Communities and Justice

The NDIS plan

This page provides key information for authorised OOHC carers about the NDIS planning meeting, and what to do if a child is ineligible.

Note: OOHC caseworker refers to the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) or non-government organisation OOHC caseworker that has case management responsibility for the child or young person.

A child or young person’s NDIS plan has two parts:

  1. Participant statement of goals and aspirations
  2. Statement of participant supports

The statement of goals and aspirations is prepared by the participant, or the child representative. For children and young people under the parental responsibility of the Minister, the OOHC caseworker, carer and child or young person will need to work together to develop the statement. The statement needs to describe the goals and aspirations of the participant, and their environmental and personal context (social/community and personal relationships).

The statement of participant supports is prepared by the NDIS representative with input from the child or young person, their carer, OOHC caseworker and available assessments that specify:

  • general supports (if any) that will be provided. These may include support that is provided by the carer and support delivered through the OOHC case management plan
  • the reasonable and necessary disability supports (if any) that will be funded under the NDIS
  • the arrangements for managing the funding of supports under the NDIS plan, and
  • the management of other aspects of the NDIS plan (such as support coordination).

What types of supports may be included in a participant’s NDIS plan?

The types of supports that the NDIS may fund for participants include:

Home

  • Household tasks
  • Drop in support
  • Living skills
  • Preparation for leaving home
  • Respite care
  • Home modification design and construction

Health

  • Daily personal activities
  • Behavioural supports
  • Therapeutic supports
  • Assistance to access activities
  • Mobility equipment
  • Dietitians
  • Exercise advice
  • Occupational therapy
  • Help to a participant by skilled personnel in aids or equipment assessment, set up and training

Transport

OOHC carers have a responsibility to meet their child’s daily transportation requirements.

Some children, however, may require additional assistance when they cannot use public transport or their carer’s vehicle, even if modified, due to their disability.

Carers and their OOHC caseworker will work with an NDIS planner to develop a participation plan outlining the child’s transportation support requirements.

See Transport Fact Sheet

Preparing for Independence

  • Personal support
  • Service and support coordination
  • Social and communication skills
  • Daily living and life skills
  • Bill payment and budgeting education
  • Independent living skills assessment
  • Training
  • Assistance to develop and achieve goals
  • Workplace help to allow a participant to successfully get or keep employment in the open or supported labour market

Community

  • Living skills
  • Recreation and social activities
  • Shopping
  • Assistance to access activities
  • Social inclusion
  • Support to attend appointments

Are there supports for the carer in a participant’s NDIS plan?

Each child or young person will have an individualised NDIS plan that is tailored to their goals, personal circumstances and disability support needs. The types of supports that the NDIS may fund that may have direct or indirect benefits for you as a carer include:

  • personal care to support an individual in your home or the community
  • supports to assist the child or young person with disability to enjoy social and community interaction without relying solely on you as their carer
  • assistance with tasks of daily living, including help to improve your child’s ability to do things
  • supported employment services and help for young people to move to work programs that prepare them for work, or
  • training related to the caring role that may enhance your ability to provide care
  • respite supports.

For further information about NDIS planning process, including reasonable and necessary supports, see www.ndis.gov.au/participants/creating-your-plan.

What types of supports are not covered under the NDIS?

Supports are not likely to be covered by the NDIS if the support or service:

  • is not related to the participant’s disability
  • duplicates other supports already funded by a different mechanism through the NDIS, for example, you can’t access two different services for the same therapy.
  • relates to day-to-day living costs that are not related to a participant’s support needs, or
  • is likely to cause harm to the participant or pose a risk to others.

What will DCJ remain responsible for?

DCJ remains responsible for:

  • funding or providing OOHC or support to carers of children in OOHC where these supports are not additional to the needs of children of similar age in similar out-of-home care arrangements.

What information needs to be taken to the NDIS planning meeting?

All relevant information, evidence, reports and plans (including OOHC health management plans and OOHC case plans) should be taken to the meeting.

For children or young people in the parental responsibility of the Minister, it will be the role of the OOHC caseworker to work, with the carer, to collect relevant materials and take them to the meeting. This includes drafting the participant statement of goals and aspirations, listing the current supports (including day to day carer supports), and consideration of the aids, equipment and modifications the child or young person might require over the next 12 months.

Who can attend the planning meeting?

Your OOHC caseworker will include you in making this decision. The planning meeting will include the NDIS representative, the OOHC caseworker, you and, where possible, the child or young person.

You and your caseworker may also invite other important people in your child’s life who can provide valuable input to their NDIS plan. This may include people such as the OOHC Health Coordinator, Occupational Therapists, specialist therapists, teachers or any other support person.

What is support coordination?

Responsibility for engaging and coordinating disability supports under an NDIS plan is best undertaken by an NDIS support coordinator so carers and caseworkers can focus on their core role for the child or young person.

During the NDIS planning meeting, carers and OOHC caseworkers should discuss the inclusion of support coordination in the child or young person’s NDIS plan.

Support coordination is most often included in NDIS plans for children in OOHC, except for children aged 0-7 in the ECA pathway who have access to early childhood coordinators to assist them with plan implementation.

A support coordinator will assist in managing and implementing the child’s NDIS plan and arranging for disability service providers to deliver disability supports for the child. This includes:

  • monitoring their plan
  • choosing and connecting the child or young person with service providers
  • exploring and linking with community and mainstream services and help coordinating these as required
  • navigating the NDIS Participant Portal called ‘MyPlace’.

For further information about support coordination,can be viewed here

What is Plan Management?

Plan management is the way in which funding in the NDIS plan is managed.

During the NDIS meeting, the OOHC caseworker will ask for plan management to be included in the NDIS plan - either “agency managed” or “plan managed”.

Agency managed is where the NDIA manage the funding and pay providers, who must be registered with them. This is the simplest option and may be best for children in OOHC.

Plan managed is where a registered plan manager manages the funding and payment of supports. This is allows for a little more flexibility with funding. If the child lives in an area where there are more limited services, it may be best to use the plan managed option.

Can we change providers if we are unhappy with the way supports are being provided to the child we care for?

If you are not satisfied with the supports being provided under the child or young person’s current NDIS plan, you should discuss your concerns with your OOHC caseworker in the first instance. Carers and caseworkers will need to work together to ensure the best outcomes are achieved for children and young people in OOHC. If support coordination is funded in your child’s plan then you and the caseworker can talk to the support coordinator about exploring other service provider options.

What if I don’t agree with the supports or funds allocated in my child or young person’s NDIS plan?

You should first discuss your concerns with your OOHC caseworker who is responsible for representing your child or young person throughout the NDIS planning process. The caseworker can work with you to raise the issue with the NDIS plan manager, support coordinator or the NDIA as required.

What if a child or young person isn’t eligible for an NDIS funded package?

If a child or young person isn’t eligible for a NDIS funded package, they may be eligible for mainstream and community services. Talk to your OOHC caseworker about accessing supports in your local community. You can both talk with a Local Area Coordinator who can advise on what supports are available to meet your child’s needs.

Last updated:

16 Dec 2022