Capacity Building Supports budget: Increased Social and Community Participation

Your Capacity Building Supports budget helps you to build life skills and develop independence. This is one of three types of supports budgets your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Plan may include. The other two types are Core Supports and Capital Supports, which cover the expenses related to your day-to-day living needs at your current capacity (like care supports, equipment or modifications).

Increased Social and Community Participation is a category in your Capacity Building budget. This support category can help you to better engage with community activities, promoting social inclusion and helping you live a more fulfilling and engaged life.

What does Increased Social and Community Participation fund?

The supports in this category help you develop skills and increase your independence in your daily personal life. The aim is to help you be able to do more ‘everyday’ social and community based activities like:

• Attending appointments
• Shopping
• Using the library
• Taking part in social activities
• Using public transport
• Maintaining contact with others in your life

Note: Provider travel – non labour costs and activity based transport are also included as support items under this category. All categories are subject to limits of the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.

How will supports be delivered?

Generally social and community participation supports be delivered either individually or in a group setting. In terms of what these supports actually are, examples include:

• Skill building workshops
• Personal development courses
• Peer-to-peer help, mentorship or life coaching (i.e. one-on-one support)
• Learning a new hobby that would help you connect with others (such as taking an art class)
• Community access programs
• Help attending community events
• Group activities where you can connect with people holding similar interests

These are focused on helping participants build fuller, more independent lives by encouraging personal growth in social and community participation.

Making and sustaining connections in your community helps you feel less isolated while building your self-esteem. When you feel good mentally and emotionally, your overall wellbeing can get a boost – which may help you achieve other goals too.

Related: The Top 4 Dating Apps for People Living with Disability

What is not covered by the NDIS?

The NDIS specifies for each funded support category the types of support NDIS participants can purchase – if what you would like to purchase falls outside that, always check with a trusted expert like your NDIS Plan Manager.

However, there are also general rules that apply: Your support must align with your plan, it must be classified as an NDIS support (not on any exclusion list), and it must meet NDIS ‘reasonable and necessary’ standards in regards to your unique disability needs.

Who is eligible for Increased Social and Community Participation funding?

If you have a Capacity Building budget in your NDIS plan, you may be able to use this for social and community participation supports. Eligibility for funding generally depends on your goals and disability needs (as per above) – so remember to push for the relevant goals at your next NDIS plan review or planning session! 

You may be eligible if:

• You have social & community participation goals in your NDIS plan
• Due to your disability, you face barriers in accessing social or community activities without support
• You need help building skills, confidence and independence in order to participate more

Adding social and community participation to your NDIS Plan

If you are eligible for social and community participation funding, you can work with your NDIS Planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to include this in your plan – again, provided it aligns with your goals.

As an active NDIS participant, you can request a review with the NDIS even if you don’t have an upcoming review anytime soon. It’s best to go in prepared: Be specific about your goals and what you want to accomplish, and have any supporting documentation ready to go. 

You can also bring an advocate to this meeting to help you explain your goals and why you need social and community participation assistance. This might be your family member (mum, dad, sibling), your support coordinator if you have one, or even a trusted friend.

Can you use funding from other budgets for social and community activities?

No, the funding you receive in your Core supports budget or Capital supports budget isn’t able to be switched over to bolster what your Capacity Building funding covers.

Even within Capacity Building, you must use the funding for the specific category as detailed in your NDIS plan. Capacity Building categories are:

1. Support Coordination
2. Improved Living Arrangements
3. Increased Social and Community Participation
4. Finding and Keeping a Job
5. Improved Relationships
6. Improved Health and Wellbeing
7. Improved Learning
8. Improved Life Choices
9. Improved Daily Living

You cannot use Capacity Building funding flexibly between the above categories. For example: You might have funding in your plan that is specified for Improved Health and Wellbeing. You couldn’t then use this funding to purchase Increased Social and Community Participation supports.

Related: How to get NDIS support if you have a Psychosocial Disability

How to find the right provider for Increased Social and Community Participation

The right NDIS provider can help you achieve your goals, improve your wellbeing, and get the most out of your NDIS plan through quality services. It can feel a little overwhelming when you’re just starting to look for providers, especially if you’re new to the NDIS system. Here’s a list to consider while you’re deciding:

1. What is their reputation like? Are you able to find good reviews or feedback from other participants they’ve worked with? 
2. Do they have relevant qualifications and background? E.g. If you’re looking to take a skills building workshop or learn a new hobby, is the person running the session knowledgeable and experienced in that field – will you get the best value for your time and money out of their lesson?
3. Are they able to provide a clear outline of the cost of the service, including any additional costs or fees? This is where a signed service agreement is a great idea if you do move forward with a particular service provider, so that you’re both on the same page about what happens next.
4. If you have specific cultural or language requirements, are they going to be able to cater to your needs?

Using your existing network to find providers

If you’re still not too sure where to start, try asking your LAC for a recommendation. They will have a good idea of the support workers operating in the local community, and can often point you in the right direction with preferred providers.

To get a better general idea of the providers in your area, you can also use the NDIS Provider Finder (which lists registered providers only) or NDSP’s Disability Support Provider service.

Can participants use any provider?

The pool of providers you can choose from varies depending on how your plan is managed. If you are self-managed or plan managed, you can choose from both NDIS-registered providers and non-NDIS-registered providers. If you are agency managed by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), you may only choose an NDIS-registered provider.

Making the most out of your NDIS Plan with NDSP Plan Managers

NDSP is always up-to-date on the latest NDIS info and guidelines. We work with you to make sure you get the most out of your plan (and your time) by taking the financial administration off your plate: Tracking your budgets, coordinating timely provider payment, making sure your invoices are NDIS-compliant, and providing regular reports of your progress.

Our accessible online Nappa portal is also available to our participant clients 24/7 with real-time budget data, so you can see exactly what’s happening with your plan budgets at any given time. Easy!

Why not get in touch with us today to see if plan management with NDSP is right for you – our team are always happy to answer any questions you might have.