What Makes a Good Support Coordinator?
In the market for a new Support Coordinator but not sure where to look?
Here’s our guide to finding the right Support Coordinator in a sector full of options.
What is a Support Coordinator?
The purpose of a Support Coordinator is two-fold:
- To help you build the skills to understand and use your NDIS plan
- To connect you with informal, community and funded supports to get the most out of your NDIS plan
Practically, this means your Support Coordinator will work alongside you for the duration of the NDIS plan to set up the right supports for your needs.
They also support you to gain confidence managing your own supports where you can. Hence, you have as much choice and control over your services as possible.
Caption: Lifely Support Coordinator, Mike, working from our Bendigo office.
Help to understand the NDIS
Do you find the NDIS confusing and frustrating? You’re not alone; many participants and families find navigating the scheme difficult and need support to get the best outcomes.
Support Coordinators are NDIS experts, and the disability sector is their speciality. A good Support Coordinator can make a world of difference to your NDIS experience.
For many Lifely participants, the best thing about their Support Coordinator is how they ‘translate’ the NDIS and make it easier to understand.
Your guide to navigating the NDIS
A good Support Coordinator will work alongside you and help you make choices about your NDIS supports.
We find it helpful to think about your Support Coordinator as an NDIS travel agent. They know all the best local service providers, have the right contacts and be objective.
They can help you with choices, such as:
- Which areas of your NDIS funding you should prioritise
- Finding the right supports to achieve your goals
- Researching and comparing support providers
- Reviewing your most recent plan
Your Support Coordinator can help you see things from all angles, ensuring your values are prioritised, and you get the best bang for your NDIS buck.
Once you’ve made your choices, your Support Coordinator will do all the legwork of making sure your service agreements and service bookings are complete.
Caption: Lachie chats with his Lifely Support Coordinator, Julie.
You’re unique. You should be treated that way!
No one else is like you, so it makes sense that no one else’s NDIS package and supports are precisely like yours.
Good Support Coordinators understand this and will work with you and your support network to get the best outcomes for your needs.
They will assess all the options available to you based on your NDIS goals and other criteria you set. No cookie-cutter plans or bias advice.
As your needs and goals adapt, your Support Coordinator should adjust with you. If you don’t think something is working, they will help you change it.
You deserve advice without agenda or bias.
To get the most out of your NDIS Plan, you need to pinpoint the most appropriate services for you as an individual.
So, your Support Coordinator must always explore all the opportunities available to you with objectivity.
Lifely provides multiple services that could be in your plan. So, we have put in numerous checks and balances to prevent our Support Coordinators from simply recommending our services. Sadly, not all providers have.
Caption: Jamie takes to his coordinator Brandon about his NDIS plan
Questions to help you find the support coordinator
When looking for the right Support Coordinator, you should ask as many questions as you like until you feel comfortable you’ve found someone who meets your need. Here are a few practical examples:
- Do you have a good understanding of my disability?
- Do you have specialist knowledge that can help me?
- Do you have good connections with services in my community?
- What policies are in place to make sure your advice is objective?
- What I have a tricky issue? How would you go about solving it?
- Do you have a team to support you?
- How will you build my capacity to coordinate my own supports in the future?
We’re proud to say Lifely Support Coordinators are local, creative, adaptable and compassionate. They are passionate about what they do and go the extra mile depending on the needs of their participants. Learn more about our Support Coordination services.
Contact our team today and put them through their paces. We know you’ll be impressed.
