Plan reviews are an important part of the NDIS because they will determine how well supports are working to help you or your child reach the goals set. Your NDIS plan isn’t a “set and forget” approach, instead your plan will evolve each year as the needs of the participant change. The plan review facilitates this.

As with your initial planning meeting, there are things that you can do to prepare for your plan review to help you reach the best outcome. To identify what supports are working well and where improvements can be made.

What to think about

In the lead up to your plan review, set time aside to prepare. The questions below could help you to organise your thoughts ahead of the review meeting. Then, during your meeting, you can also use this is a checklist to make sure you’ve covered everything that you wanted to.

• What has worked well in your plan?
• What didn’t work well?
• Have you achieved your goals or made positive steps to work towards them?
• Which goals have you achieved or made better progress on?
• Are there goals that you feel you haven’t met or made progress on?
• If you haven’t achieved or successfully worked towards your goals what additional supports might help?
• Do you need to change any of your goals?
• Do you have any new goals or issues you’d like to address?
• Would you like to change how all or some of your plan funding is managed?

Remember that you don’t need to change things if they are working for your child and your family. You’re not required to set new goals if you’re happy with your current goals. Similarly, you do not need to change how your funds are managed but the review meeting gives you the opportunity to do so.

What to take to the meeting

Make sure you take along any reports, assessments or quotes to your plan review meeting. You will also need:

• A copy of your NDIS plan
• Information from service providers about what supports they have delivered and what supports you need to reach, or work towards, your goals for next year
• Your preparation notes to help you remember everything you want to talk about

NDIS updates

Since the initial roll-out of the NDIS in our area, some changes have been made that may need to be taken into account for participant’s second plans. Here’s a quick check list of some of the changes:

Allied Health Assistants - Using Allied Health Assistants in a plan means they must be working under the direction of an Allied Health professional.

Transport - Transport will increasingly be charged as providers are not funded for transport in the hourly rate.

High Intensity Supports - High Intensity Supports Standards are now in place.  If a child or adult has needs such as Complex Bowl Care, Enteral Feeding, Tracheostomy Management, Urinary Catheter Management, Ventilator Management, Subcutaneous Injections, complex wound management and people who require post seizure emergency medication to be supplied by a support worker there is a high rate available and plans should be funded at the higher rate. Some items such as assistance with would care and pressure care that would normally be completed by a nurse and support workers will then work under instruction of a nurse for limited care work.  It is expected that nursing will be increasingly allocated to NDIS plans from October.   

Catheter Management - Each participant is involved in the assessment and development of the plan for management of their catheter. With their consent, the participant’s health status is subject to regular and timely review by an appropriately qualified health practitioner. The plan identifies how risks, incidents and emergencies will be managed, including required actions and escalation to ensure participant wellbeing. Appropriate policies and procedures are in place, including a training plan for workers, that relates to the support provided to each participant with a catheter. All workers have completed training, relating specifically to each participant’s needs, type of catheter and high intensity support skills descriptor for catheter changing and management. This must be delivered by an appropriately qualified health practitioner or a person that meets the high intensity support skills descriptor for urinary catheter changing and management.  

Frequently asked questions

To help you to get prepared, know what to expect and understand the basics of the review process, we’ve put together some of the questions we’re receiving from families.

1. Who will do my plan review?

For participants under the age of 7, plan reviews are carried out by an Early Childhood Intervention partner. For children aged 7 or older, and adults, plan reviews are conducted by either an NDIS Planner or a Local Area Coordinator.

2. Is the review meeting in person?

Depending on your preference, a plan review can be done face-to-face or over the phone.

3. Will I get less funding in my second plan?

The funding outcomes are different from person to person, the current supports received and whether you're achieving, or working towards, your goals. Individual’s funding may vary from plan to plan.

4. What information will Xavier provide for my plan review?

Where requested by the NDIA or the participant, Xavier can provide a report outlining the supports we have provided, whether goals have been achieved, and recommendations for supports for the new plan.

5. Should I meet with my provider(s) before the plan review?

You’re not required to meet with your service provider(s) but it can be a good idea. It will give you the opportunity to review how the last year has gone and talk about any new or additional supports you might need.                                                                     

6. Can second plans be for 24 months?

If the NDIA anticipate that your needs and goals will not change in the next 24 months then you can get a 24 month plan. However, for children who are still growing and developing often a 12 month plan may be most suitable.