Many people find that being involved in the National Disability Insurance Scheme or NDIS is not easy, and it may seem as if it is in a different language. Like most large organisations, the NDIS also has its own acronyms and terminology that is often difficult for those newly entering the scheme as well as some of the service providers. Knowledge of these terms is practical when trying to navigate and utilize the supports and services offered. The purpose of this blog is to explain some of the most frequently used terms associated with the NDIS and to create a list of frequently used terms to assist the people, who need any help to comprehend their plan or the NDIS scheme.
1. NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)
Definition: The NDIS is a plan of the Australian government formulated to assist individuals with permanent and profound disability. It is hoped that with the assistance of this learning theory, a person will be able to create an appropriate goal and enhance the quality of their life.
Explanation: The NDIS provides the NDIS funding aimed at various support and service that can be claimed by each participant. These are among services such as personal care, therapy, and help with everyday living for patients.
2. NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency)
Definition: The NDIA is the implementing and administrative body of the NDIS also known as the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Explanation: It can be also noted that along with empowering participants, the NDIA is also responsible for the delivery of the NDIS and the decision making on funding, as well as the creation of participants’ plans.
3. Participant
Definition: A person with disability that has been approved for NDIS funding and support and is serviced under the NDIS.
Explanation: Targets in the survey are the participants that are people with disabilities, from the defined population of consumers of NDIS who satisfy the eligibility criteria and have an NDIS plan.
4. Eligibility
Definition: Ability of defining with which criteria the person can be assigned to the NDIS.
Explanation: These are the age and residency status of the person and the type, severity, and duration of the person’s disability. For example, one has to be less than 65 years of age and an Australian citizen or a permanent resident, and have a SUBSTANTIAL AND PERMANENT IMPAIRMENT.
5. Plan
Definition: An item that may include the NDIS participant’s plan for the assistance and the facilities to be paid for by this NDIS.
Explanation: Every individual who is an NDIS participant has an individual plan addressing the participant’s aims and objectives and the support he or she is to be provided, and how the funding is to be distributed. Some of the routines that are followed in the case of the plans are: The plans’ effectiveness is checked on how best they can be able to meet the participant needs most times following the next routine.
6. Planning Meeting
Definition: A face-to-face conferencing with the planner or LAC named in the participant’s NDIS application to consider and settle on the individualized plan.
Explanation: The planning meeting entails general goals, existing and future services and support systems, in relation to the participant. The above-info assists in developing a personalised NDIS plan.
7. Local Area Coordinator (LAC)
Definition: An independent person who helps NDIS participants to formulate, execute, and evaluate their plans.
Explanation: Thus, LACs are most frequently involved in the organization of the PU process and are primary contact with participants. They help with matters related to NDIS, finding services, and confirming that the plan is satisfactory.
8. Support Coordinator
Definition: An individual through whom a user of NDIS services directs the use of his or her plans and arrangements with the service providers.
Explanation: Medical/nursing staff help to oversee the generalization of the plan and search for the help and services while case managers/case managers help to address and overcome the barriers.
9. Service Provider
Definition: A provider is an organisation or an individual who provides support or service for the user of the NDIS.
Explanation: The services are offered through therapy, personal care as well as participation in community activities. To offer funded supports, they have to be registered with the NDIS.
10. Registered Provider
Definition: A support agency that has complied with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commision requirements and is accredited to to provide NDIS funded support.
Explanation: Most health care providers that are registered have been certified to be compliant with the set standard in terms of quality and safety. It is worth to benefit the participants to have option of using a registered provider for the funded supports.
11. Supports
Definition: The support which is provided from the funding which is obtained by the NDIS to achieve a participant’s aims.
Explanation: These can be in the form of personal assistance, therapy, equipment, changes to your home environment, and so on. They are intended to enable the partakers to live the lives of their choosing and engage in activities in society.
12. Core Supports
Definition: Necessary adaptations in relation to personal care, mobility, attending to necessary courses, acquiring and using consumables.
Explanation: Essential care needs are very diverse, and they include assistance in bathing, cleaning, dressing, feeding among other social activities. This category also embraces funding for items used by a child such as continence aids which are used up within a short period of time.
13. Capacity Building Supports
Definition: Enabling supports that increase participants’ skill levels and levels of functioning over time.
Explanation: Teaching and learning strategies that underpin capacity building supports, establish the participant’s capacity to address his/her disability effectively to achieve higher levels of independence. This can encompass treatments and training, together with the organization of support services.
14. Capital Supports
Definition: Finances are the monies for one-time procurements or for those large acquisitions that help participants reach objectives.
