Disability Services

What is the NDIS?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supports a better life for hundreds of thousands of Australians with significant and permanent disabilities between the ages of 18 and 65 years.

The NDIS provides funding to eligible people with disability to gain more time with family and friends, greater independence, access to new skills, and jobs or volunteering in their community for an improved quality of life.

How does the NDIS and CatholicCare Disability services work together?

  Your Local Area Coordinator or Support Coordinator will help you design your NDIS plan that will provide financial support for relevant services. CatholicCare has NDIS Support Coordinators to help you with this.CatholicCare is also a registered NDIS service provider and wecan help you access these supports through your NDIS plan to reach your goals. CatholicCare have no lock-in contracts, and offers month-to-month, prepaid and one-off service options.

How does the NDIS work? 

Disability can affect anyone and if you meet the eligibility criteria you can receive NDIS funding to access support services.

How to apply: 

1. Complete the NDIS Access Request Form 
2. Once your application gets approved, you will be invited to a planning meeting to develop your NDIS plan. Your NDIS plan will show the types of support and funding available. This plan is used to access service providers, like CatholicCare Disability Services, who will provide you with the support to live more independently.
3. If your circumstances are likely to change, you can have your plan reviewed at regular or agreed times during the year, CatholicCare Support Coordinators can help you with this.

Getting the most out of your NDIS plan 

Knowing how to manage your NDIS plan is important. The funding you receive will depend on your disability, needs and goals. There are three types of support budgets that may be funded in your NDIS plan.

1. Core Supports budget

 Core Supports is the most flexible budget and includes:

• consumables or everyday items
• daily activities, like self-care
• assistance with social and community participation
• transport

2. Capacity Building budget 

The Capacity Building funding is allocated across eight support sub-categories, each matched with the goals in your plan. You can choose how to spend these funds to purchase any approved individual support within its category but won’t be able to move funding from one category to another. Categories include

• Choice and control in training and plan management
• Daily activities e.g. therapies aimed at building your capacity to participate
• Employment-related assessment and counselling
• Health and wellbeing advice in relation to the impact of disability
• Home living support to obtain or retain appropriate accommodation
• Lifelong learning e.g. assistance moving from school to further education
• Relationships e.g. positive behavioural support strategies to reduce behaviours of concern.
• Social and community participation e.g. life skills development and training, skills for community, social and recreational participation.
• Support Coordination is included in the Capacity Budget. This is a fixed amount for strengthening participants' abilities to coordinate and implement supports in their plan and to participate more fully in the community.

3. Capital Supports budget

This includes supports such as assistive technology or modifications to your home, which depends on quotes from suppliers:

• assistive technology including equipment items for mobility, personal care, communication, and recreational inclusion
• home modifications such as the installation of a handrail in the bathroom or building an accessible ramp

Our Support Coordination team or Day program Social Educators can also help you to navigate the NDIS and get the best out of your plan.

Find out how we can help you understand the NDIS by contacting us on 13 18 19 or visiting the NDIS website.