The goal of NDIS is to provide you with greater choice and more control over your (and/or your child’s) life. Each participant in the NDIS will have their own individual plan explaining what they want to do in their life, and what support is needed to achieve this.
Your first plan will be the start your relationship with the NDIS. It should give you the support you need now, as well as give you time to learn more about all of your NDIS options when considering goals for your next plan.
Pre-planning is critical to set goals and help participants navigate a complex and often confusing NDIS process. Care and Support Planning should consider what is important to each individual, what they need to have a good life, and how these goals need to be supported to become possible.
What is Care and Support Planning?
A care and support plan is a summary of the participant’s assessed needs and desired outcomes, and how their personal budget can be applied to achieve them. It helps support people better by:
- Ensuring what really matters to the participant is identified, and the information is used towards finding best possible solutions/choices
- Helping participants think through different options available to them so they are choosing the best available resources for themselves
- Giving the individual more of say, leading to increased choice and control over how they live their life
The process can be made easier by utilising “Person-centred thinking” tools that raise questions such as :
- What is important to you?
- What do you want to change?
- How will you arrange your support?
- How will you spend your money?
- How will you manage your support?
- How will you stay in control?
- What will you do next?
to help structure your plan.
The NDIA encourages consideration of participant needs in the future, such as, taking holidays or acquiring everyday skills such as, joining groups and making friends. Plans can also include training to develop new skills, equipment, communication devices, financial management and leisure activities.
Peninsula Speech Pathology Services have enlisted the services of an experienced disability support planner, Antoinette Dungey to help our clients navigate pre-planning for NDIS. If you would like to be put in contact with Antoinette please call Reception on 5975-1500.
Links
House with No Steps “About Me” planning tool
Endeavour Foundation – NDIS Resources including “Mapping my World” planning tool