The NDIS Navigator Role: Demystifying the NDIS Review Recommendations

There has been immense speculation about the future of Support Coordination following the major NDIS review and proposed introduction of NDIS Navigators. We unravel what it all means and what you can do to prepare for change.

ByMary Ingerton, Managing Director at Support Coordination Academy.

What will become of Support Coordinators?

That question is still being asked following the release of the final report of the independent review into the NDIS in late 2023.

Almost 12 months since the report’s release, confusion and uncertainty continue to dominate the landscape.

Much of this uneasiness centres on the proposed introduction of various NDIS Navigator roles.

The prospect of these new roles has created apprehension among Support Coordinators and led to a growing feeling of disempowerment. It’s not helped by the speculation and misinformation that abounds.

So, let’s stick to the facts.

In this article, we thoroughly explore the NDIS review recommendations and what they mean for Support Coordinators, cutting through the speculation to summarise what we do know.

We also provide handy tips about what you can do now to prepare for change.

This is essential reading for Support Coordinators.

Timeframes for Reform

Let’s start by recapping what we know about the NDIS review recommendations…

The 2023 independent review recommended the need for an ecosystem of foundational supports to be accessible for all people with disability, including those accessing the NDIS. 

These foundational supports are designed to complement and be additional to supports already available within mainstream services.

Navigator services were recommended for all people with disability, to assist with navigation of a complex ecosystem of supports. 

Following the publishing of the review’s findings in December 2023, the recommendations were accepted by the Federal Government, in principle. 

The review recommended a five-year timeframe to design, develop, trial and transition to the new format. 

A Disability Reform Roadmap for 2024 and 2025 stated that the review recommendations were being considered by disability ministers, with a formal response due in December 2024.

The Department of Social Services engaged The Social Deck to facilitate consultation around foundational supports, starting with general supports. This consultation is expected to continue until the end of November 2024.

State and territory bodies are working with the Federal Government to develop a Foundational Supports Strategy, to detail a phased rollout approach, starting in July 2025 and continuing until July 2026. 

In the meantime, there is a clear need for consultation, design and testing before any rollout of foundational supports begins. 

Foundational Supports Recommendations

The 2023 review recommended two levels of foundational supports, including general and targeted supports.

General Supports

These are to be made available to all people with disability and their families and carers. They include:

• Information and guidance about rights and accessing services.
• Support and tools to increase capacity to connect with social networks.
• Peer supports, self-advocacy and workshops.
• Funding to build capacity within the broader community and mainstream services to be more inclusive and accessible for people with disability.
• General supports to include Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) grant funding to improve and expand on the activities that were delivered under the ILC program.

Targeted Supports

These supports are designed for people with disability under the age of 65 who have additional support needs and are not accessing or eligible for the NDIS. They include:

• Home and community support; for example, support to go shopping, domestic cleaning support, aids and equipment.
• Support for adults with psychosocial disability to build their capacity, independence and daily living skills.
• Support for families and children with emerging developmental concerns.
• Transition support for young people to help prepare them for employment and independent living.

Recommendation for NDIS Navigators

The review heard that it was challenging for people with disability and their families to navigate their way through the complex system of mainstream services.

In fact, NDIS participants found it incredibly confusing and complicated to navigate the NDIS in general. 

Currently, all NDIS participants are meant to have access to support that help them navigate the NDIS and access the supports they need to live their best lives. 

This includes access to a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or a Support Coordinator to facilitate this process. 

But due to high caseloads, LACs are unable to provide this level of support, and only participants experiencing barriers to implementing their NDIS plan have access to a Support Coordinator.

The review recommends the creation of various NDIS Navigator roles to ensure that all people can access a Navigator based on a person’s unique situation and their assessed need for support. 

It was also recommended that providers offering a Navigator service need to meet the following criteria:

• Are based locally and have strong local community connections and knowledge.
• Are an independent service provider.
• Have a person-centred focus, and the service is directed by people with disability, not the NDIS.
• Navigators are available for all people with disability, as well as those eligible for the NDIS, based on a person’s assessed need for support.
• Navigator positions are to be funded outside of a participant’s NDIS plan and co-funded when there are intersections with mainstream services.
• Navigators will need to be registered providers.

In addition, recommendations were made for the development of practice guidelines, access to specialised training and that people offering a Navigator service will need to have the right skills and experience to be able to offer these services. 

As shown in the diagram, below, a range of NDIS Navigator roles were recommended.

These range from general assistance and self-service for those who require or want only a limited amount of support, through to a more intensive and specialised level of support. 

Pathway to Access the NDIS

The review also recommended that the pathway for people with disability to access the NDIS needs to change. 

Support Coordinator to Navigator

It is recommended that the Support Coordinator role transition into a Navigator role to provide additional support to those participants who have complex support needs to assist them to implement and manage their NDIS plan.

