Did you know that the NDIS can provide funding that can get you out and about, and enjoying activities in your community?
Social and Community Participation is a funded support category found under Core and Capacity Building in NDIS funding. Its purpose is to support people with disability to achieve independence and social and economic participation. The NDIS recognises that people need community engagement, socialising and fun for their health and wellbeing. Living with disability may mean a person is not able to participate in these aspects of life without the funding the NDIS provides.
What is social and community participation?
As per the NDIA, social and community participation is about “meeting people with similar interests and joining in social and community activities. It means going where others go, doing what others do, with other people and choosing activities you enjoy. Social and community participation also means different things to different people. It can include going to your local café, joining a netball team, bushwalking with a friend, doing a craft class, getting work experience, or volunteering.”
How is Social and Community Participation categorised and priced under the NDIS?
As outlined in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, the category under Core Supports is ‘04 Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation’, and can be used to book a support worker to help you with participating in community, social and employment activities.
Under Capacity Building is ‘09 Increased Social and Community Participation’, the funding is put towards training and development that helps you build your independence. It allows participants to take part in skills-based learning to develop independence in accessing the community.
‘Life Transition Planning including Mentoring Peer-Support and Individual Skills Development’ and ‘Development of Daily Living and Life Skills’ are charged at a maximum of $70.87 per hour ($99.22 for remote and $106.31 for very remote regions).
Rates will differ between weekdays, weekends and public holidays. You can access detailed pricing information by support item and your location in the NDIS Support Catalogue.
What kind of social and recreational activities could the NDIS fund?
The ‘Community, Social and Recreational Activities’ support item of the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (page 58), “is designed to enable providers to claim reimbursement for the costs of enabling a participant to independently engage in community, social and recreational activities when costs of participation exceed an affordable level and without, the participant would be at risk of social isolation. Participants may use this funding for activities such as camps, vacation and outside school hours’ care, course or membership fees”.
Typically, for these types of activities, the funding may come from Capacity Building – Increased Social and Community Participation. As set out on page 80 of the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2022-23, this support item “is designed to enable providers to claim reimbursement for the costs of tuition fees, art classes, sports coaching and similar activities that build a participant’s skills and independence. This could include camps, classes, and vacation activities that have capacity building components. The support includes assistance to establish volunteer arrangements in the community, mentoring, peer support, and individual skill development”.
All supports claimed under this item need to be deemed reasonable and necessary, i.e. they should align with the person’s NDIS plan goals. Involvement in many activities and community events can contribute to a person’s goals of independence. It is important to have a clear understanding about how any activities funded by your NDIS plan fit into your goals.
Note that this support item is not subject to price limits and should only be used to recover the costs of the person’s attendance at the activity.
Social and community participation activities for child participants of the NDIS
- Attending a camp
- Receiving coaching or lessons for a sport (soccer, swimming, horse riding) or other physical activity (dancing, martial arts, ten pin bowling) that provides the extra support that the child needs due to their disability
- Lessons to learn a musical instrument
- Support to organise a playdate or outing with friends from school
- Visiting the museum, the science centre or the theatre to learn new things
- Attending school holiday activities at the local shopping centre to meet new people
- Support to enter local art, writing or spelling competitions
- Going to the movies to practise independent living skills.
Discover how 7-year-old Josh is learning to participate in social activities thanks to support accessed through Mable.
Social and community participation activities for adult participants of the NDIS
- Going to the library, a museum, an art gallery, or an expo
- Participating in cooking classes or food tasting events
- Attending a speed dating event to meet new people in your community
- Organised relaxation activities such as yoga, tai chi, or meditation sessions
- Playing trivia, board games, or video games at a pub, café or a similar venue
- Attending workshops for model aeroplane-making, origami, bonsai, woodworking, and pottery, ie. learning new skills
- Water-related activities, like kayaking, canoeing, fishing, sailing, yabbying
- Going to the movies, a concert, the theatre or a music festival with someone who shares your tastes
- Joining a sports club, book club, collectors’ club, debating, storytelling or karaoke club to meet people with similar interests
- Volunteering for community fundraising or clean-up events.
Read how Jacob used NDIS-funded support to start a business and is now learning a language and getting shopping tips from a qualified chef, all through Mable.
Social and community participation activities for older adult participants of the NDIS
- Taking lessons in internet security, mobile phone usage, or pet grooming
- Visiting a cat cuddle café or dog rescue service
- Participating in lawn bowls, bocce, croquet as part of a local club
- Learning to do stand-up comedy and dance, singing, or acting lessons
- Joining a book club or social group to play cards, chess, or Scrabble on a weekly basis
- Attending workshops on potting plants, pickling, making pasta, and arranging flowers
- Going to the markets or setting up your own stall at a market to sell your potted plants or homemade pickles
- Attending art shows, author talks, and fashion parades.
Book a support worker on Mable to get social and community participation support
Social support and community participation means different things to different people. One of the biggest benefits of booking support workers through Mable is that you can find support workers who share your interests. Mable client Angela, for example, booked support worker Damien, with whom she shared an interest in animation. Another client, Penny, booked support worker Rachel, who shares her love for hiking.
On Mable, you can build a team of support workers, who can support you in different ways to work towards the goals in your NDIS plan.
Through Mable:
- You have choice and control over who supports you, when you receive support and how much you pay for the support
- You are safeguarded, thanks to our strict verification processes and suite of insurance arranged on behalf of support workers.
Connect with a support worker in your area today.
FAQs
How can I get social and recreation support in my NDIS plan?
The NDIS will need to understand what kind of support you need because of your disability and the barriers that prevent you from participating in social and recreational activities. Your plan will need to include a goal that you want to achieve by taking part in these activities.
