Support Coordination & Plan management- What’s the Difference?
NDIS is associated with two essential terms: support coordination and plan management. These help disabled candidates make the best use of their NDIS plan and appear the same to many. And it is not so!
Hence, continue reading to know the thin-lined differences between an NDIS support coordinator and a plan manager and the services they offer. It may help you choose what best works for your NDIS journey!
What’s Plan Management?
It is amongst the ways in the NDIS plan that help you manage the funding received in your NDIS budget. These are the benefits you avail going for a plan manager:
- Get a detailed understanding of the NDIS
- On-time invoice payments
- Professionals to handle your budget responsibilities
- You get a well-tracked monthly budget update on your spending
- You get recommendations and advice on the best providers and supports to assist you
- You get a choice to select the best registered and unregistered providers
- You are in authority over your NDIS funding decisions
- No extra or hidden charges
What’s Support Coordination?
You get the connection, participation with services, and support to achieve your NDIS goals if you have an NDIS support coordinator. There are three categories of support coordination;
1. Support Connection
2. Support Coordination
3. Specialist Support Coordination
The first two types help you achieve your NDIS goals, and the third type is for complex disabilities. Here the support coordinator has to manage the participant’s environment entirely.
Support Coordination Vs Plan Management- Minute Spottable Differences
NDIS fully funds both support coordination and plan management. There are some differences between the two which are brought out in the following table.
| Support Coordination | Plan Management |
| It helps you achieve your goals by finding the proper support and services from providers and participating actively in the community. | It helps you choose and manage your NDIS budget. |
| Not all are eligible for this type, as the NDIA assesses each case individually. | There are no prerequisites for having plan management. |
| It is a mild touch support assisting in implementing your plan and connecting you with informal, community and funded provisions. | It allows access to services or supports not registered with the NDIS, giving the flexibility to pursue smaller providers or services not registered with the NDIS to help yourself. |
| It focuses on helping you understand your plan and build the skills for the future to implement and manage your NDIS plan. | They manage and pay invoices from providers on your behalf and budget your NDIS funds. |
| They are persons or providers registered by the NDIA and are client-centric to prepare them for a plan review ahead of time. They help you have an independent, skill-filled life, making you active in the community and employment. | The plan management funding package has three types from which you can choose or even prefer all of it:Manage own funds (self-management)Get a professional to do it (plan management)The NDIA does it (agency management) |
What Happens When You Want to Have Both?
Now that you’ve understood the differences, if you’re a new applicant for the NDIS plan, you can opt for a support coordinator to give you in-depth knowledge of the plan’s workings to make the most of it. Nevertheless, requesting a fund manager is also an excellent option for first-time participants to manage funds and make your NDIS journey smooth. But it’s best to consult an expert team before you get the service.
Conclusion
To put it more simply, an NDIS support coordinator handles the people’s side of the plan, and the plan manager takes care of its financial side.
