills and independence.
Report on progress in strengthening the participant’s community and economic participation through connection with broader systems of support.
Explain implementation and utilisation of NDIS-funded supports (e.g. reasons why the participant’s plan may be underspent).
Share reports from therapists, providers, or relevant funded services with the NDIA.
Outline barriers, risks or issues with implementing the participant’s plan and strategies identified and implemented to address them.
Provide evidence that the participant’s crisis or complex service plan has been developed (and implemented if required).
Provide clear evidence on future support needs and recommendations.

Monitor plan budgets and support effectiveness

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Coach, refine and reflect

Key tasks for support coordinators to help coach, refine and reflect