The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a federal scheme that provides support for people with permanent and significant disability, as well as their families and carers.
When fully implemented the NDIS will support around 500,000 Australians under the age of 65 through a variety of supports and services, such as assistance with personal care, access to the community, therapy services and essential equipment, as well as information and referrals to existing services.
For the families of children with disability or developmental delays, the NDIS makes it easier to access early support for their current and long-term benefit, and it facilitates more opportunities for families to exercise choice and control in the decisions surrounding their child's well-being.
Eligibility
For people who meet the access requirements, the NDIS offers a range of support and services:
A person may be eligible if they:
- Usually need support from a person because of a permanent and significant disability
- Use special equipment because of a permanent and significant disability
- Need some support now to reduce their future needs
People have to be under the age of 65 to access the NDIS, and it's only available to those who live in Australia and are Australian citizens or have a Permanent or Special Category Visa.
There's an application process to access the NDIS, and specific help available for children younger than the age of seven with a developmental delay or disability.
The National Disability Insurance Agency
It's the job of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to implement the NDIS, and the NDIA administers its general support through the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) program.
Via this program, the NDIA:
- Provides information, linkages and referrals to connect people with disability, and their families and carers, with appropriate disability, community and mainstream supports
- Ensures people with disability can access mainstream supports
- Builds community awareness, so people with disability are better supported and included
- Builds individual capacity to improve outcomes for people with disability, families and carers, and
- Coordinates with the local area to help people plan and access community services, supports and activities
Local Area Coordinators (LACs) are involved with all of the above, and they help to streamline a person's NDIS experience and promote community inclusion.
The NDIA helps to create individualised plans and provides funded support to people as necessary (more about that below).
NDIS Early Childhood Approach
The NDIA has also developed a national, best practice approach to help children aged zero to six with disability or developmental delay.
It's called the Early Childhood approach, and the NDIS funds local organisations (known as ‘Early Childhood Partners) to deliver this family-focused, early intervention approach and ensure children with developmental delay or disability receive the support and services they need to build skills and get the best possible start in life.
Early Childhood Partners can help children and their families or carers by providing information, working out each child's support needs, referring them to appropriate services and supports, and monitoring their progress.
NDIS Plan
Every NDIS participant has an individual plan that details their goals and funding.
Participants have a planning meeting with their Local Area Coordinator, Early Childhood Partner or NDIA planner, and their NDIS plan is based on these discussions. It contains:
- Information about the person, e.g. their disability, day-to-day activities, aids and equipment used etc
- Non-funded support given by family and friends
- Community/government-funded services and supports the person uses, e.g. health centres and support groups
- The person's current and long-term goals
- Funded supports they've been allocated, directly related to their disability
The person uses their funding to purchase services and supports to achieve their goals. They can manage the NDIS plan themselves, get assistance from a Plan Manager or have the NDIA manage their plan.
Funded Supports
NDIS funding gets allocated across three support budgets – Core Supports, Capacity Building Supports and Capital Supports – and each of these budgets has various support categories.
For example, the Core Supports budget includes funding for:
- Assistance with daily life, e.g. help with showering and dressing
- Consumables, e.g. handrails
- Assistance with social and community, e.g. a support worker to help the person take part in social/community activities
- Transport
The funding is allocated according to the individual needs of the person, in the areas relevant to them. Funded supports may change from plan to plan as needs change.
For more information about support funded by the NDIS, click here.
Carers
The NDIS recognises the important role unpaid carers have in the lives of people with a disability and aims to better support them.
As such, parents/carers supporting children with a disability entering NDIS have an important role in decision-making about ongoing support needs, goal-setting, assessment and planning for the future.
Funded supports may be of direct and indirect support to carers, as well as the child being cared for.
For more information about the role of carers under NDIS and how to access services and support visit the NDIS Family and Carers page.
