REPORT & ESCALATE: Support Coordination Funding Cuts
DIA has recently been inundated with Participants, Nominees, Support Coordinators, Plan Managers, Guardians and others reporting that NDIS Participants have undertaken a Plan Review (Re-Assessment) and told that Support Coordination would not be funded or that only a small amount of funding would be put in the plan to support a warm hand over to an LAC.
DIA wants to be very clear,
- this is not be happening to ALL NDIS Participants, however does it appear to be happening to a significant number of NDIS Participants.
- this issue is NOT associated with the NDIS Review or any possible future introduction of Navigators.
DIA has a working hypothesis on why this is happening and is engaged with the NDIA. However we need to make sure that we are systematically capturing information about those that are impacted.
Below are a couple of quotes provided to DIA to illustrate the issue:
“Support Coordination is being phased out of the NDIS system and that the LAC will take over all support coordination functions. This is not a reviewable decision. The NDIA will fund a transition period of about 6 weeks to facilitate a warm handover between the support coordinator and the LAC”
NDIS Participant in South Australia
“My planning meeting did not go well. The planner reduced my Support Coordination funding from 60 hours to just 6 hours, saying that an LAC can do the same job as my Support Coordinator. The 6 hours is for my Support Coordinator to do a handover with the LAC. I can’t believe it, my Support Coordinator is key to making my supports all work together. The LAC is less than useless and never answers the phone or emails.”
NDIS Participant in Victoria
“Due to changes in the NDIA guidelines, the support coordination budget will decrease to 12 hours per year, to ensure a warm handover with LAC.”
LAC Victoria
“Funding of Support Coordination does not represent value for money as it is deemed a duplication of supports with already funded Local Area Coordinator (LAC) connection and monitoring supports.”
NSW Planner
“At the moment the NDIA are removing everyone’s support coordination as we LAC’s are slowly getting back more time and opportunity to assist participants access their supports.”
LAC Tasmania
DIA has received a large number of escalations on this issue. Due to the volume of escalations from our members, DIA has created a reporting and escalation page which is open to Participants, Guardians, Nominee’s, Support Coordinators, Plan Managers and others.
Has this happened to you or a Participant you support? If so please report it using the below link. DIA will use this information in our ongoing discussions with the NDIA around this issue.
If you are a Support Coordinator, Plan Manager or Provider please lodge a report for each impacted participant separately.
DIA understands that this issue is causing anxiety and stress for Participants, Support Coordinators and others. Rest assured that DIA is working hard to have this issue resolved quickly and asks those impacted to please report and escalate using the above link.
As above, Support Coordinators are reminded that whilst DIA believes this issue is systemic across Australia we do not believe it to be associated with the NDIS Review or any future Navigator function.
If you would like to discuss this issue further please contact us at info@intermediaries.org.au to arrange a phone call or zoom meeting.
DIA is a members-based organisation. We are only able to do the work that we do because of the ongoing support of our members. Thank you to all DIA members that continue to support the work we do. If you’re a provider delivering Support Coordination or Plan Management are not yet a member, you should consider joining. Click here to join from our homepage.