3 simple steps
Plan Meeting
Our top tips and resources to guide you on how to prepare for your NDIS meeting
What is a plan meeting?
Who runs the meeting?
One of the following people will be there to run and manage your meeting:
An Early Childhood Early Intervention Coordinator (ECEI Coordinators) – someone who supports children (under 9 yrs) and their families.
A Local Area Coordinator (LAC) – someone who helps people with disability find and use services and supports.
An NDIA Planner – someone who makes AND approves new plans
Where is the meeting held?
It is up to YOU whether you would like the meeting to be:
– on the phone
– on zoom
– in-person
See our tips on Having an NDIS Planning Meeting by Phone
When is the plan meeting held?
An NDIS plan meeting can take place at various points depending on the stage of your NDIS journey
Initial Plan Meeting: Once you’re approved for NDIS, usually within a few weeks. This is following your Access meeting.
Annual Review: Usually every 12-36 months after your first plan.
Mid-Plan Review: If your needs change significantly before the end of your plan period.
See our tips on Having an NDIS Planning Meeting by Phone
How long is the meeting?
Usually the meeting runs for 1-2 hours, there is a lot to discuss so it is a good idea to write your questions before hand and have someone attend the meeting with you, if available.
What if I can’t attend the meeting?
If you are not in a position or unavailable to complete your planning conversation over the phone or in-person, contact your ECEI, LAC or Planner and the NDIS will make alternative planning arrangements.
What questions will be asked?
(i)
What Happens in your Plan Meeting
During the Plan Meeting, the Planner will confirm the information the LAC gathered during your Access Request Meeting.
If there is anything you feel you left out during your Access Request Meeting or if something has change since then:
- email it to your LAC before the meeting (if possible) – you should have their contact details from your Access Request
- make sure you mention it in this meeting
The Planner will ask questions about how you are going in different areas of your life. This will help them to:
- develop a plan that provides the right support for you (if one has not been created yet) or
- adjust the draft plan if there is one.
Examples of things you will be asked about in your first NDIS Plan Meeting:
- your disability related needs
- your personal circumstances
- your informal, formal, community and mainstream supports
- how you manage every day activities (your functional capacity)
- your safety, including equipment, accommodation or help to take care of yourself or your home
- the goals you want to pursue
- ways to manage your plan
- the supports you need
- what reasonable and necessary supports the NDIS will fund (reference to the NDIS Support List)
(ii) You will also be asked how you want to manage your plan. To choose Plan Management and Plan Hero, you will need to give the Planner these details:
Plan Hero Pty Ltd trading as Plan Hero
Provider Number: 4050079575
ABN: 43 641 197 659
How do I prepare for the meeting?
Start preparing for your NDIS plan meeting now, by ensuring you have all your documentation ready.
During the Plan Meeting, the Planner will confirm the information the LAC gathered during your Access Request Meeting.
Here are a list of things you can prepare for the meeting:
- Reports or recent assessments from your doctor, carers, therapists (if current)
- Carers statement
- A journal or log of what you do day to day and how this is impacted by your disability
- A list of your goals
- A list of supports you need
- Think about how you want your funding to be managed – self, agency or plan managed
- Questions you want to ask
What documents do I need?
Bring all the information that you submitted during your Access meeting plus any new information.
Documents/reports that are provided by your current supports can help justify what supports you may need. They can also be used by NDIS to determine if your requests are reasonable & necessary, evidence based and best funded by the NDIS. Reports are helpful if it outlines:
- Evidence of your disability/impairment
- The impact of your disability on your day-to-day life
- Impact statement
- What supports you need and why
- Cost of the overall supports
- Your Goals
If your current supports can provide you with a report/assessment, advise them to keep the language simple (no medical jargon), make sure it’s clear and concise and outlines exactly what disability-related supports are needed, how many sessions are required and the overall cost (where possible).
Your Goals
Bring the list of goals (or the goals of the person you are caring for) that you gave to your LAC during your Access Meeting.
These goals can be short term or longer term and can be formal, broad or casual. They also may have changed in the time between your Access Meeting and your Plan Meeting, so be ready to update your planner about that.
Tip: Ask the Planner what goals they have recorded for you when you start.
How will my plan be managed?
During your meeting the NDIS representative will ask you how you would like your NDIS funding to be plan managed. This refers to how your funds will be paid and financially managed.
It is your choice as to how your funds will be. These are your options:
Agency managed (also known as NDIA managed)
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) manages your NDIS funds.
This means the NDIS will pay registered providers and services on behalf of the participant
Plan Managed
Your plan manager pays all your invoices and keeps all your records.
A great plan manager like Plan Hero, answers your questions, guiding you on what you can and cannot spend your funding on.
To ask for Plan Hero as your Plan Manager you need to provide this info in your planning meeting:
Plan Hero Pty Ltd trading as Plan Hero
Provider Number: 4050079575
ABN: 43 641 197 659
Self Managed
YOU or your plan nominee manages your NDIS funds.
This means that you (or your plan nominee) will be reimbursed by the NDIS for any funds paid directly for your NDIS support and services.
For more information about plan management CLICK HERE
What is a carer’s statement?
A Carer Statement (sometimes referred to as an Impact Statement) is a written letter by someone who cares for or is involved in the treatment of an individual living with a disability.
The purpose of carer’s statement is to explain how the individual’s disability is impacting their life and the lives of those around them.
It is not compulsory, but can have a beneficial impact of explaining to the NDIS what supports would be helpful, and can strengthen your NDIS application & planning meeting.
Other Steps
NDIS application toolkit
- Who is eligible to apply?
- Who can help me apply?
- How to apply?
Using your funds toolkit
- How do I read my plan?
- Understanding my NDIS Plan
- I have my plan, what next?
- Finding Supports
- Setting up Service Agreements
- Preparing for a plan review
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?