NDIS

National Disability Insurance Scheme. A new way of providing support for Australians with disability, their families and carers

NDIA

National Disability Insurance Agency. The Commonwealth government organisation administering the NDIS

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) is an independent Commonwealth agency established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services. For information about the NDIS Commission and what they do, please visit the website: https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au

Core Supports

Core Supports help you with everyday activities, your current disability-related needs and to work towards your goals.Your Core Supports budget is the most flexible, and in most cases, you can use your funding across any of the following four support categories. However, there are instances where you do not have flexibility in your funding, particularly for transport funding.

Capacity Building

Capacity Building Supports help build your independence and skills to help you reach your long-term goals. Unlike your Core Supports budget, your Capacity Building Supports budget cannot be moved from one support category to another. Funding can only be used to purchase approved individual supports that fall within that Capacity Building category.

Capital Supports

Capital Supports include higher-cost pieces of assistive technology, equipment and home or vehicle modifications, and funding for one-off purchases you may need (including Specialist Disability Accommodation). It is important to remember that funds within the Capital Supports budget can only be used for their specific purpose and cannot be used to pay for anything else.

Improved Life Choices

This is the support category that your plan manager is paid from. The NDIS will add this budget on top of your care needs to pay your plan manager. This means that plan management is free for every NDIS participant

In-kind Supports

If there are supports in your plan that are listed as ‘in-kind’, it means the service has already been paid for by your state, territory or the Australian government. You must use this provider as they have already received payment and will provide all services that are booked. This means you cannot choose a provider for that service, however if you have a concern about using a specific in-kind provider, you are encouraged to raise your concerns with your ECEI Coordinator, LAC or NDIA planner. As the NDIS roll out continues across Australia, it is expected that in-kind supports will be phased out and you will have choice and control over the providers you use.

Stated Supports

Any services listed as ‘stated supports’ are not flexible. This means funding has been allocated for a specific support or service, and you can’t use this funding for something else. You cannot swap ‘stated supports’ for any other supports.

LAC

Local Area Coordinators, otherwise known as LACs. LACs are local organisations working in partnership with the NDIA, to help participants, their families and carers access the NDIS. LACs will help participants write and manage their plans and also connect participants to mainstream services and local and community-based supports

NAT (National Access Team)

NDIA staff members who work in locations around Australia to review NDIS access applications and decisions relating to a participant’s eligibility for the NDIS. This is who the LAC will often speak to when building your plan.

Support Co-ordinator

If ECEI or LAC Partners are not available in your area, or you need more help coordinating your supports and services, the NDIA may fund a Support Coordinator in your NDIS plan. A Support Coordinator will help you build the skills you need to use your plan to achieve your goals, live more independently, increase your skills and be included in your community and in employment. Specialist support coordination is a higher level of support coordination. It is for people whose situations are more complex and who need specialist support

ECEI Co-ordinator

Families and carers of children aged 0-6 years who have an NDIS plan will work with an ECEI Coordinator. ECEI Coordinators have experience working with children with disability or developmental delay. The NDIS ECEI approach supports families and carers to help children develop the skills they need to take part in daily activities and reach their developmental milestones

Choice and control

A participant has the right to make their own decisions about what is important to them and to decide how they would like to receive their supports and who from.

Funded Support Package

The funding available to a participant. There are 3 budgets in a support package: Core, Capacity Building and Capital

Informal Supports

The supports participants get from the people around them, for example family, friends, neighbours

Nominee

A person who can make NDIS decisions for a participant aged 18 or older. A nominee can do things on behalf of the participant when working with the NDIS

Participant Statement

A section in each NDIS plan, describing a participant’s living arrangements, relationships, supports, description of day to day life as well as their goals

Plan, or NDIS Plan

A written agreement worked out with the participant, stating their goals and needs, and the reasonable and necessary supports the NDIS will fund for them. Each participant has their own individual plan

Provider, or Service Provider

Someone who has products or services to help participants pursue the goals in their plan. Participants can choose their providers and change providers at any time, this is also known as choice and control.

Registered Provider

A disability support provider that has met the NDIS requirements for qualifications, approvals, experience, capacity and quality standards to provide a product or service

Reasonable and necessary

Reasonable means something fair and necessary means something you must have. The NDIS funds reasonable and necessary supports relating to a person’s disability to help them live an ordinary life and pursue their goals

Service Agreement

A contract between the participant and the service provider they have chosen to deliver the supports in their participant plan

Supplier

Someone who provides items to support participants, e.g. equipment

Supports

Things to help a person undertake daily life activities and enable them to participate in the community and pursue their goals

Multi-disciplinary

A team of professionals who work with one another and share the jobs of evaluating, planning and providing services to a participant

Trans-disciplinary

similar to multidisciplinary, but one professional is chosen as the lead participant provider. A full team are involved in working with the participant, however, the lead provider is responsible for coordination and progress reporting for the participant

NDIS Number

Each participant is given a unique number to identify them in all things NDIS. It is usually represented by a # followed by 8 digits.  Your NDIS number is shown on your NDIS Plan

Assistive Technology

People use equipment, technology and devices every day to make their lives easier. When the NDIS talks about assistive technology, it's referring to equipment, technology and devices that help you do things you can’t do because of your disability. Or, things that help you do something more easily or safely. Assistive technology involves things designed to improve your daily life and help you do everyday things

Line Item

Found in the NDIS Pricing Guide - a line item has a unique code, name/description of service and a unit/price. Your provider will pick a line item that reflects the service they are delivering to you. For example, if you’re using a cleaner they will claim using the House Cleaning and Other Household Activities line item

RORD (Review of Reviewable Decision)

A RORD is sometimes called an internal review.  Yes, a Review of Reviewable Decision (RORD) is often called an internal review.

This is a request to review a specific decision made by an NDIA delegate, including:

✔️ The type or level of support approved in a plan

✔️ NDIA declining to fund a support/service in a plan

✔️ NDIA declining to accept an unscheduled review

✔️ NDIA declining access to the scheme

The Review of Reviewable Decision (RORD) must be applied within the first 90 days of receiving written confirmation of the decision being questioned and initiated by you or a family member or friend.

AAT

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) is an independent body where you can go to appeal a decision made by the NDIA - that is, if the NDIA declined your Review of Reviewable Decision (RORD). This appeal must be sent within 21 days of the internal review being disputed. The AAT encourages the NDIA to resolve issues without going to the AAT if possible, so the RORD is a prerequisite for this appeal. 

Change of Circumstance (COC)

Refers to the need to inform the NDIA of any significant changes in your circumstances, as soon as possible. You must tell the NDIA if you experience significant changes to your:

• disability support needs

• informal support arrangements

• compensation status (for example, you apply for, receive, or are entitled to compensation for injury)

• living arrangements (for example you plan on moving, or have moved, house, overseas or permanently into aged care residential accommodation).

Note: A change of circumstances does not necessarily mean a plan review, but in some cases may be required.