NDIS is designed to support its participants towards its journey to full independence. It is crafted in such a way that it is directed towards the progressive journey of the participant. The participant’s journey can be seen in reports from service providers required by the NDIS. Therapy supports like occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, and others must provide a report, one should not undermine the relevance of this document as it can be one of the factors that the NDIA will be looking at during a Plan Review. This means that it may affect the funding of the participant. Reports are usually needed or required by the NDIA on the following circumstances: 1.during a Plan Meeting when you still need to apply for the funding 2. When you are due for Plan Review as your current plan is about to expire and 3. When you need to purchase Assistive Technology. For this article, we will zero in our discussion on reports when you are due for a plan review.
1. Discussion on the Outputs
Your therapist should be able to state the different interventions made, how often, and other techniques employed throughout your journey with them.
2. Discussion on the Outcomes
Your therapist should be able to lay out all the observed progress you made after having all the interventions. It could also detail the challenges you encountered during the intervention or it could be insights into new needs and challenges which emerged during the phase of the intervention. This part is more on discussing how the outputs made a valuable impact on improving your current challenges due to your disability.
3. Unlocked goals
Your therapist should not only be able to demonstrate the output and outcome but the report should also go back to whether everything is interconnected with your goals. Outputs are the interventions made by your therapists while outcomes are the result of the output. Take, for example, your speech therapy sessions boost your self-confidence in communicating with other people thus increasing your social and community participation. It is also important that the therapist can interconnect your goal/s with the output and describe the outcome. If these three will be mentioned, then this paints a more vivid picture of how these supports help you achieve your NDIS goals.
4. Reasonable and Necessary
Your therapist should be able to give details that the supports needed for the next plan are reasonable and necessary. This does not only mean that it gives value for money but also how it is related to your disability in terms of communication, interpersonal relationships, social and community engagements. The report should also indicate how supports will help you achieve your NDIS goals.
5. Moving forward plans
Your therapist should be able to discuss future plans with you like what other skills do you need to focus on, what are there new interventions needed, do you need to increase the number of support workers? Do you need extra funding for a specific budget category? Assess the capabilities or limitations from your informal supports
Additional tips :
· Your report should have specific examples on how the supports helped you and how it is reasonable and necessary to still continue with the specific support/s
· Paint a clear picture of how your disability greatly impacts your day-to-day living
· Be clear on supports especially if your therapist will recommend an AT for you, it should have an assessment and quotation as the NDIA needs to check if it is indeed reasonable and necessary
Report forms an essential part of the NDIS may it be during the start of your journey or waiting for a new plan. It is as important as setting your goals because it will also be one of the factors that the NDIA will look into when allocating funds for you. The key is always to prepare and not be overwhelmed about it, remember, the NDIS is for you.
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