5 Tips to Know Before Your NDIS Plan Review
15 June, 2021
A NDIS Plan Review is an opportunity to revise your support, funding, and goals, to make sure that your NDIS plan is still suitable for your needs. Whilst a NDIS Plan Review is beneficial for the maintenance of your plan, it can be scary and overwhelming to undertake. Focus Care has compiled a list of our top tips to help you get through your Plan Review as smoothly as possible.
What is a NDIS Plan Review?
A plan review occurs to review your funded supports and evaluate how they are working for participants to achieve their goals. This Plan Review can happen up to three months prior to your review date, and is conducted by a Local Area Coordinator (LAC). After your Plan Review takes place, a new plan is developed which includes the necessary supports required to meet your goals. A NDIS Plan Review can happen both in person or over the phone.
How often will I have a NDIS Plan Review?
The frequency of your NDIS Plan Review depends on your individual circumstances. The majority of plans are reviewed every 12 months, but depending on the fluctuation of the disability, this can be even earlier. There are two main types of reviews:
Scheduled Reviews, which is a pre-scheduled Plan Review that usually takes place close to your NDIS plan date.
Unscheduled Reviews, which can either be a Change of Circumstance review or a request for an Early Review.
Our top tips for preparing for a NDIS Plan Review
Prepare supporting evidence
Re-evaluate your NDIS goals
Reflect on your funding
Update your personal details
Think of a support person
Tip 1 - Prepare supporting evidence
Our first tip is to prepare supporting evidence for your Plan Review that can assist you in the claims you plan to make. Examples of supporting evidence include progress reports from service providers, financial quotes from service providers, or writing a Participant Statement. Examples of qualified individuals to provide this evidence includes:
Paediatrician
Orthopaedic surgeon
Occupational Therapist (OT)
Neurologist
Physiotherapist
The person who provides this evidence should be the most appropriate person to provide evidence of your primary disability, and have treated you for a period of at least six months.
This evidence will assist you in making your claims to the NDIS, as having this ready will demonstrate how certain changes to your NDIS plan will be able to benefit you in order to meet your goals.
Tip 2 - Re-evaluate your NDIS goals
Our second tip is to re-evaluate your NDIS goals in the lead-up to your NDIS Plan Review. Your NDIS Plan includes short-term, medium-term and long-term goals. When preparing for your NDIS Plan Review, it may be helpful to read through these goals again and ask yourself a few questions. A Support Coordinator can also help you with this.
You may want to ask yourself if you have achieved your goals, or if you have new goals that are different to your current ones. Reviewing your goals is important, as your plan may change over time. This will make sure that you continue to receive the right supports as necessary.
Tip 3 - Reflect on your funding
Our third tip is to reflect on your funding over the duration of your NDIS Plan. Everybody receives a different amount of funding based on their needs, so it is important to make sure that you are receiving enough to properly support you. You can have a look at your NDIS budget and see if you have utilised it properly, or if you need more funding to help you achieve certain goals. It is worth being specific with this, as the NDIS will be more likely to award you more funding if your reasoning is specific. A Support Coordinator can help you with this, or a trusted family member or friend.
You can also use this opportunity to decide if you would like to change your NDIS management type. There are three NDIS management types: self-managed, plan-managed, and agency-managed. If you would like to change your management type, your NDIS Plan Review is the opportunity to do so. See this video for further explanation on the different types of NDIS management, and which one may be the most suitable for you.
Tip 4 - Update your personal details
Our fourth tip is to update your personal details that come with your NDIS Plan. This includes your About Me section, address, contact number, and bank details. If you haven’t updated these regularly, it may be worth revisiting them to make sure they are all still up to date.
Your Support Coordinator or a trusted family member or friend can help you review all your information and ensure it is all current.
Tip 5 - Think of a Support Person
Our final tip is to think of a Support Person you can bring along with you to your NDIS Plan Review. This person can be a Support Coordinator, a family member, trusted friend, or advocate. Having the right person at your Plan Review for support will help the entire process run smoothly.
How can Focus Care help?
Focus Care offers all of our NDIS participants disability support, and assistance in preparing for a NDIS Plan Review. Whether you receive services or Support Coordination from us, we can help you by writing reports, assisting with service quotes, or being a Support Person for your NDIS Plan Review.
If you are looking for NDIS support for yourself or a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact us today and see how we can help.
