For someone you love
For families and carers
You want the person you love to have a good life, on their terms. Here is how our support works, how to back their own choices, and the questions worth asking any provider.
Our support, in family terms
Three kinds of support
Most NDIS support is funded from Core supports, the part of a plan that helps with everyday life. The NDIA decides what a plan includes.
Supported Independent Living
For when your family member wants to live away from the family home, alone or with others, with support there every day. It pays for the support, not the house, and never for rent, food or bills.
In-home support
For when your family member lives at home, with you or on their own, and wants help with personal care, household tasks or building skills, from workers they get to know.
Community participation
For when your family member wants more of a life outside the house: friends, hobbies, sport, study, work or simply getting around with more confidence.
Not sure which fits? Answer four short questions.
Their life, their choices
How to support a loved one’s own choices
Supported decision-making means the person makes their own decisions, with help from the people they choose. The help might be explaining options in a different way, giving more time, or talking it through together.
Dignity of risk means everyone has the right to try things and take reasonable risks, even if it might not go perfectly. Learning to catch the bus or cook a meal carries some risk. So does every good life.
It can be hard to step back. It is also one of the most powerful things a family can do.
Small things that help
- Ask them first, before anyone else answers for them.
- Give information in the way that works for them, such as Easy Read, pictures or a quiet chat.
- Let them try, and talk about how it went afterwards.
- Share your worries honestly, then respect their decision.
- Expect providers to talk to them, not about them.
Printable checklist
Questions to ask any provider
Take these to any meeting with any provider, including us. Good providers will be glad you asked. Tick them off as you go, and write the answers down.
- How do you match workers to a person, and what happens if the match is not right?
- Will the same workers come each week? What happens when someone is sick or on leave?
- What will be in the service agreement, and can we take it home to read before signing?
- How are your prices set against the NDIS price limits, and how do you charge for travel and cancellations?
- How do you support a person to make their own decisions?
- How do you communicate with family, and how do you check the person consents to that?
- How do you handle complaints, and can we go to the NDIS Commission instead?
- How do workers get to know the person’s routines, communication and preferences?
- What training do your workers have for the support my family member needs?
- What happens if the person’s needs or plan change?
- How much notice do we need to give if we want to change provider?
- Is the person’s housing linked to your support in any way?
Ask for the answers in writing if that helps you compare.
Staying in the loop
Keeping family involved, with consent
Many people want their family closely involved. Some want a little distance. Both are fine, and the choice belongs to the person we support.
At the start, we ask them who they would like us to talk to, and about what. We write that down and follow it. They can change it at any time, and we check in about it at reviews.
What this looks like
- You can be invited to meetings and reviews, if the person wants you there.
- You can tell us things you think we should know, at any time.
- We will not share their private information without consent, except where the law requires it.
- In an emergency, we act to keep the person safe first.
NDIS plans
Plan management, explained
Plan management is about how the funding in an NDIS plan is paid to providers. There are three ways, and a plan can use more than one.
| Type | Who pays providers | Which providers you can use | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDIA-managed | The NDIA pays providers directly. | Registered NDIS providers only. | Less paperwork for you. Also called agency-managed. |
| Plan-managed | A plan manager pays invoices from the plan. | Registered and unregistered providers. | The plan manager also tracks spending. Their cost is funded in the plan. |
| Self-managed | The participant, or someone they nominate, pays providers and claims from the NDIA. | Registered and unregistered providers. | The most flexibility, and the most record keeping. |
Some supports, including Supported Independent Living, can only be delivered by registered providers, however the plan is managed. Read more about how NDIS pricing and budgets work.
Looking after you
Your wellbeing matters too
Caring for someone you love can be deeply rewarding, and tiring. Looking after yourself is part of looking after them.
The person’s NDIS plan may include supports that also give families a break, such as short-term accommodation. The NDIA decides what is funded, and your support coordinator or the NDIA can explain the options.
Carer Gateway
A free Australian Government service for carers, with counselling, coaching, peer support and respite options.
Questions
Questions families ask
Can I make decisions on behalf of my adult son or daughter?
Adults with disability have the right to make their own decisions, with support. If a legal decision-maker such as a guardian has been appointed, we work with them as the law requires, and still put the person at the centre.
Will you tell me how things are going?
Yes, if the person agrees. We ask them who they want us to talk to, and about what. They can change that at any time.
Who pays for the support?
NDIS supports are paid from the person’s NDIS plan. How the payments are made depends on whether the plan is NDIA-managed, plan-managed or self-managed.
Can I be part of the first meeting?
Yes, if your family member would like you there. Many people bring a parent, sibling or friend.
What if I am worried about the support they are getting?
Tell us. You can also contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544, and you do not need to speak to us first. See our complaints and feedback page.
Where can I get support for myself as a carer?
Carer Gateway is a free Australian Government service for carers. Call 1800 422 737 to find out what is available where you live.
Easy Read
Share this in Easy Read
Easy Read uses short sentences and pictures. Our Easy Read guides explain each service, so your family member can read about it in their own way.
Talk to us about someone you love.
Tell us a little about them and what they want from their week. With their consent, we are glad to include you. We reply promptly.