Navigating the NDIS can feel overwhelming, but understanding your plan is the key to unlocking the right supports and services for your child or loved one. Whether you're just starting out or looking to make sure you're getting the most out of your NDIS funding, here are 7 essential tips (plus some hacks!) to help you understand your plan and make it work for you.
1. Get to Know the Structure of Your Plan
Your NDIS plan is divided into different categories, each designed to fund specific types of supports. Understanding these categories is crucial to ensuring you use your funds appropriately.
- Core Supports: These cover daily activities, consumables, and social/community participation.
- Capacity Building: This helps develop skills for independence and future growth.
- Capital Supports: This is for one-off purchases like assistive technology and home modifications.
Familiarising yourself with these categories will help you see where and how you can spend your funding.
- Kindship Perk: If you have the Barb by Kindship app, your budget categories are already laid out for you, along with suggestions on how to spend. This makes it super easy to understand and break down your funding.
2. Understand Your Goals
Your NDIS plan is designed around your specific goals. These goals might include improving your child’s independence, accessing the community, or developing new skills. Take time to revisit these goals and understand how your funding is aligned to help you achieve them.
- Hack: When speaking to providers or support coordinators, always refer to your plan goals to ensure services align with what the NDIS has approved.
- Kindship Perk: In the app, we have a few versions of goal booklets, including one for participants themselves (covering everyday living, home, and employment) and another for parents and carers to help craft their children’s goals. Not sure where to start? Ask Barb! She has NDIS plan templates and can give you prompts to help craft epic goals based on what the NDIS likes to see.
3. Know What 'Reasonable and Necessary' Means
The NDIS uses the term "reasonable and necessary" when deciding which supports to fund. These are supports that help you achieve your goals, are related to your disability, and offer value for money.
- Tip: Before requesting new supports, check if they meet the reasonable and necessary criteria to avoid disappointment or delays in funding.
- Kindship Perk: We’ve created a handy checklist for exactly this! Not a member? No problem. Just email us, and we’d be happy to send it your way.
4. Learn How to Track Your Spending
Managing your NDIS budget effectively means keeping a close eye on spending to ensure you don’t run out of funds or underutilise your plan. Whether you're self-managing or using a plan manager, regularly tracking your budget is crucial.
- Hack: Use apps or tools provided by your plan manager to get real-time updates on your spending. This helps you stay on top of your budget with ease.
- Kindship Perk: In the Barb by Kindship app, you can get an overview of your spending and see if you’re on track (or not) in just 10 seconds. Quick and easy!
5. Use Your Plan for Flexibility and Choice
The NDIS allows you to choose your service providers, meaning you can tailor supports to meet your child’s unique needs. In some cases, you can even choose non-NDIS registered providers for more flexibility.
- Tip: Take advantage of your ability to select providers who best understand your child’s specific challenges and goals, ensuring a better fit for their needs.
- Kindship Perk: Not sure what’s out there or which therapies and services will fit your child’s needs and goals? Why not ask in the Kindship Connect group? There’s an army of parents and carers with lived experience who are always willing to share their insights and experiences. Join our Facebook group.
6. Know When to Review Your Plan
Your NDIS plan isn’t set in stone; it’s designed to evolve as your needs change. If your circumstances shift or your child requires additional support, you can request a plan review to ensure you’re receiving the right level of funding.
- Hack: Don’t wait until the end of your plan to request changes. If your needs have changed or your funding isn't adequate, request a review early.
- Kindship Perk: Kindship’s No More Rubbish Plans FREE course here makes understanding plan reviews simple and easy to navigate.
7. Don’t Hesitate to Ask for Help
The NDIS can be complex, and it's normal to have questions. Whether it’s understanding how to use your funds, navigating provider options, or preparing for a plan review, there’s always support available.
- Tip: Join the free Kindship community to connect with other parents who have been through the same process. You’ll find invaluable insights, support, and advice on making the most of your NDIS plan.
- Kindship Perk: Become a Kindship member, and get access to plan managers with lived experience and a wealth of NDIS wisdom. We’re here to guide you through every step of the way!
Final Thoughts
Understanding your NDIS plan can feel like a big task, but with these tips—and the support from the Kindship community—you can break it down into manageable steps. The more you understand your plan, the better equipped you’ll be to use your funding effectively and achieve your goals. If you ever feel unsure, don’t hesitate to reach out for support from one of our plan managers or connect with other families in the Kindship community.
.jpg)
