Caring for a child with an NDIS plan
Foster and kinship carers play an important role in developing, implementing and monitoring a child’s NDIS plan.
Implementing an NDIS plan
Practical support is available to help the child’s representative (their guardian—this may be their parent, long term guardian, or Child Safety) implement their plan.
Implementing the plan involves:
- understanding the plan and the support budgets within the plan
- choosing appropriate service providers and establishing service agreements with them
- sourcing quotes for any aids and equipment approved in the plan.
Funding for ‘support coordination’ may be included in the NDIS plan. When included, a support coordinator is the first service provider to be engaged.
Once on board, the support coordinator will work with the child’s representative and other relevant parties to source further providers and to establish and manage arrangements with them.
When support coordination is not funded as part of the child’s plan, the NDIS Local Area Coordinator (LAC) can provide support to help implement the child’s plan.
Monitoring the plan and making changes
The child or young person’s NDIS plan is regularly discussed and monitored through case plan reviews and placement meetings.
Flexible use of funds
NDIS funding is allocated against one or more of 3 support budgets:
- Core budget: for supports related to daily living and the child’s longer-term goals
- Capital budget: for assistive technologies and equipment
- Capacity Building budget: for supports to build skills and independence e.g. therapies.
Funding can generally be used flexibly within each budget type, but still needs to last for the duration of the plan (usually 12 months).
Changes to supports
Some changes to NDIS supports can be made by the child’s representative directly with providers without a review by the NDIA. These may include:
- changes to service providers
- changes to service types
- changes to frequency of a service.
Some changes may require the NDIA to review the plan—for example, when:
- there is a significant increase or decrease in the child’s support needs
- there is an urgent requirement for an additional service type not already included in the plan
- a key life transition is approaching, such as leaving school, or leaving care.
Talk to the CSO about how the plan is working and any changes you would like to see happen to the plan.