What the latest NDIS price guide changes could mean for you

The NDIS price guide is a tricky document to wrap your head around at the best of times and a number of recent changes has made that even trickier! We have waded through the pages of the price guide and put together information on what the latest changes might mean for you.

Changes to the NDIS price guide may not sound like much, but it’s actually a huge deal. The NDIS price guide is essentially a catalogue of NDIS services. It sets the price that the disability support sector follows. When these prices change, it can impact your plan. Most of these changes will happen after your next plan review and you will get lots of personalised information and support to help you navigate them.

It’s also important to know that a support coordinator lives and breathes the price guide. If you have one, it can be a good idea to talk about these changes with them directly.

If you have a question for us, please don’t hesitate to reach out – head along to our contact us page for all the ways you can get in touch.

While these changes are quite big, our goal is always to make the transition to the new model as smooth and pain-free as possible for you.

NDIS price guide changes to group supports

In a nutshell

There will be a new approach to group supports. While it’s a big change for providers like us, it’s not actually going to be that different for the people who use these services. It’s simply a change in the way the charges are calculated. This has been done to better reflect people’s individual support needs. Also, the cost of things has been broken down a bit more which will make statements from us more detailed.

In more detail

Back in June, the NDIA announced that they were changing the way providers will charge for group supports under the NDIS (our Endeavour Foundation Learning & Lifestyle hubs are generally classified as ‘group supports’ in NDIS-speak).

Your provider will work with you to create a quote for your next plan review based on your needs as an individual. In the past, it’s been a fixed ratio. Now, it is moving to a system where people are paying for the amount of support they receive in a group setting.

The NDIS also introduced a new line item called Capital Centre Costs. Essentially, it’s a new charge for people who attend a physical space for support. It’s a small hourly rate which will helps providers maintain their facilities. This charge will come out of your core budget and will show up on your statement as a separate line item.

Another change is the way providers will charge for non-face to face supports. This is essentially the research, coordinating, planning and documenting that helps us make sure you are getting the most appropriate supports. Non-face to face supports have always been claimable but it’s just been something that was previously built into the hourly rate. Under these new changes, it has been separated into its own line item and will come out of your core budget. 

What this means if you’re one of our Learning and Lifestyle customers

• You will be consulted before any changes are made. The changes will happen after you have had a plan review. We will go through all the changes with you individually and help you through the process.
• Under the new model your charges will be calculated based on a 1:1 or group-based ratio, meaning you will be charged for the portion of the group based supports you receive.
• There is a new non-face to face supports line item that will appear on your statement: Non-face to face supports used to be built into the hourly rate of support. Now, they have moved to their own line item. These supports will show up on your statement as a different charge and will come out of your core funding.
• Existing funding arrangements will remain in place until your next NDIS plan review. You do not need to do anything until then. If you have recently received a new plan, we will be in touch to discuss what this means for you on an individual level.

Interested in joining a learning and lifestyle hub?

A Learning and Lifestyle hub is where your goals come alive. Under the new funding, it’s going to be even more individualised and tailored to you.

Visit our Learning and Lifestyle page to see if we have a centre near you. Places can be limited.

NDIS price guide changes to Supported Independent Living (SIL)

In a nutshell

Essentially, there’s going to be more choice, more control and more detailed statements from your provider.

The quote system is out, with the industry now looking at doing what’s called a Roster of Care (RoC).

In more detail

Supported Independent Living (SIL) has been a notoriously difficult to navigate in the past. The latest price guide changes look like they might have make it a little easier for those with SIL funding in their plans.

Previously, because SIL funding worked differently to most other NDIS funding there was a lot of negotiating and quoting happening. Now, this will be replaced by a set of price limits for SIL support.

Providers like us will work with you to put together a Roster of Care (RoC) using the new price limits. It will show the NDIA what supports should be included in your plan. Then your provider will submit the RoC to the NDIA for them to have a look at.

Before a plan with SIL is approved the NDIA will make sure that you have seen the RoC and have had the opportunity to provide your input.

What this means if you receive Supported Independent Living (SIL) supports from us

• You will be consulted before any changes are made.
• We will work with you to discuss your current and ongoing supports. If things are ok as they are, we’ll ask you to sign an agreement that keeps that same supports in place. If changes are needed, we’ll work with you on a new Roster of Care.
• After we’ve discussed your support needs with you and we get a new agreement in place, your statement is going to look a little different. Rather than just seeing one charge, it will be broken down into a number of charges. Depending on what supports we’ve discussed, this may change the weekly price. Overall it will mean more transparency for you over what you’re being charged. But don’t worry, we’ll discuss all of this with you before it happens.

What this means if you’re looking to move in to a Supported Independent Living (SIL) house

We are hoping that the new changes makes the process of moving in to a home easier.

In the past, finding a SIL property has been challenging because there have been so few properties, and by making the process more straightforward we are hoping that it will bring more SIL properties on the market.

We’ve recently expanded the number of homes we operate and have some brand new vacancies - to see if there is something near you, head along to our Supported Independent Living page.

NDIS price guide changes to supported employment

In a nutshell

Your next NDIS plan will have money to pay for your supports at work called “Supports in Employment” and the money will be in your core budget.

The changes better balance your specific employment support needs when at work with your employment goals. This will provide you with more choice and flexibility on how you use your supports at work.

Support and funding will be different for every supported employee and will be based on the type of support needed to be able to do your job and whether this is done in a 1:1 situation or as group-based supports.

In more detail

Before, your work supports were called “Assistance in Specialised Supported Employment” and paid for from your capacity building budget. Now, your work supports are called Supports in Employment and are paid for from your core budget, making it more flexible.

The funding in your new plan will be allocated based on your regular and routine pattern of supports. We will provide you with this information to help you discuss this with your NDIA planner at your next plan meeting. This document will be called the Pattern of Support statement.

Your Pattern of Supports statement will include face to face and non-face to face support costs. Face to face support costs are provided to you directly as a one-to-one (1:1) support or as a group-based support depending on the support, your level of need and the frequency of that support. Non-face to face support costs are back-office administration and reporting activities that relate to your employment. Previously, these supports were integrated into the hourly rate. However, they are now a separate line item.

Group-based supports are shared under the new model and you will be charged for the portion of the group based supports you receive.

The NDIS introduced a new line item called Capital Centre Costs for buildings and equipment costs specific to the needs of people with disability, such as accessible bathrooms and kitchens. The funding helps us maintain the workplace and is calculated based on the number of hours you are contracted to work. It is funding in addition to your face to face and non-face to face supports.

What this means for you if you’re an Endeavour Foundation Supported Employee:

• Existing funding arrangements remain in place until your next NDIS plan review. You do not need to do anything until then. If you have recently received a new plan, we will be in touch to discuss how your charges will appear on your statement.
• Before your next NDIS plan review meeting, we will discuss your support needs and employment goals and help you prepare the right information for the NDIS.
• Once your plan is approved, you will need to allocate the right amount of money from your Core budget for us to support you at work.

What this means if having a job is one of your NDIS goals

The flexibility of the funding is great news for people with disability who are wanting a job, but haven’t found the right fit. It will mean that you can be more creative with how you achieve this, and you can personalise your support further.

If you’re in this boat, we are regularly advertising positions for people with intellectual disability. You can find out more on our supported employment page.