NDIS stands for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

It is a new program from the Government that puts you in control of your support. You choose your service providers.

NDIS is run by the NDIA, the National Disability Insurance Agency, and the government agency for the NDIS.

The NDIA is the independent agency responsible for implementing the National Disability Insurance Scheme. If you are eligible for the NDIS, the NDIA will work with you and your family to help you identify the supports you need to live your life and achieve your goals.

You do! Your NDIS plan will tell you how much funding you will receive for each support, but your decision is how funds are managed. You can choose to manage your funds yourself or nominate the NDIS, a registered provider, or someone else you trust to do it for you. With the NDIS, you will always retain control over how, when, and where your support is provided.

If your needs are not currently being met, you may be provided with more support if it is deemed reasonable and necessary by the NDIS. This is why it’s essential to think about your needs and where your life could be improved ahead of your first NDIS meeting.

Rest assured that your current supports will not change (unless you want them to). Even if you do not meet the access requirements for the NDIS, you will still receive the same level of support you receive now.

Yes, if your circumstances change. If something happens that affects the supports you need, just let the NDIS or your support provider know, and they will work with you to review your plan. Your NDIS plan is also reviewed every 12 months. This allows you to assess the progress you have made towards achieving your goals and helps you to set new goals for the year ahead — which could also lead to a change in your support requirements.

NDIS Local Area Co-ordinators (LACs) are locally based representatives who can support you in implementing your NDIS plan. This might include assisting you in finding community activities and mainstream services in your local area to help you achieve your goals. However, they cannot be as hands-on or involved as your support co-ordinator, which is why we highly recommend support co-ordination to make sure you are getting the most out of your plan.

Contact your NDIS Local Area Co-ordinator for a list of service providers in your area. Alternatively, you can find a List of Registered Providers in Melbourne on the website of the NDIS (www.ndis.gov.au).

A service agreement is a legal agreement between you and your service provider/s which outlines the support that will be provided for you under the NDIS. It describes how and when the support will be provided, as well as the costs and the fees you need to pay.

Only if it is identified as one of your goals. A big part of the thinking behind the NDIS is that living a full life starts with being a part of your community and having the same opportunities as everybody else. Getting a job and participating in the economy can greatly improve your circumstances and your wellbeing, which is why it could potentially become a goal in your plan. In this situation, you would work with your NDIA planner and support co-ordinator (if you have one) to find supports that will help you achieve it.

The NDIS fully recognises the important role you, as parents, play in supporting the lives of your children. ADCS and the NDIA consider your views and experience to be crucial to the planning process. Parents are actively encouraged to work in partnership with the NDIA and be vocal about your children’s needs.

If you currently receive specialist disability services, there are typically eight steps to the process:

1. Check whether you can access the NDIS.
2. Have your first contact with the NDIA (by letter or phone).
3. Talk to us to help you prepare and pre-plan for the NDIS.
4. Meet with the NDIA to develop your NDIS plan.
5. Receive your NDIS plan.
6. Choose your service provider(s) and decide on your support coordination.
7. Put your plan in action.
8. Review your plan (yearly).

The following requirements must be met to be able to access NDIS funding:

Another simple way of checking whether you can access funding is through the NDIS access checklist, which you can find online at www.ndis.org.au

No. If you are over 65 when the NDIS is rolled out in your area, you cannot access the NDIS – but that does not mean you will not receive support. If you are aged 65 or over and are currently receiving disability supports, you will continue to receive the same level of support as before, just not through the NDIS.

You do not have to wait until your first NDIA planning meeting to start thinking about your NDIS plan. To prepare, we recommend that you create a pre-plan, which describes your goals in life, how you would like to achieve them and what supports you’ll need to make it happen. It should also include all the supports you currently receive. Your pre-plan can be used as a guide during your meeting with the NDIA and ensure all the important points are covered off. UnitingCare has a pre-planning booklet and workshops available for you to guide you through this process.

Together, you and your NDIA planner will discuss your life goals and the supports you will need to achieve them. The meeting is your opportunity to make some important changes to your life, so try and be as specific as possible and do not be afraid to ask questions. Any information, preplanning documentation, assessments or evidence you can provide will help support your requests.

Yes, you can take anyone you like with you to the meeting. This could be a family member or support person, or you can ask us to come with you as well.

Yes. Your NDIS plan will provide detail around the amount of funding you have been allocated for each support. You can choose to manage these funds yourself or nominate the NDIA, a registered provider or someone else you trust to do it for you.

Possibly. If your needs are not currently being met, you may be provided with more support if additional supports are deemed “reasonable and necessary” by the NDIA. What you can rest assured of is that, as long as you tell the NDIA about them, you’ll continue to receive your current supports.

