How To - What is support coordination?

[Transcript]

What is support coordination?

A support coordinator is a type of provider that can help NDIS participants to understand and use the supports in their NDIS plan.

Depending on your individual needs and goals, you may receive NDIS funding for support coordination.

This video explains why you might have support coordination funded in your plan and how a support coordinator can help you.

Why do I have support coordination in my NDIS plan?

When your NDIS plan is approved, you might receive funded support coordination to help you to use your plan to achieve your goals.

Getting this type of funded support in your plan depends on your individual needs and circumstances, such as your disability or your personal situation.

What can my support coordinator help me with?

Your support coordinator can help you in many ways, depending on your preferences and choices.

They will help you:
- understand and use your NDIS plan
- make the most of your funded supports
- access community and mainstream services
- build your ability to become more independent
- connect with people in your life such as family, friends and carers to help you achieve your goals
- connect with providers
- and decide when you want to access supports and services, and how much you want to pay for these.

They will also help you with your service agreements and service bookings.

Over time, you may build the confidence and skills to manage your supports independently and you may not need support coordination in your plan.

What should I expect from my support coordinator?

Your support coordinator should always make sure you have choice and control over your goals and supports.

Your support coordinator must treat you with respect and communicate with you in your preferred communication style.

They should support you to make your own choices and should never make decisions on your behalf.

Your support coordinator may support you to make decisions by breaking them down into smaller parts so they're easier to understand or showing you some different options.

To ensure you are receiving safe and quality supports, support coordinators must keep up to date with current NDIS processes and the rules set out by the NDIS Commission.

Where do I get a support coordinator from?

You can look up registered support coordination providers located near you using the Provider Finder tool in the myplace portal.

Your Local Area Coordinator or Early Childhood Partner may also help you find and connect with a support coordinator, or you can ask your family or friends for help.

Before starting with your support coordinator, ask any questions that will help you make a decision about if you want to use them as a provider or not.

If you're confident that this person is the right support coordinator for you, then we recommend that you have a service agreement in place.

Your support coordinator will help you understand the service agreement.

You can change support coordinators at any time if you are not happy with your support coordinator or level of service.

Remember, you have choice and control in the supports you receive.

This means you have the choice over who provides your supports and how they are provided.