NDIS Plan Review Tips

Life doesn’t stand still, and neither does your NDIS plan. Over time your goals and needs will change so it’s important make sure your NDIS plan is keeping up.

At a plan review your funding may increase, decrease, or stay the same, so it’s important to be prepared. Towards the end of your NDIS plan (most plans are 12 months in duration) you will have to take part in a plan review meeting to renew your funding. Here are our top tips for making sure you get the outcome that you deserve.

Tip 1. Be prepared!	This old Scout motto is definitely good advice for a plan review. Set aside time in advance to think about what you want from your plan review, what you need to get ready, how you will present any important information, and get any relevant documents together. By failing to prepare you, are preparing to fail!
Tip 2. Reflect on your existing plan.	What worked well in your previous plan? Perhaps more importantly, what didn’t work well? If you can identify where your supports didn’t help you achieve your goals maybe you need to re-think the type or amount of support, and the ways in which you are working towards your goals. This is something your planner will want to know.
Tip 3. Review your goals.	This is one of the most important elements of your plan review. The NDIS needs to know that the funding they approve supports you to pursue your goals. This is part of what is known as the ‘reasonable and necessary test’, a tool used by your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to determine what funding they ultimately approve. Goals can be short term, medium term, or long term. It’s a good idea to think of a few for each category. Remember, your goals don’t have to change from your last plan review. They might be exactly the same! And that’s okay too. But often our circumstances change, and you want to make sure your new plan captures any new goals in your life.
Tip 4. Break your goals into specific steps.	Everybody has the goal of being happy, but ‘happiness’ doesn’t get funding! You need to break your goal into specific steps so the NDIS knows how to help you. As an example, you might have a goal of being more independent. This could be broken in specific steps that include getting to the shops twice a week, improved cooking skills, and some mobility aids to move around the house more easily by yourself. Straight away your LAC will start to understand your needs and goals more clearly.
Tip 5. Work out what supports you need to achieve your goals.	This is where the NDIS starts to work its magic. If you can show how your disability challenges might make it difficult to achieve the specific steps towards your goals, then the supports you need to help can be considered ‘reasonable and necessary’ to achieve your goals. These supports are what the NDIS can fund in your plan.
Tip 6. Be honest with yourself!	When thinking about NDIS supports, people often fall into the trap of underestimating what they really need. When people are planning for a review, they are usually optimistic and feeling great about getting organised for the future, and unfortunately forget to take into account what they wish they had on their worst days. It’s your best interest to be honest with yourself about what you will need when things are at their most difficult. We all have periods when nothing seems to go our way, but that shouldn’t mean you have to stop pursuing your goals. This is why the NDIS exists.
Tip 7. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!	If you would like a support person with you during your plan review you are entitled bring that person along. This could be a family member, a support worker, a translator, or just a friend who helps keep you calm and focused. As well as having someone there in the meeting, you might also find it easier to prepare with a support person keeping you on track.

If you would like Reach Social Supports to assist you in your next plan review, or get an NDIS plan for the first time, our staff offer free advice and consultation for anyone in our service regions. You can reach out via contact@reachsocialsupports.com.au