The difference between NDIS plan management and support coordination

July 31, 2020

The difference between NDIS plan management and support coordination

If you’re feeling confused about the difference between NDIS plan management and support coordination don’t worry, you aren’t alone.

It is a common misconception that NDIS plan managers and support coordinators provide the same service. Although ultimately their objectives may be the same, how plan managers and support coordinators work with you to help achieve your goals is different.

Both of plan management and support coordination are defined as capacity building supports, but funding is allocated differently. Support coordination is also divided into three sub-categories with higher levels of funding provided to those with high risk behaviours of complex barriers.

We break down the differences and explain how each support can work differently to help you achieve your goals.

NDIS Plan Management

Plan management is one of the options available to you for the administration of your plan funding. A plan manager’s job is to arrange payment of your supports and keep track of your budget to ensure you aren’t overspending or underspending.

In addition to this, a plan manager also does the following:

• Provides you with advice on how to better spend your plan funds
• Helps you to prepare for plan reviews
• Assists you to navigate and understand the NDIS
• Negotiates the best possible rate with service providers
• Takes care of your financial reporting
• Allows you access to both NDIS-registered and non-registered service providers

Funding for plan management is available to anyone who requests it at their planning meeting or plan review. If you choose not to work with a plan manager, your other options are self-management, agency-management or a combination of both.

To learn more about NDIS plan management, click here.

NDIS Support Coordination

Support coordination is a capacity building support that is designed to help connect you with service providers and manage ongoing provider relationships. Funding for support coordination is often a time limited support, meaning funding usually decreases over time as you become more capable of managing your own supports.

A support coordinator’s job is to help you find the right service providers in your area to deliver the supports you need to achieve your goals. Whether you are plan-managed, self-managed, agency-managed or a combination, funding for support coordination may be provided to you if it is deemed ‘reasonable and necessary’.

A support coordinator may also help in the following areas:

• Connect you with community services
• Oversee service agreements on your behalf
• Work with your plan manager to allocate funds appropriately
• Resolve problems with service providers

Depending on what level of funding you have assigned for a Coordination of Supports, the support provided will vary. The three sub-categories are as follows:

• Support connection – This is short-term assistance to help you connect and build relationships with service providers. Our experienced team can help facilitate any level of supports you need, either short-term or long-term
• Support coordination – Our NDIS Support Coordinators provide you with ongoing assistance to navigate the NDIS, connect you with supports, resolve any issues and more
• Specialist support coordination – If you have a complex living situation, difficulty communicating or other family members are also living with disability, specialist support coordination, also known as complex case management, helps to address barriers and reduce complexities. Click here for more information on how Disability Plan Services can help with complex case management.

If you’re interested in learning more about NDIS support coordination, click here.

In summary, plan management is all about how you choose to look after your NDIS plan funding, and support coordination is getting help to put your plan into action with the right service providers.

If you don’t currently have funding in your plan for NDIS plan management or support coordination, don’t be afraid to speak up and talk to your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) about why you believe you could benefit from the funding.

If you are new to the NDIS, learning how to interpret and understand your plan and the terminology within it can be difficult. At Disability Plan Services, we are an experienced team of real people who you can trust with your NDIS plan. We value the relationships with our community and always take the time to understand your individual needs and goals so we can connect you with the best supports possible.

Contact us to ask a question, request information or get some independent, honest advice – we’re always happy to have a chat.