Plan Management

Under NDIS funding, you will have a range of different opportunities to see your goals come to fruition, it can appear overwhelming, especially around engaging and paying for goods and services. As Plan Management Consultants, with a combined 69 years of experience in financial and disability services, we are well prepared to partner with you on your journey. 

What is Plan Management?

Plan Management is a financial intermediary service, which means a company or organisation that pays your suppliers, service providers and therapists, as well as claim funds through NDIS for those services and supports. Plan Managers also claim for their services through NDIS, meaning it is not a personal expense to you. Plan Managers ensure your funds are acquitted in accordance with your plan and all other financial legal obligations. Suppliers and service providers can only charge at the price or lower with NDIS pricing guide. 

Any approved participant can request and have Plan Management included as part of your NDIS plan. 

Benefits

Plan Management offers you flexibility with your plan to reach your goals and outcomes while safe in the knowledge that your providers are being paid on time and you are reimbursed quickly for out of pocket expenses[1]. Under Plan Management, you can choose the provider you want, meaning they can be either registered or nonregistered providers. Plan Managers can also help you negotiate a better price to ensure you get more from your NDIS funding. At Distil, we will provide you with monthly statements, and you can log in to our website to see your current spend and balance in real-time in all areas in your plan.

With Plan Management you can choose your service providers and suppliers and work closely with them to get the best out of your plan, while safe in the knowledge all financial arrangements related to your plan are in safe hands when you partner with us.

Support Coordination

At Distil, we see Support Coordination as one of the building blocks to develop your ability to manage your plan. We will work with you to plan for the future through exploring your short, medium and long term goals, which will then assist in your conversations with your NDIS Coordinator during your planning process.

There are three levels of Support Coordination that can be built into your plan; each one is funded differently as they require a different skillset

1. Support connection     

  • Support is to build your ability to connect with informal, community and funded supports enabling you to get the most out of your plan and achieve your goals. This is mainly undertaken by Local Coordinators, such as APM or Mission Australia in Western Australia. 

2. Support coordination – coordination of supports

  • Support assists you to build the skills you need to understand, implement and use your plan and is priced at a medium level. As support coordinators, we will partner with you to ensure a mix of supports are used to increase your capacity to maintain relationships, manage service delivery tasks, live more independently and be included in your community.

3. Specialist support coordination 

  • Is a higher level of support coordination and, therefore, attracts a higher price under NDIS. It is for people whose situations are more complex and who need specialist support. A specialist Support Coordinator will assist you in managing challenges in your support environment and ensuring consistent delivery of service. At Distil Management, we cannot offer this service. We are happy to assist in finding a provider that can.

At Distil, we have over 69 years in combined knowledge and experience in disability, finance and a range of social services. We can partner with you to help connect with registered NDIS providers on a variety of services from equipment, community support, and all the way through to various options for accommodation. Our fees are claimable through NDIS.

Self-Management

When receiving funds for your disability requirements under NDIS, you have the choice of:

  • Agency Managed (NDIS)
  • Plan Managed (Provider)
  • Self-Managed

Benefits

Self-Management offers the most flexibility out of all NDIS management systems. You can choose your suppliers and service providers, regardless if they are NDIS registered or not, negotiate rates with suppliers and can employ and/or contract your support staff. NDIA expects you to shop around and get value for money. You also manage your budget and plan for the length of that plan. As a self-manager you indeed are in charge of your NDIS plan.

Responsibilities

There are specific responsibilities that come with self-management, along with having to ensure you pay for supports, you also need to keep records and invoices to prove to NDIS that you purchased services and supports in line with your plan. You will need to work with your providers to ensure that you receive the supports you require and you agree with the terms and conditions of those supports. When engaging your staff, you are effectively an employer and therefore must ensure you meet all legal obligations of an employer. 

At Distil, we can partner with you to meet your obligations, we provide links to online payroll services[2], you can log into our client portal to track all your payments and services. 

  [1] For those areas that can be charged back to your NDIS plan, not all expenses can be claimed, please speak to your Distil consultant if unsure prior to purchase.

[2] Payroll has a monthly subscription fee, please speak with your consultant on what is the right package for you