AAYS is proud to share a wonderful success story where we provided NDIS plan management to a 20 year old from Belmont, NSW.
We are grateful to provide services for people in the same region we operate in.
Reason for Contacting AAYS
The participant was living at home with their parents and was already receiving support. They were managing their plan through the NDIA. The participant wished to engage different and unregistered providers, which is currently not available under NDIA plan management type.
The inspiring participant was living with ASD Level 2 and Tourette’s, our mission became to help this participant soar.
Initial Consultation
The participant, their mother & carer met with one of our wonderful plan managers and expressed their desires in regards to their NDIS journey, one of these was for greater flexibility in their plan. The consultation took place over the phone.
AAYS advocate for freedom of choice, and we compared all the different plan management types and how those avenues would look. We also discussed the support required to help the participant live their best life.
The participant previously had an NDIA managed plan, which forces the participant to only use NDIS registered providers. This restriction may sometimes inhibit the way in which someone would like to spend their funding. For example, if there was a medical specialist in ASD who was not NDIS registered, this participant may not be able to engage them.
Our shared decision was to move to plan-managed, allowing them greater control over their expenditure, which further individualised their NDIS plan to their liking and meaningful goals.
Plan management would save time on paperwork and claiming services, while simultaneously having the flexibility to engage companies who are not NDIS registered.
Considerations
After our initial phone discussion, we understood that the family was not certain of the differences between plan management types.
For NDIS participants, there is often a nominee listed in their plan who is trusted to make decisions. This is similar to guardians, Government Trustees & Powers of Attorneys acting on people’s behalf. This nominee can change upon plan reviews, turning 18 or for any other reason. We are mindful to confirm this information, and seek consent to meet with all parties to alter the NDIS plan appropriately.
Work Performed
Previously, under NDIA managed, the participant/family would receive their invoices from service providers directly, upload them to the NDIS and then pay the company directly. Then that invoice needs to be kept for a minimum of seven years, and can be audited at a given time.
Our initial task was to perform the administrative duties to swap their plan management type. Fortunately, we are experienced in this and the process was completed within two hours.
With a change to plan management, the only ‘time consuming’ requirement is for the family to log their invoices in a software portal known as Careview Advantage and AAYS takes care of the rest. Careview Advantage provides live updates to the amounts available and spent through Plan Management.
Process to Swap to NDIS plan management
Once the participant/carer has agreed to start with AAYS, we firstly ask for a copy of the NDIS plan. We send a service agreement for the Improved Life Choices section, which is the payment to us.
After this, we enter a service booking for us as a plan manager, and all subsequent bookings we will require.
Next, we send an introduction letter to all carers and providers with information regarding how to send invoices to us and what is required. This includes a “template” to make it easy for everyone involved.
This process takes us approximately 2-3 hours. Interestingly, there is no added cost for Plan Management over self-management.
Providing Participants Total Control of Funding
As part of the service agreement, there are two major questions to note
- Do you have a Support Coordinator to access the planning through AAYS? and;
- Would you like to approve all invoices before payment, or would you like us to auto-approve and then receive a monthly statement?
If the support coordinator is a separate company to AAYS, they will be able to view Careview Advantage, but not change anything. This allows a degree of visibility over the plan.
These questions help the participant achieve greater control over how they spend their funding.
Goal Setting
An interesting note is that for plan management, we actually have very little to do with NDIS goals in this type of engagement. We are just the financial arm that handles the administrative duties, the participant is in charge of their own goals and working towards them.
This can change if AAYS is chosen to represent the participant for NDIS Support Coordination, or if we are providing direct care to the participant.
When acting as plan managers alone, it is our responsibility to perform our administrative duties with attention for detail, so the participant can live independently without spending time worrying about invoices and compliance.
Feedback
The client reported, “we just love the flexibility and the way that we are able to keep up to date with funds without going through all the NDIS nitty-gritty systems”.
Working Synergistically with NDIS Support Coordinators
If required, we may have regular communication directly with the Support Coordinator.
As an example, having read access to Careview Advantage allows the coordinator to see available funds and purchase low cost items, examples of this include:
- Consumables
- Sporting goods
- Communication tools
- Medical supplies
- Low-cost equipment & home modifications
Being a digitised business, this provides greater efficiency for all stakeholders involved in providing multidisciplinary care to the participant. We are notified immediately of any updates and everybody has perfect accuracy of funds available for supports.
Why Choose AAYS to Manage your NDIS plan?
- Plan Management can save upto 4 hours a month in administrative time
- Plan Management takes liability off the participant and carer, and it goes to the Plan Manager
- We also provide support coordination if required
- We are a fully licensed, insured & NDIS registered provider
Please navigate to our contact page for any questions you may have.
