Being an NDIS participant, you get complete choice and control of your NDIS funding and how it is managed for the duration of the plan. There are 3 management options for your NDIS funding that is you can choose for your budget to be managed by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) which is also referred to as agency-managed, you can manage it yourself (self-managed), or you can have it managed by a registered, third-party NDIS Plan Manager.
You must be wondering as to how can you find the best NDIS plan manager if you choose to have your plans managed by a third party agency. In this blog, we’ll tell you what an NDIS plan manager does, what the benefits are and how to find the best plan manager for all your needs.
What is an NDIS plan manager?
The NDIS participants gets to work with a disability support provider i.e a plan manager that helps you to get the most of your funded plans. They provide services like ‘NDIS Plan Management’ or improved life choices, CB choice and Control in your plan.
Here are some of the tasks they perform:
- Handling all your records and paying bills on your behalf.
- Keeping your budget managed and informing you of any remaining or low funds.
- Giving you the best advice on how you should be spending your budget to maximize services.
- Preparing you for NDIS plan reviews.
- Negotiating better rates on your behalf with service providers.
- Making things easy for you to understand by helping you navigate the NDIS in a simple language.
The benefits of an NDIS plan manager:
Additional funds are provided to you for any NDIS service when you request for a plan management during your meeting or a plan review and hence it doesn’t cost your or reduce your funds. A registered plan manager is a third party acting on your behalf, having your best interests at heart like your connection to NDIS. Plan managers will help to provide you the best support and personalized advice that fulfils your additional needs and goals. A plan manager can help to increase your financial and management skills and teach you how to manage your plans on your own by paying providers and increasing their availability. NDIA manages the invoices and asks for the receipts to keep records for your support. Getting your plan managed by a third party saves a lot of time and becomes relatively easy and less accountable because you don’t really have to manage anything. However, NDIS management can lead to less flexibility and less choice or control.
How to find an NDIS plan manager?
There are certain ways in which you can find NDIS service providers such as plan managers. You can use the Provider Finder Tool on the NDIS my place participant portal to look for the best NDIS managers. Choosing a registered plan manager can bring you at peace. In order to register with the NDIA the provider has to give proof of all the required qualifications, approvals and access to support. Unlike the non-registered providers, registered ones have to comply with specific laws, guidelines and policies.
There are a few other ways in which you can get advice on choosing the right NDIS plan management provider:
- Get recommendations from your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or support coordinator.
- It is always advisable to contact your friends or family that have experience with the NDIS.
- Input your suburb name and let the search engine help you find a local provider or type on the internet “NDIS plan manager near me”.
- Reads their websites, blogs and review testimonials in order to make the right choice.
Things to consider before choosing your plan manger:
There are various businesses that provide management services, ranging from small accountancy firms, to disability service providers and specialized organization.
These are the following qualities you should look for before choosing the kind of plan manager you want:
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Trust:
You have to build trust with your plan manager in order to allow them to take care of your NDIS budget, provide you independent advice and be completely friendly while tracking the budgets.
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Expertise:
Your plan manager should have the perfect knowledge in the NDIS so as to provide you with valuable advice on how you can make the most of your NDIS funds.
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Understanding:
You need to have a plan manager that will go above and beyond to understand and support you through your NDIS journey.
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The plan manager should be transparent:
There must be transparency with your plan manager so that you can easily log in to plan management platform to see your transactions in real time.
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There should be easy communication:
The NDIS participants should be easily able to communicate with their plan manager. Ensure that the communication is seamless before choosing your plan manager.