Your Rights in an NDIS Planning Meeting: Can You Bring a Supporter?

Key Information:

• You can bring a supporter (someone you trust) to your NDIS planning meeting to help you.
• Your planning meeting determines your funding, supports, and budgets, so it's worth preparing your goals and questions in advance.
• Don't downplay your struggles; the more clearly you communicate, the better your plan can reflect what you actually need.
• If your plan doesn't feel right, you can request an internal review through the NDIA.

You don't have to go it alone; you can bring a supporter to your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan meeting. This can be a family member, carer, an advocate, or a support worker to help you feel confident, relaxed and heard in your meeting.

What's an NDIS planning meeting?

Your planning meeting is your opportunity to work closely with your NDIS planner, to create a personalised NDIS plan. This is a really important part of the NDIS process because it impacts what your incoming plan covers: your budgets, the supports you can purchase, and your funding periods.

In this meeting, you'll be able to have your say on:

• The support you receive (types of support and your access to funding).
• Your needs and whether these have changed significantly recently.
• Your goals, and the choices you want to make for your life and future.

Then, your planner will work with you to create a plan that best supports your needs while still complying with what the NDIS considers 'reasonable and necessary' supports.

Who is involved in NDIS planning meetings?

The only 'essential' people are yourself and the NDIS Planner, but you can choose to invite other people to make sure you're getting the most out of the process. This can include:

• Family members, a friend, or carers who play an important role in your life can provide emotional support, help you stay on track, and make sure you're heard.
• Your Support Coordinator – if you have a Support Coordinator as part of your existing plan supports, they can help make sure the proposed new plan aligns with your goals and needs.
• An independent disability advocate. Advocates help you understand your rights, express your needs, and make decisions about your NDIS plan.

Where does the meeting take place?

You can have your NDIS planning meeting by phone, or you can meet at a National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) office or your Local Area Coordinator's (LAC) office. While you can make the request, your NDIS planner typically won't come to your home.

3 ways to prepare for your next NDIS planning meeting

1. Think about your goals before the meeting

You'll be asked about both short-term goals (what you want to achieve in the next 1-2 years) as well as longer term goals (2-5 year plans). Remember to think about what supports the NDIS will fund when mapping out your goals. Just stating any goal doesn't mean you'll get funding for it – it still has to be within NDIS guidelines.

For example, you might have a goal to attend uni or TAFE to become qualified for the job you want. The NDIS won't fund school fees or textbooks, but they could fund reasonable and necessary supports so you can participate in the program. These supports would help you overcome disability-specific barriers to attending and learning.

2. Gather relevant supporting information

The NDIS is working towards systems with less reliance on supporting evidence: however, it can still be very helpful to bring relevant, recent assessments and reports from your treating professionals. These can help the NDIA planner understand your needs better.

What is supporting evidence?

This is typically reports, assessments or recommendations from treating professionals (like an Occupational Therapist) that provide evidence on how much disability impacts your daily life, and the kinds of everyday activities you can't currently complete safely or independently. If you're wanting a different type of funding, or more funding in a certain area due to changing needs, having these reports can help 'show' the types of NDIS support you need.

If you're applying for NDIS funding for the first time, supporting evidence can help – especially if your situation and needs are complex.

Related:

• What Disabilities Qualify for the NDIS?
• 8 Tips to Make Your NDIS Evidence More Effective

3. Write down any questions you want to ask

It can be hard to come up with questions during the meeting. Instead, try writing a list of things you want answered and concerns you want to discuss. This gives you something to refer to, so you can make sure all the important things you wanted to talk about have been covered.

Some people also find it helpful to take their own notes of the answers to these questions. Your support person might be able to help you out with this, so you can stay focused on the conversation instead of writing.

What to expect during the meeting

Your NDIA planner will ask you questions about your current situation, goals, and disability-specific needs. It's important that you're open and honest about these. Make sure you're not downplaying any impacts or struggles you're experiencing.

You might need to answer questions about:

• Your current living situation (who you live with, and where you live in Australia).
• Your employment status.
• Your education.
• Your hobbies and interests.
• The kinds of transport you use to get around.
• Your current support needs, and whether you expect these to change.

Your planner doesn't know you personally. They're asking these questions so they can get a better idea of who you are, what your life is like, what your needs are, and what you want to work towards. This helps determine the supports you need to live your best, most independent life.

Related: 10 Tips to Prepare for Your NDIS Plan Reassessment

Be prepared to negotiate

You may need to negotiate the terms of your plan for specific supports or services. Communicate your needs and preferences as clearly as you can; if you have evidence that would back up your need for certain types of support, this is a great time to use it.

Check your proposed NDIS funding periods

Having funding periods makes managing funds over the lifetime of your plan easier by allowing you to focus on smaller portions as they become available. As part of your planning process, be sure to check whether your funding periods will be set up correctly so you can get the most out of them.

For example, if you have Support Coordination funding – will it be front-loaded, so you can get more support when you're connecting with providers at the beginning of the plan?

Related: New Changes to NDIS Funding Periods

Requesting plan management in your new NDIS plan

You may be self-managed, plan managed or agency managed by the NDIA. If you're plan managed, your provider will take on the responsibility of your plan's financial management. This includes checking and processing invoices, tracking budgets, keeping records, and other day to day financial administration tasks.

You can request plan management funding during your planning conversation. Using what they know about you, the NDIS will consider whether plan management is the best choice. Don't worry – plan management funding is separate and won't pull resources from your other budgets. It's an add-on for eligible participants, not a trade-off.

What happens next?

When the plan is approved, you'll get it either in person or in the mail. Either way, you will also be able to access it through the NDIS myplace portal. At your planning meeting you can ask for a copy of your plan be sent in a format that's accessible to you, such as:

• Braille.
• Electronic text (on CD).
• Large print.
• Audio (on CD).
• Translated into your preferred language.

You will need to go over your plan and see whether you're happy with it. If you disagree with what's in your plan, you have the right to ask for an internal review by the NDIA – your LAC or planner can explain how to do this and put you in touch with advocates who can help you through the process.

How NDSP's expert NDIS knowledge helps you

If you have plan management approved, the next step is to find the right provider. As one of Australia's most trusted plan managers, NDSP's services take the stress out of the financial side of your NDIS plan. Your plan budgets are easily viewed on our Nappa portal 24/7, on any device, and we handle provider invoices promptly – so you can spend less time tracking down invoices, and more on the things that make you happy.

Plus, our national network makes it easy to access the consistent, quality plan management support you need – no matter where you live! Why not contact our friendly team today to find out how NDSP makes plan management easy for NDIS participants.