The recommendations are for:

• Smaller caseloads (1:24 caseload with an average of five hours per month per participant).
• Skills in person-centred planning to assist a participant to determine and plan how they want to achieve their goals and implement their NDIS plan.
• Assistance in coordinating and connecting with foundational, community and mainstream supports, as well as utilising individualised NDIS funding to access tailored supports that address the functional impact of a person’s impairment.
• Develop action plans based on the outcome of the Needs Assessment – provided with consent from a participant – to clearly detail and evidence how a participant is being assisted to access the supports they need, and outcomes achieved.
• Build strong community connections through collaborative working relationships with mainstream services, community organisations and foundational supports.
• Schedule regular check-ins to review progress and support needs.
• Report on progress and evidence-based outcomes achieved.
• Where risks or issues are identified, the Navigator should have tools for mitigation and a clear escalation pathway to the NDIA where mitigation strategies and safeguards have not been effective.

Specialist Support Coordinators to Specialist Navigators

The review also recommended that a Specialist Support Coordinator transition into a Specialist Navigator role to provide more intensive support to those participants who are connected with multiple mainstream services and have high complexity and risk in their support needs.

The recommendations are for:

• Specialist Navigators to have a higher level of skill, experience and qualifications to provide this role.
• Will provide a more intensive and higher level of support, utilising a complex case management responsibility framework to clarify the roles and accountabilities of NDIA staff, mainstream service staff and Specialist Navigator roles.
• A coordinated, joint-planning and funding-focus approach across complex mainstream settings, including justice, health, mental health and child protection interfaces in each jurisdiction.
• Develop a panel of decision makers, including Specialist Navigators, key mainstream agency workers and key NDIA (complex support needs team) workers to ensure system coordination to address complex support needs.
• Develop agreed approaches to creating Communities of Practice and implementing enhanced and consistent data collection and research to drive improvements over time.

Additional NDIS Navigator Service Offerings

The review identified that there needs to be more specialisation in Navigator service offerings to meet the highly complex support needs of people with disability. These roles will sit within the general and specialist streams.

Housing and Living Navigators

These Navigators will support participants with housing and living needs. Key points to consider include:

• They will require a strong understanding of best practice and innovative approaches to housing and living.
• This is to ensure participants have choice and control over how and where they want to live, and they have a greater opportunity to be part of the community and live their best lives.
• This includes ensuring providers of housing (SDA or group homes) are not the same provider of daily living supports (known as SIL).

Psychosocial Recovery Navigators

This group of Navigators will support people with psychosocial disabilities, including those with high and complex support needs:

• They will provide a recovery-enabling and coordinated support model to ensure the person is supported in a seamless way.
• They will require expertise in mental health to build capacity in young people and adults.
• It is recommended that new standards are developed for best practice for providers around the skills, experience and expertise required to support people with severe and complex mental health conditions.
• A co-funded and co-commissioned initiative between the NDIS and public mental health systems for participants with complex support needs and active mental health-management issues is also recommended.

Lead Practitioners

These key workers will support children and families through an early intervention approach for children with emerging developmental concerns and disability:

• Lead Practitioners will have a family-centred and empowerment focus to build a supportive team around the child and family.
• The aim is to provide a transdisciplinary approach with a breadth of disciplines to support the Lead Practitioner and prevent a fragmented approach to service delivery, contracting and funding.
• This includes navigating education and other mainstream service systems to ensure there is a collaborative and joint planning approach to support the family.
• Need to use a range of approaches, including working directly with the child and family or involving them in group sessions or workshops with other children and families – all to be aligned with best-practice principles.
• Sharing of information and resources across a Communities of Practice network.

How to Prepare for the Proposed Changes

Support Coordination Academy speaks with Support Coordination providers daily – and it is clear that the overwhelming theme among this community is a feeling of uncertainty.

Numerous decisions, often beyond their control, significantly affect their businesses, leading to fatigue from the constant changes and unpredictability. Providers are overwhelmed.

It means now is the time to concentrate on regaining some influence and control. Here are two key areas to focus on:

Professional Development

This is an opportunity to start thinking about where you want to position yourself in the future. 

The recommended changes to NDIS Navigator roles would require a more skilled and experienced workforce. Consider the following:

• What skills and experience may you need?
• Where are the gaps in your skills and experience?

Create a plan of how you will attain these skills and experience, e.g., access training, find a mentor or apply for roles that will help you develop these skills.

Stay Informed

There is sure to be a lot of change happening over the next couple of years, so it is imperative that you keep up to date with how these changes will impact your business and/or your role. Start by:

• Joining the National Disability Services (NDS), the peak body for disability providers nationwide. It provides regular updates and information about sector reforms.
• Sign up for email updates from the Department of Social Services to stay informed about upcoming consultations. Actively participate to make sure your voice is heard in the design and implementation of the recommended NDIS reforms.
• Critically evaluate what you see in social media forums. There’s a lot of misinformation circulating in the sector, with many making assumptions about the future.
• Take time to ask others where they source their information and request evidence for their claims. Commit to doing your own research to stay informed.

Need More Information?

Clearly, this is a critically important and highly complex topic. If you have any questions about it or require other assistance as a Support Coordinator, contact us today.

To help you build your skills, Endeavour Foundation has partnered with Support Coordination Academy to offer free online professional learning sessions for Support Coordinators.

To register your interest in future webinars, sign up below.

Support Coordination Academy provides essential training and resources for Support Coordinators across Australia.