NDIS explained · 6 minute read
At home, your way
In-home support
Personal care, household tasks and building skills, in the home you already have, at the times that suit you, from people who learn how you like things done.
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What we help with
Four kinds of help, one familiar team
Most people use a mix. You might want help with a shower most mornings, a hand with the washing twice a week and a few hours learning to cook on Saturdays. We build it around you.
Personal care
Private, respectful help with the things that start and end the day.
- Showering, dressing and grooming
- Toileting and continence support
- Eating and drinking support
- Getting in and out of bed
Household tasks
The NDIS calls this household tasks: keeping your home running when you cannot do it all yourself.
- Cleaning and tidying
- Laundry and changing linen
- Meal preparation
- Putting the shopping away
Daily living
The ordinary organising that makes a week work.
- Planning meals and shopping
- Keeping on top of appointments
- Routines and reminders
- Getting ready for work, study or a day out
Building skills
Support that aims to make you more independent over time, not less.
- Learning to cook a few meals
- Budgeting and paying bills
- Using public transport safely
- Managing your own routine
Capacity Building
Doing it with you, so more of it becomes yours
Some support is about getting a task done. Some is about learning to do it yourself. Both matter, and they are funded differently.
The NDIS has two broad kinds of support budget. Core supports help with everyday life. Capacity Building supports help you build skills and independence over time. One Capacity Building category, Improved Daily Living Skills, can fund help to learn and practise daily living skills.
In practice, skill building looks like a worker who cooks the pasta with you instead of for you, then next month stands back while you do it. We agree goals with you, keep track of how they are going, and change the plan when you are ready for the next step.
Whether skill building is in your plan, and which category funds it, is decided by the NDIA. Your support coordinator can help you understand your plan.
When
Support at the times your life needs it
Tell us the times that matter most. We will be straight with you about what we can staff before you commit.
Mornings
Getting up, personal care, breakfast and out the door, at a pace that suits you.
Daytime
Household tasks, skill building, appointments and the jobs that pile up.
Evenings and weekends
Dinner, winding down, and the parts of the week when family may need a break.
Overnight
Some people need support overnight. Talk to us about what you need and we will be straight about what we can arrange.
Complex needs
Higher support needs, planned carefully
Some people need support with things like mealtime plans, mobility equipment, or health routines that other professionals have set out. We do not guess at any of this.
- We plan it with you, your family and your health team, and follow the plans they have written.
- Your support plan says what workers do, and what they must not do, in plain language.
- We only start when we are confident we can support you safely and well, and we tell you honestly if we cannot.
We do not use restrictive practices. If one is ever used without authorisation, we report it to the NDIS Commission as the law requires.
Matching
What we ask you about before anyone arrives
The right worker makes all the difference. Before we build your team, we ask about the things below. We cannot promise a perfect match every time, but we take your answers seriously and we tell you if there is something we cannot meet.
- Interests
- What you enjoy, so conversations and shared tasks come more easily.
- Language
- The language you are most comfortable in, and whether you want an interpreter for planning.
- Culture and faith
- Food, prayer times, customs at home, and anything we should understand before we arrive.
- Gender preference
- Whether you would prefer a worker of a particular gender, especially for personal care.
- Personality and pace
- Chatty or quiet, brisk or relaxed. How you like someone to be in your home.
- The way you do things
- Your routines, your kitchen, your way of folding towels. The small things matter.
Getting started
What your first shift looks like
No surprises. Before anyone comes to your home, you know who they are, what they will do and how to tell us if something is not right.
Step 1: Before
We agree your support plan and service agreement with you, and tell you who is coming and when.
Step 2: Arriving
Your worker introduces themselves, and asks how you like things done before they start. You can show them around.
Step 3: During
They follow your plan, check in with you as they go and never rush the parts that should not be rushed.
Step 4: After
We check in with you to ask how it went, and change anything that did not feel right.
Read the full picture of how getting started works.
Staying in the loop
Updates, the way you want them
Some people want a quick update after each shift. Some want nothing unless something has changed. Some want a family member kept informed. You can agree with us how updates happen, and who gets them, and change your mind later.
Your information is yours. We only share it with the people you have agreed to. Read our guide for families.
Speak up, safely
Tell us when something is not right. You can also go straight to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544.
Read our standards.
Funding
How in-home support is usually funded
In-home support usually comes from Core supports, in the category called Assistance with Daily Life. Skill building may come from Capacity Building, in Improved Daily Living Skills. The NDIA decides what is in your plan; we can explain what your plan says.
Three ways a plan can be managed
Self-managed
You, or someone you nominate, pay providers and claim the money back from the NDIA.
Plan-managed
A plan manager pays providers for you and helps you keep track of your budget.
NDIA-managed
The NDIA pays providers directly. This is sometimes called agency-managed.
How your plan is managed can affect which providers you can use. Tell us how your plan is managed and we will explain what that means for using our support. Prices must sit within the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27; read how our pricing works.
Questions
In-home support questions
Supporting someone else? See for families, or if you are a support coordinator, start here or make a referral.
What is in-home support?
In-home support is help with personal care, household tasks and daily living, in the home you already live in. It can also include building skills so you can do more yourself. You choose the times and what the support is for.
How is in-home support funded?
It is usually funded from Core supports, in the Assistance with Daily Life category. Skill building may be funded from Capacity Building, in the Improved Daily Living Skills category. What is in your plan is decided by the NDIA. Prices must sit within the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27. See how our pricing works.
Can I use in-home support if I live with family?
Yes. Many people who live with family use in-home support for personal care, household tasks or building skills. It can also give family members time to rest.
Will I have the same workers each time?
That is what we aim for. A small, steady team who knows you is the heart of how we work. Sometimes a regular worker is sick or on leave; when that happens we tell you and, where we can, send someone you have met.
Can I choose a male or female worker?
You can tell us your preference, and we will take it into account when we build your team. We will be honest if we cannot meet it for a particular shift, and talk with you about what you would like to do.
Do you support people with complex needs?
Tell us about your needs and we will talk it through honestly. For complex support, we plan it with you, your family and your health team, and we only start when we are confident we can do it safely and well.
How does my plan management affect things?
Your plan can be self-managed, plan-managed (a plan manager pays providers for you) or NDIA-managed. How your plan is managed can affect which providers you can use. Tell us how your plan is managed and we will explain what that means for using our support.
Can I change the times or cancel a shift?
Yes, life changes. Your service agreement explains how to change or cancel shifts and how much notice to give, in plain language, before anything starts.
What if I am not happy with a worker?
Tell us. You will not get in trouble, and it will not affect your support. We will listen and change things. You can also contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544.
Related guides
Read more before you decide
Tell us how your week works.
We will talk through the times, the tasks and the people, and be honest about what we can do. There is no cost or commitment to talk.