If you’re one of the many Australians who participate in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), you have a few options when it comes to managing your plan. First, you can have the agency in charge of implementing the program, the NDIA, manage the plan and pay your providers on your behalf. Secondly, you can also take on the role of a plan manager yourself and use the fund provided by the agency to find support workers and services who can help you reach your goals. Finally, there’s also the option of getting the services of an NDIS plan manager to take care of these tasks for you. Here, the NDIA will provide you with the funds to pay for the plan manager, and the plan manager, in turn, will pay your service providers on your behalf.
Each of these options has its pros and cons, but for those who want to navigate the scheme easily, working with an NDIS plan manager is a great way to ensure that you are able to maximise your NDIS plan with minimal effort. It should be easy to find NDIS plan manager Brisbane providers, as well as those located around Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, and other locations in the country. Here’s a breakdown of why you should strongly consider getting a plan manager.
Have Someone Manage Your Providers’ Payments
The assistance of a plan manager can make your life much easier. These service providers can connect you with people who have the right skills and experiences to help you work toward your goals. At the same time, they will also be in charge of processing your invoices so you won’t have to trouble yourself with this task.
At the end of every billing period, you can expect your plan management service provider to settle the financial responsibilities with your support team. If you are working with a good plan manager, you are less likely to experience any interruption of service due to unpaid invoices. While you’re focusing on working on your objectives, your plan manager is working in the background, ensuring that you can connect and maintain a professional relationship with service providers who are capable of meeting your needs.
Increase Your Selection of Service Providers
NDIS plan managers have established a working relationship with support workers and service providers that offer general and specialised services to their clients. They can easily tap into this network to connect you with a person or team that can provide you with the exact services that you need. They can present you with plenty of service providers, making it much easier for you to find professionals who understand your goals and how to best support you in achieving them.
To determine if a prospective NDIS plan manager’s roster of services and supported plans are aligned with yours, it’s always a good idea to check the said plan manager’s website. There, you’ll likely see all the plans that they support and services that their clients can expect them to provide through their network of professionals.
Get Practical Insights on Your Plan and Budget
NDIS plan managers work under the framework of the NDIS every day. These professionals and agencies know how to navigate the sometimes-confusing program, and they know how to allocate their client’s resources so they have the best chance of reaching their goals. If you’re working with a plan manager, you can get a glimpse of how they do this by going over the plan manager’s reports. This information will give you a better view of your plan and how the funds are being used. You can also use the details of the report to discuss the changes that you want to see in your plan management program moving forward.
Find a Model for Managing Your Own Plan
Finally, working with a plan management service provider will help you become more familiar with the NDIS. If you have questions or concerns about the program or the service providers who are assisting you, you can simply get in touch with your plan manager to get the right answers. Working with a plan manager can help you find a model for a plan that works for your particular situation, needs, and goals. If you want to manage your own plan in the future, working with a plan manager now will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to do this task well the first time around. But even if you’re sticking with a plan manager for the foreseeable future, taking a closer look at your plan management model will empower you to take a more active role in choosing the best plan and services for you.
The NDIS website has a list of accredited plan management service providers, and you can use this as the starting point of your search for a capable person or team. Once you’ve chosen a service provider, don’t hesitate to set a meeting with them so that you can get to know their services better.