Planning for the best (NDIS)

 

 

I've talked about the best I can be? But what about you and your family . . . What could your life look life and how do you use your NDIS package to achieve your best life?

 

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is about the participants and their families being able to have support in a way that suits their family and life style. Just as not everybody likes ice-cream, not everyone is looking for the same sorts of support.

 

Tip # 1: Your plan is about you (and your family) and what your support needs are to achieve your goals.  You need to advocate for yourself or family member to achieve a support network that will work for you.  If you need an advocate to achieve that, then that is your right.  A service like IRIS (Advocacy Services or Career's Australian) can offer advice and support if this is what you need.

 

Tip # 2: Your plan is base on your goals not what others think you need.  Before you visit a planner know what you want.  The key thing to remember is this is your plan to enable you to determine how you want your life to look like.  This is about you making choices for you or you and your family.

 

There are many different ways you can established you plan depending on your needs, your goals and where you live.  You can choose things to enable you to live your best live.  Having been through the process this can be broken down into the following areas:

 

1. The plan and who and how you want it to be administrated. You can ask the NDIA; a support service; a host provider; a plan manager or do it yourself.  Regardless of who is administrating the funding you can make all the other choices independently.
2. Your goal - you can choice 2 immediate goals for the year and maybe a long term goal. e.g finish school.
3. Your supports these are broken into the following:

• Enhancing lifestyle - therapies
• Transport
• Equipment and technical assistance
• Core supports -  PC, In home help and community access support.
• Administering your funding 

You plan budget will have an amount to spend for each of these different supports.  You must use funding as state in your plan.

 

Once your plan is approved then you can select who you want to deliver your supports and when.  It is good to think start thinking about how you want your support to look like day to day.

 

• Who do you want to help you at home and how? What will be the time that suits you and your family routine?
• How will you get to school, lifestyle skills courses, work or appointments and what support will you need?
• What activities will you do in the community? Where and when will you do them? Who is the best service to support you with this?
• Mobility and technology assistances - What to you need to make your life happen?

Today I visited the Fresh Futures Market in Ipswich where over 50 services where about to give you information on how they can support you to achieve your goals.

 

If you missed it don't worry. The NDIS has a list of services providers on there website.  You can either follow the links to the providers website or give them a phone call. 

Have a chat; get some general information and ask them specifically how they can support you to achieve your goals. Or you can call Shannye Newnman's office for a copy of Blair Disability Links, you local area coordinator can also help you with this.

There will be another opportunity to attend an expo of service providers at the Blair Disability Links Expo to celebrate International Day for People with Disability on the 3rd December.

Don't just think hey that sounds wonderful and sign-up! Take your time to think about it . . . Call back for more information. Go in for a visit. The days where you had to sign a 1 years service agreement are gone.  As a purchaser who are able to chose the terms of the agreement, the are now working for you.  So you might like to try a three month agreement.  Remember if you feel unable to advocate for yourself then chose an advocate or use an advocatory service.  

If you're not happy with the service delivery at the end of the agreement then think about why things haven't work for you? Are these just NDIS teething problems or is there another provider who can do things it way that suits you lifestyle better.  Service providers are now under higher accountability than ever before.  Mostly they are now accountable to you their customers, you want to live your best life, demand the best quality of service. 

 

You may want to do what you're always done or think outside the box.  You can change the way you are doing some things or take the opportunity to restructure things better to suit your lifestyle?  You also have the right to appeal your NDIS plan itself? The NDIS website has information on how to do this.

If your not happy with your Local area Coordinator then ask to talk to someone else.  There are many examples of participants appealing decisions on the plans and with good reasons.  We are all humans and there's is always room for human error and often its unintentional. 

Talk to those in your support network, listen I not real happy with . . . What do you think about? Again you can seek advice from a support network like Queensland Disability Network or Career's Queensland.

This is your life use whatever supports you need to ensure it is the best life it can be!