NDIS self-management and how Support Network may benefit you

SPONSORED — The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is designed to provide funding and support to people with disability.

This program is established to give them the support needed to live a fulfilling and independent life. The NDIS provides the opportunity to self-manage your NDIS plan. This gives you total control over your funding, service providers and the type of support you need.

As fascinating and beneficial as self-managing your plan is, it also has its challenges — namely, it requires more of your time and effort. That’s where Support Network comes in as your go-to platform to book your support services. In this article, we will explore NDIS self-management, its benefits and challenges, along with how Support Network can ease the work for you.

NDIS self-management allows you to manage your funding and gives you flexibility, choice and control over your NDIS plans. It allows you to be in charge of organising your care services and tailoring your support to meet your unique needs and preferences.

With self-management, your responsibilities include selecting and managing your support workers. You will be the one paying invoices, maintaining your transaction records and keeping track of your expenses to stay within your NDIS budget.

Self-management offers various benefits, including the ability to choose your support workers and where you would like to receive your care. It gives you the privilege to select the services you need and the rate at which they will be delivered.

By self-managing your funding, you can work with support workers that meet your needs. This will ensure you receive care that is tailored to your specific needs.

Self-management allows you to decide how your NDIS finding is allocated across your services. It enables you to prioritise your spending based on your needs and preferences. This will ensure your funds are directed towards the services that are relevant to you.

Self-management promotes coordination and collaboration among your different service providers. Since you can work with a diverse range of professionals to meet your support needs.

Self-management enables you to fully participate in your community activities. You can use your NDIS funding to access services that promote social inclusion and community engagement.

Administrative burden

Managing your NDIS funding involves various administrative tasks. These tasks may include keeping records, managing invoices, handling payments and other duties. Adding all these responsibilities to the day-to-day challenges of your condition can lead to stress and can affect the way you manage your NDIS plan.

Time consumption

Understand that a self-managed NDIS plan needs your full attention because it requires your time, effort and commitment. You will need to keep track of services and the service providers, manage your budget,  organise support workers, sort out payments and keep track of other administrative tasks.

Financial management

Self-management requires you to be financially oriented. You need to have a strong background in how to distribute NDIS funds across various support services appropriately. It can be quite challenging, especially if you have little or no experience in managing funds.

Decision making

Deciding how, where and when to effectively use your NDIS funding can lead to anxiety and concern. In addition, this can affect your health, overall well-being and quality of life.

Coordination and oversight of services

To self-manage your NDIS plan, you have to prepare your mind for the responsibility that comes with it. You will be in charge of coordinating your care and ensuring that the services you will be receiving are of high quality and meet your specific needs.

Risk of financial mismanagement and exploitation

Managing your funding will expose you to the risk of making errors in financial transactions, inaccurately recording expenses or falling victim to fraudulent activities. Additionally, you may be a target or pressured by corrupt service providers or individuals seeking to take advantage of your financial resources.

Capacity and support needs

Self-managing an NDIS plan requires a certain level of capacity, confidence and knowledge to coordinate your support and care. You may face additional challenges in navigating self-management if you require continuous assistance and support in your daily life.

Support Network is the go-to platform that helps you connect with the right independent support workers to ensure you receive the right support.

How it helps

• Search and hire independent support workers
  Irrespective of your circumstances or the support services you need, you can search and hire support workers. The Support Network team will guide you to meet the right independent workers who meet your requirements and can offer personalised support.

• Simplified financial management
  At Support Network, we make it easy to carry out your administrative tasks seamlessly, from managing your invoices to paying your workers or monitoring your expenses.
• Total control over your care
  Using a Support Network will give you joy because you will have the freedom to select your workers and have total control over your care team. You can change and adjust your care if there are any changes in your situation.
• User-friendly interface
  Our platform is designed to make navigating and managing your care seamlessly without stress. We make it easy for you to find and communicate with workers, schedule services and track your NDIS funding.
• Personalised support
  Support Network focuses on connecting you with the right support provider who understands and can provide support based on your needs and preferences.

Self-managing your NDIS plan can be overwhelming, but, with the right approach, you can manage your funding easily.

Tips to successfully manage your plan

• Stay organised
  Keep detailed records of your transactions to help you stay on top of your NDIS funding and ensure you don’t exceed your budget.
• Review your plan regularly
  Cultivate the habit of reviewing your NDIS plan regularly. If there are any changes in your care plan, review and update your plan to reflect those changes. This will ensure you receive constant support based on your needs.
• Maintain clear communication
  It is important to maintain transparency and clear communication with your support workers. Provide detailed feedback and discuss any changes to your care or support needs.
• Ask for help if needed
  Self-managing your NDIS plan doesn’t mean you have to do everything all alone. We understand that it can be overwhelming so seek help from a support coordinator or financial advisor if you are confused about navigating the system.

If you want to self-manage your NDIS funding through through Support Network, here is how it works…

Set up a profile

Before you start, create a profile on our platform and input the type of services you need, your preferences and the goals you want to achieve. Be detailed about them to ensure you get the right support workers.

Search and choose support workers

Once your profile has been created, you can search for various independent support workers based on your location, preferences, specific needs and expertise. You can message, call and interview workers before booking to ensure the carer’s personality and experience align with your goals and needs. This will ensure you receive more personalised support.

Book and manage services

After selecting the support workers or team that meets your needs, you can book and manage their services through Support Network. You will see their availability and schedule according to the requirements you provided.

You will have control over where you would like to receive your care and the rate at which you want it. Support Network allows flexible working hours to ensure that you organise your care in a way that works best for you.

Manage your invoices

One of the interesting parts about self-managing your NDIS plan is that you are responsible for handling invoices and payments. Support Network provides clear and detailed invoices to make the process easy when paying your provider.

In addition, Support Network ensures that every service you are paying for is aligned with your approved NDIS plan. This is to give you peace of mind that your funding is being used appropriately and effectively.

Track your spending

You can track your expenses with the overview of financial transactions provided by Support Network. This will help you monitor your budget and make adjustments if needed. All of this is to keep you in check, help you make informed decisions about services and ensure that you are making the most out of your NDIS funding.

Quality control and feedback

You can provide feedback on the services you receive. This is to help you ensure that you are receiving care that meets your expectations. Along with this, you can change your workers if you feel the services you are being provided with are not right for you. This will help you maintain a high standard of care and ensure you receive the best support possible.

Self-managing your NDIS plan offers flexibility, personalisation and greater control over your NDIS plan.  With the right tools, like the Support Network platform, you can manage your plan effectively, choose the right support workers, stay organised and stay on top of your NDIS funding.