Under the NDIS the focus is not on the amount of dollars allocated, but on making sure you receive the supports you need to help you achieve your goals.

No. If your current supports are reasonable and necessary, they won’t change – unless you want them to. Even if you do not meet the access requirements for the NDIS, you’ll still receive the same level of support you receive now.

NDIS Local Area Coordinators are locally based representatives who can support you in implementing your NDIS plan. This might include assisting you in finding community activities and mainstream services in your local area to help you achieve your goals.

No. NDIS support relates to how you live, not where you live. However, after working with the NDIA to assess your needs, you may decide to move if you feel your current arrangements do not meet your needs. For example, you might decide that your current home is not set up the way you need it, or you may wish to move from shared accommodation into a different environment.

Your NDIS Plan includes information about you and your goals, the types of support you can receive under the NDIS and the amount allocated to each support category.

If something happens that affects the supports you need, just let the NDIA or your service provider know, and they will work with you to review your plan. Your NDIS plan is also reviewed every 12 months, providing an opportunity to establish how successful you have been in achieving your goals and help you set new goals for the year ahead. This in turn could lead to a change in your support requirements.

Yes – if your circumstances change or at your annual review. Your needs and personal circumstances may well change over the year, so it is natural to have to make adjustments to your plan. Before your review, make a note of any changes you would like made and explain as precisely as possible how and why those changes should be made. You can also request a review if you do not agree with any of the NDIA’s decisions.

A service agreement is a legal agreement between you and your service provider/s which outlines the supports which will be provided for you under the NDIS. It includes things like what supports will be provided, how much they cost and how will be paid for, how long the supports will be provided, your obligations and the responsibilities of the service provider.

If you are eligible for the NDIS then you will no longer need QCC services. This is because all supports relating to your disability will be provided under the NDIS. When developing your NDIS Plan you will have the chance to consider all your current services and identify which supports you need to achieve your goals. If you are not eligible for NDIS, then there will be no change to your current services.

If you have been receiving NDIS support, at the age of 65 you can choose to either continue with NDIS supports or transition to age care. However, if you do decide to transition to age care, you will not be able to return to the NDIS.

There are no changes to arrangements in relation to the Disability Support Pension as a result of the NDIS.

No. The NDIS gives you the freedom to manage your own funding, but there are other options available too. You can choose between:

• Management by a nominee, for example a family member
• Using a registered Plan Management Provider
• Nominating the NDIA to carry out this role
• Self-management Ultimately, it is your decision how funds are managed, and you’ll always retain control over how, when and where your supports are provided.

Yes, but the NDIS brings a new approach to respite care. The NDIS will look at what respite you currently receive and why.

Respite that currently occurs in accommodation services, outside the family home is called Short Term Accommodation under the NDIS.

Yes. Because the NDIS is separate to the education system, it will not directly influence the status of special schools. The supports you receive under the NDIS are designed to complement the services the school system offers, not replace them. The NDIS will be available to eligible children, regardless of whether they attend a special school.

Yes, if you need it. The supports you receive under the NDIS are designed to complement the services the health system offers, not replace them. The NDIS will fund supports for people with a disability or condition who need assistance to carry out activities of daily living where these supports relate to their disability.

Only if it is identified as one of your goals. A big part of the thinking behind the NDIS is that living a full life starts with being a part of your community and having the same opportunities as everybody else. Getting a job and participating in the economy can greatly improve your circumstances and your wellbeing, which is why it could potentially become a goal in your plan. In this situation, you would work with your NDIA planner and choose appropriate supports to help you achieve it.

Yes. It is expected that the number of people accessing disability supports in Queensland will almost double under the NDIS. As a result, a lot of new workers will be needed to deliver these supports. We organise training for our people on working with the NDIS and supporting you through the process.

The NDIS fully recognises the important role you, as parents, play in supporting the lives of your children. Both ADCS and the NDIA consider your views and experience to be crucial to the planning process. Parents are actively encouraged to work in partnership with the NDIA and be vocal about their children’s needs.

If you have an NDIS Plan and move to an area that has not transitioned to the NDIS, yet you will still be able to take your plan with you and receive NDIS supports in your new location. You will need to let the NDIS know you are moving so they can update your contact details and if you have one, talk to your support coordinator about connecting with service providers in the place you are moving to. You can also contact service providers directly to see what they can offer you. It’s worth remembering that as the area you’re moving to is yet to transition, service providers in that area will need to do a few things to meet the different requirements of the NDIS – so it would be good to contact them before you move.