From July 1, 2022, some NDIS terminologies have been updated.
An NDIS plan review is when a plan is reviewed and a new or varied one is put in place. The preparation required for an NDIS plan review meeting depends on the type of review meeting it is.
The three most common types of review meetings are:
- A full plan reassessment (when the plan is coming to an end)
- When a new plan does not include the things you expected
- A change of circumstance (CoC) review (also called plan reassessment now)
This article will focus on a full NDIS plan reassessment and how to prepare for it.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NDIS has introduced some flexible approaches they can take with full plan reassessments.
- A new NDIS plan with the same supports (sometimes called a ‘plan renewal’). This would suit a person for whom current supports are working and nothing needs to change.
- A new NDIS plan with minor changes to supports (sometimes called a ‘light touch’ review which is now being called ‘plan variation’). This could suit a person for whom only minor changes are required.
- A full plan reassessment that looks at everything.
When preparing for an NDIS plan reassessment, it is important to consider the things listed below, and then consider which of the above plan reassessment type best suits your needs so that you can discuss it at the meeting:
- The impact the disability is having. Has the impact increased or decreased since the last meeting, or is it pretty stable?
- Is the person going to be starting something new, such as a job, a sport or a recommended therapy?
- Are the person’s personal circumstances changing? For example, are they are wanting to move out of home; or is a family member no longer able to continue to provide support?
- Is the participant a child under seven years of age?
NDIS plan start and end date
One of the most important factors to bear in mind when supporting a person with an NDIS plan — either through plan managers or managing your own plan — is the start and end date of the current plan. Don’t leave anything to chance or rely on the NDIS timeframes. Be prepared to be the one to contact the NDIA to start the ball rolling.
According to the NDIS’s own Participant Service Guarantee, you should be contacted 56 days (approx. six weeks) before the end date of the current plan, so make sure you have a note in your diary. By the time you get to 3-4 weeks out, if you haven’t heard from anyone, be proactive and contact them. The current plan may provide you with a name and contact number of the person you met with last time, but it may not and often, that person may no longer be the one you will be meeting with.
- For children under seven, contact the Early Childhood, Early Intervention (ECEI) partner you are already linked to.
- For those over seven years of age, contact your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) if you know who they are or ring the LAC office.
- If you have a Support Coordinator, they may be happy to help you initiate the NDIS plan reassessment meeting.
- If all the above fails, ring the NDIS hotline on 1800 800 110 and tell them you wish to commence an NDIS review process.
What reports/quotes do I need to have?
It’s always a good idea to check with the person you’ll be meeting with, if it’s necessary for you to gather reports or quotes. For example, if the current plan contains Capacity Building funding which is being spent on allied health services, it is important to ask the therapist or provider to write a report that covers progress made over the life of the current plan and any recommendations for future therapies or services. Allow enough time for these reports to be created as well as allowing the budget to cover the cost of the reporting.
Goals
This is also the time to review the goals in the plan. Have some of them been achieved with current supports and can therefore be removed? This is more likely with children. Are there new goals to work towards in the next plan that need to be identified? If nothing much has changed and nothing new is needed, so the goals can remain the same.
Plan management style
Many people entered the NDIS with the NDIA managing the plan (also called Agency Managed). Over time, many have moved to either plan management or self-management. Each reassessment meeting provides the opportunity to review this decision and change your management style. Learn more about NDIS plan management and plan managers.
When will the new plan arrive?
Once the NDIS plan reassessment meeting has been held, a new plan should be available to the participant from the date the old plan expires. If the current NDIS plan expires and a new NDIS plan is not ready to implement, the NDIA will automatically extend the current plan for up to 12 months, at the same funding level. This means the current funding will automatically continue until the new NDIS plan is finalised, so there won’t be any gaps in funding or supports.
Once the NDIS review is complete and the new NDIS plan is finalised, you will be contacted in due course by either the LAC directly or by letter or email via MyGov or a combination of these, to inform you of the new plan.
Also read: What if I’m not happy with my new NDIS plan?
