While the NDIS’ goal is to ensure you have all the help you need, it still takes a lot of administrative work to coordinate all the moving parts. And that is where a Support Coordinator comes in. They act as the primary liaison between you and your service providers.
The responsibilities of a Support Coordinator vary significantly. However, no matter their variance, each duty is essential for helping you navigate the often-confusing NDIS plans. In addition, having a Support Coordinator’s help frees you up to focus on attaining your goals.
So, what does an NDIS Support Coordinator do?
Manages your support and services
One of the primary roles of a Support Coordinator is described in the title- they help you organise and find your supports.
Another critical part of a Support Coordinator’s position is retaining crucial knowledge about the services available in your local community. Therefore, they are well placed to help you navigate and identify the different service providers in your area. Moreover, they employ their understanding of the NDIS system to verify that potential providers are highly regarded and meet established Quality and Safeguard requirements.
Your Support Coordinator’s duty extends to gathering feedback on your feelings about your new service providers after you start working with them. If you aren’t satisfied with a service provider’s support, your Support Coordinator steps in to help you find another one.
You can also work with your Support Coordinator to create contingencies for potential problems. As a result, you remain prepared to take necessary action in caseof a service provider’s unsuitability or cancellation.
Reflects on and refines your plan
Numerous considerations constitute some of the big questions you may have as an NDIS recipient- particularly when tackling plan reviews. Your Support Coordinator, therefore, becomes a vital aide in gathering the necessary evidence for your review, helping you answer any questions and supporting you as you negotiate plan changes. Consequently, you get to go through this potentially stressful process with a reliable companion.
They help you be better prepared
Once you are assigned, your Support Coordinator learns about your environment and circumstances. They use this information to help you plan for unexpected events and changes. Therefore, consider a random occurrence like needing to move from your current home, an unplanned hospital visit or a change in your service provider’s availability. If any of these situations arise, your Support Coordinator will provide necessary aid in developing alternate plans to ensure you can remain on track with your goals while navigating these changes. This help is critical if these occurrences affect your NDIS services.
Builds your capacity to manage your plan
Finally, if you so wish, your Support Coordinator can be instrumental in helping you build your capacity to manage your NDIS plan personally. They do so by educating you on how to do such things as set up supports, use the NDIS systems and making certain you are within your budget.
This knowledge helps you enhance your ability to make crucial decisions that aid in pursuing your goals while empowering you to advocate for yourself.
Despite its significance as a source of help, navigating the NDIS isn’t easy. So, it would be best if you harness the expertise of a Support Coordinator to ensure that you fully utilise the system’s benefits as you work towards meeting the goals you set out for yourself.