NDIS
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) exists to provide support and funding to Australians with disability. If you’re looking to move onto the NDIS or you’re supporting a loved one through the process, follow our easy guide below.
Step One: Check your eligibility
Before accessing the NDIS, it’s important to determine who is eligible for NDIS funding. Eligibility is based on several factors, including your age, where you live, and the nature of your disability. The NDIS eligibility criteria require that individuals have a permanent and significant disability that affects their ability to perform everyday activities. If you meet these criteria, you can download an Access Request Form and begin the process.
Step Two: Your needs and goals
Before setting up your plan, take time to assess your individual needs. Some key questions to consider include:
- Are there any gaps in your current support?
- Do you require any specialised aids or equipment?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals?
- What kind of transport do you need?
- Are you seeking NDIS housing or supported accommodation?
For those considering Supported Independent Living (SIL), understanding NDIS SIL rules is crucial. SIL provides assistance with daily tasks in shared or individual living arrangements, helping people live as independently as possible. If you’re exploring this option, it’s essential to check the NDIS housing requirements to determine the type of accommodation support available to you.
Step Three: Meet with Your Planner and Develop Your Plan
Once your NDIS Access Request Form has been submitted, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will contact you to confirm your details and arrange a planning meeting with an NDIS planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC). We recommend scheduling a face-to-face meeting to discuss your circumstances in detail.
Your NDIS plan will be tailored to your unique situation, covering aspects such as:
- Your living arrangements, including housing and support options
- Employment and vocational goals
- Transport needs
- Social and community participation
- Access to NDIS registered providers who can deliver the services you require
Step Four: Put your plan into action
At Orana, we can assist you in implementing your plan and connecting you with the right supports. As one of the trusted NDIS providers in Adelaide, we offer a wide range of services, including:
- Disability support services
- Employment programs
- Community participation opportunities
- Accommodation support, including NDIS housing
If you’re unsure about the next steps, our team can help you navigate the process, ensuring you have access to NDIS registered providers suited to your needs. Contact our Intake Coordinator or fill in our online enquiry form to learn more.
Step Five: Review and adjust your plan
Each year, you will have the opportunity to review your NDIS plan with an NDIS planner or LAC to assess whether your current goals and needs are being met. If your circumstances change – such as requiring different support services, housing modifications, or a shift in your goals – you can request a plan review at any time.
For more information about the NDIS eligibility process, available supports, and the role of NDIS providers in Adelaide, visit the NDIS website. If you wish to submit feedback, lodge a complaint, or learn more about the role of the NDIS Commission, visit their website.
For personalised assistance, call us on (08) 8375 2000 or complete our online enquiry form today.
What is the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) exists to provide support and funding to Australians living with disability. The NDIS is an insurance-based scheme that invests in participants to improve long-term outcomes.
What is the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)?
The NDIA is an independent government statutory agency that implements the NDIS.
How will the NDIS affect me?
You will have more choice, more control, and more options to ensure the support you receive is meeting your wants and needs.
What types of support will my NDIS plan cover?
Your NDIS plan will fund reasonable and necessary supports to help you live life how you would like. This may include:
- Core support: A support that assists with daily living
- Capital: A support for an investment, such as assistive technologies, equipment and home or vehicle modifications
- Capacity building: Support that helps build independence and skills
How much funding will I get?
The NDIS will review your plan and will assess your individual goals and needs, then, will determine what is needed to achieve this.
Do my unspent NDIS funds rollover?
No, they don’t. Prior to your annual review meeting, we recommend you document the reasons why you haven’t spent your funds, and your NDIS planner can then factor these reasons into your next plan.
Plans are not based on what you have spent in the past, they are based on what is reasonable and necessary for you.
Capacity Building
Programs that are designed to develop and strengthen a persons skills and abilities.
Orana offers multiple capacity building programs, find out more.
Choice and Control
Clients are able to make their own decisions.
Client
An NDIS participant that is receiving support from Orana.
Early Intervention
Providing support at the earliest possible stage, often in an educational setting, to reduce the impacts of disability or developmental delay.
Goals
Things that a participant would like to achieve in the future, with the help of the NDIS or services. Goals might include finding a job, moving out of home, or building on physical strength.
Local Area Coordinator (LAC)
LACs work in partnership with the NDIA to help participants write and manage their plans, and connect to services and supports.
Mainstream Services
Services provided to everyone, with or without disability. This can also be referred to as informal supports.
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
The Australian Government agency set up to run the NDIS.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
The national scheme for supporting people with disability.
Participant
People with disability who have an NDIS plan.
Passive
Overnight care and supports.
Registered Provider
A person or organisation that delivers services and supports to NDIS participants. Orana is an NDIS Registered Provider.
Self Management
When a participant and their family or caregivers manage the funding and supports in their NDIS plan.
Service Agreement
A written agreement created with a service provider that sets out:
- What services and supports the participant will receive from the provider
- How and when services and supports will be provided
- The costs of provided supports and services
- The duration of the agreement
Support Coordinator
People that can help find mainstream and other disability services.
Supported Employment
Employment that has been designed for people with disability.
Orana provides multiple supported employment opportunities in a variety of sectors, find out more here.
Supported Independent Living (SIL)
SIL is support to help you live as independently as possible. Support could include:
- Help with menu planning, shopping, and cooking
- Support attending activities in the community
- Assistance with attending medical appointments and taking care of medications
- Help in taking care of yourself
Orana provides Supported Independent Living, find out more here.
Find out more on the NDIS website.