Explanation: Capital requisites include the purchase of mobility equipment and alterations to the participants’ homes that could help them be more self-sufficient.
15. Reasonable and Necessary
Definition: The principles by the NDIA will be used in order to distinguish which supports will be supported according to the NDIS.
Explanation: DAR must classify supports as affordable and required (that is, needed owing to a participant’s impairment) to be financed. They should also enable the participant to accomplish the goals as well as enhance their level of independency.
16. Plan Review
Definition: An important procedure that is aimed at reconsidering and making changes to an NDIS participant’s plan as to its relevant needs.
Explanation: A plan review is scheduled on an annual basis but an early review can be made at the participant’s instance or due to changes in circumstances. In reviewing the participant’s support plan, the participant may state any changes they require in their supports.
17. Support Plan
Definition: A description of the particular services to be delivered to the participant that should be furnished and presented in fine detail.
Explanation: In inclusion, a support plan is a part of the NDIA plan and contains details on the type of supports, the provider of the support, and the manner in which they will be provided.
18. Early Intervention
Definition: Services offered to children and youths with developmental disabilities for enhancing the development of the children and their future prospects.
Explanation: Starting intervention refers to efforts that have to be made as soon as possible to prevent the destructive effect of the disability as well as to promote the child’s development.
19. Informal Supports
Definition: Informal care services coordinated and offered by family, friends, and communities and which go unpaid.
Explanation: Apron has brought out that informal supports are important and part of the support network of the NDIS participants along with funded supports offered by NDIS.
20. Mainstream Services
Definition: Public services that are provided to every citizen of Australia for instance, health services, facility, education among others and housing.
Explanation: It should be noted that the participants with NDIS should also be directed to other mainstream supports in addition to the NDIS supports. It improves on these services and is not equivalent to these services, but rather is a complementary service.
21. Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Definition: A type of residential accommodation that is planned or adapted for use by persons who have severe physical disablement or extremely high dependency.
Explanation: Participants of SDA receive upbringing in environments that are easy for them to live in and are supportive. SDA funding is then provided according to the participant’s NDIS plan and applicants only if he/she meets the requirements for eligibility.
22. Assistive Technology
Definition: Prosthetics, or aids that enable the participants to perform tasks and improve their quality of life and level of self-sufficiency.
Explanation: Devices may be mobility equipment, communication aids and equipment or even modifications to the home environment. These technologies are funded through the NDIS The funding mechanisms do not present difficulties with regards to these technologies since they are funded through the NDIS.
23. Community Participation
Definition: Exercises that imply a participation in the process of the members – community interaction.
Explanation: Possible supports can be social, recreational, as well as development of specific skills of the members of the community. The goal of these activities is to facilitate the participant’s social integration and their quality of life.
24. SIL (Supported Independent Living)
Definition: Services that enable people to carry out existing daily lives in accommodation that is often collective.
Explanation: SIL is also present to assist with shopping, cooking, cleaning, washing, and dressing to help the participants stay as self sufficient as possible.
25. Respite
Definition: Short-term care granted to the EPS subject-participants to allow their regular caregivers to have a respite.
Explanation: Respite care can be home based or facility based where the child is taken to a respite care center or an institution. So it acts as a protective measure against fatigue of the caregiver and ensures the participant is properly taken care of.
26. Consumables
Definition: Tangible personal household and/or work items needed by participants as a direct result of their disability.
Explanation: The NDIS can cover items that of a consumable nature and comprise continence products, nutritional supplements as well as wound care products among others.
27. Transport
Definition: Money granted to help with other traveling and transportation expenses because of disability.
Explanation: Transport funding enables the participants to afford education, employment and other related activities within the society. It extends to such expenses like fares for a taxi, on public transport and for inaccessible transport services.
28. Goals
Definition: The goals that people looking to obtain funding through NDIS want to accomplish with the assistance of the identified supports.
Explanation: The components of the NDIS plan include goals, which define the kind of supports included in the plan. They can be of short or long durations and may address all or some of the domains of the participant’s life; independence, employment and social.
29. Outcome
Definition: Outcome in relation to the services rendered to a participant.
Explanation: The requirements or goals of the participant state the tests of the effectiveness of the supports and the achievement of goals. They assist in identifying the effectiveness of the NDIS plan and the course of necessary support in the future.
30. Nominee
Definition: An individual who has powers of attorney to represent the NDIS participant in the scheme.
Explanation: The participant may not be able to make decisions or differently manage their affairs and therefore it is up to nominees to do it for the participant in connection with the participant’s NDIS plan. This can be parent(s) siblings, guardians, other close relatives, or anybody to whom the child is closely related.