Support Coordination & Plan Management – How to know the Difference?
NDIS provides wonderful supports for NDIS participants and Support Coordination and Plan Management are both services that help participants get their plans up and running but both do so in very different ways. As these 2 supports are always put together it can be confusing to understand exactly what each does.
At LotUs Assist we are experienced providers of both Support Coordination and Plan Management so let us take you through the differences of each service, so you have a clear understanding of what you need for your plan.
SUPPORT COORDINATION – What is it?
Support Coordination is a service that assists you in setting your goals and then supports you by finding and connecting you with service providers who best suit for your needs and your plan.
Support Coordination does NOT assist you in managing any of the financial aspects of your NDIS plan. Their focus is linking you to the right services and monitoring your plan and budget to ensure you get the most from it.
If you have Support Coordination and choose LotUs Assist, we will:
- Partner with you on your NDIS journey to help you understand the details of your NDIS plan
- Link you to the most suitable service providers
- Advise and guide you throughout your NDIS journey
- Assist you in tracking the progress of your plan
- Ensure you are prepared for your review meeting
Find out more about Support Coordination here
PLAN MANAGEMENT – What is it?
Plan Management takes care of the financial side of your NDIS plan. This includes getting your service providers invoices paid, claiming from the NDIS portal and providing you with a monthly statement. The statements are provided to you so that you can easily track how much of each budget you’ve spent and how much you have left.
It’s important to know, Plan Management does NOT mean your whole NDIS plan will be managed. A Plan Manager will only help you manage the financial side of your NDIS plan.
Plan Managers won’t help you find the right service providers – that is Support Coordination. In addition, Plan Managers are NOT responsible for ensuring you stay on budget, that is YOUR responsibility.
If you choose LotUs Assist as your Plan Manager, we will provide
- Super-fast payments to service providers – 3-4 business days
- An experienced Plan Manager focussed on your plan and available to you for any questions or support you
may need
- Access to our App allowing you to track all your budgets in real time
- Ability to approve invoices via our App
Find out more about Plan Management here
HOW IS SUPPORT COORDINATION AND PLAN MANAGEMENT FUNDED IN YOUR PLAN?
Support Coordination and Plan Management are fully funded by the NDIS. To get access to Plan Management though it is something you need to ask for. The NDIS can’t refuse you and you don’t need a reason to want it but you do need to make sure that you ask for it so it can be included in your plan.
On the other hand, not everyone is entitled to Support Coordination. Funding for Support Coordination is assessed on a case by case and is generally provided to those participants with no supports and/or very complex needs.
As Support Coordination and Plan Management are very different they are funded under different categories.
MORE INFORMATION?
If you’d like to get some more information on the benefits of Plan Management and Support Coordination why not say Hello we’d love to have a chat with you 02 4033 2003 or leave your details here and we will get in touch with you.