(Blog) NDIS Support and Services 101 - Key Concepts and Terms

As newly registered NDIS providers, it’s crucial to understand the key concepts surrounding how an NDIS service is categorised. This will allow you to discuss with your participants how they can spend their support budgets and receive payments for the delivered support.

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NDIS Support and Services 101

NDIS Support Items

An NDIS support item is a specific service or assistance you provide a participant. It can be classified as one of the support items listed in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and in the NDIS Support Catalogue. If a plan manager manages the funding, they will assist participants in choosing the right items that accurately represent the service needed.

As a provider, you should claim payments for your service by linking it to the appropriate support item. Ensure the service qualifies for payment and fits within the relevant price range.

Each support item has a unique reference number (a.k.a line item number) according to the following structure:

Support Category > Sequence Number > Registration Group > Outcome Domain > Support Purpose

Here is a breakdown of a particular support item:

01_013_0107_1_1 - Assistance with Self-Care Activities - Standard - Saturday

NDIS Support Purposes

NDIS participant budgets are divided into three distinct support purposes:

CORE: to support participants in carrying out their everyday activities. While participants enjoy the flexibility in choosing specific core supports, it's important to note that this funding cannot be redirected to other purposes like capital or capacity-building supports.
CAPITAL: for investments, such as assistive technologies, equipment, home or vehicle modifications, and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). Budgets for this support category are limited to specific items outlined in the participant's plan.
CAPACITY BUILDING: to support participants in enhancing their independence and skills, contributing to their overall development.

Outcome Domains

Under the NDIS Outcome Framework, there are eight areas, called Outcome Domains, that guide participants in setting goals across various aspects of their lives.

These domains also help planners assess existing supports and identify where additional assistance is needed.

The domains include:

Daily Living
Home
Health and Wellbeing
Lifelong Learning
Work
Social and Community Participation
Relationships
Choice and Control

It's important to note that all supports and services for NDIS participants must align with their individual goals outlined in the participant's plan. The Support Purposes match the Outcome Framework and its 15 Support Categories.

The Support Purposes match the Outcome Framework and its 15 NDIS Support Categories.

This classification allows participants to select the NDIS support that aligns with their goals and helps you understand how your services contribute to achieving these goals.

Registration Groups

Each NDIS support item specifies the Registration Group for which you are registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

There are currently 36 Registration Groups.

General Registration Groups:

0101: Accommodation / Tenancy Assistance
0102: Assistance to Access and Maintain Employment or Higher Education
0104: High Intensity Daily Personal Activities
0106: Assistance in Coordinating or Managing Life Stages, Transitions And Supports
0107: Daily Personal Activities
0108: Assistance with Travel/Transport Arrangements
0115: Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in a Group or Shared Living Arrangement
0116: Innovative Community Participation
0117: Development of Daily Living and Life Skills
0120: Household Tasks
0125: Participation in Community, Social and Civic Activities
0127: Management of Funding for Supports in Participants' Plans
0129: Specialised Driver Training
0130: Assistance Animals
0131: Specialised Disability Accommodation
0133: Specialised Supported Employment
0136: Group and Centre Based Activities

Professional Registration Groups:

0110: Specialist Positive Behaviour Support
0114: Community Nursing Care
0118: Early Intervention Supports for Early Childhood
0119: Specialised Hearing Services
0121: Interpreting and Translation
0126: Exercise Physiology and Personal Training
0128: Therapeutic Supports
0132: Specialised Support Coordination
0134: Hearing Services
0135: Customised Prosthetics

Home and Vehicle Modification Registration Groups:

0109: Vehicle Modifications
0111: Home Modifications

Assistive Technology and Equipment Registration Groups

0103: Assistive Products for Personal Care and Safety
0105: Personal Mobility Equipment
0112: Assistive Equipment for Recreation
0113: Vision Equipment
0122: Hearing Equipment
0123: Assistive Products for Household Tasks
0124: Communication and Information Equipment

Sequence Number

A sequence number makes a particular service unique. Although some logic may be behind specific sequence numbers (e.g., 799 for Provider Travel), the NDIA often uses them inconsistently. Therefore, we don’t recommend relying on Sequence Numbers for a consistent meaning across the entire catalogue.

Units of Measure (UOM)

The NDIS payment system uses different Units of Measure (UOM) for support items, including Each, Hour, Daily, Week, Month, and Annual.

When recording claims for a support item, use the correct UOM associated with that support item.

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Analogy of NDIS Support Item

Think of sorting out an NDIS Support Item like ordering a dish from a menu.

Your main support purpose is divided into sections like entree, main course, and dessert. Each section has support categories, such as vegetarian and seafood, grouping similar services. Within each subcategory, you find the specific service - the chicken parmi you order from the chicken category of the main course section.

Remember that the NDIS budget is allocated to the three different Support Purposes, meaning that if you're given a certain amount for 'main courses,' you can't spend it on 'dessert.'

The registration group you initially chose on your application covers your broad skills. In our restaurant analogy, it’s like a chef at a restaurant who is skilled in Thai cooking. This means they can prepare anything from Thai entrees to Thai desserts.

Now that you grasp NDIS categories better let's see how Comm.care helps you get started.

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Manage NDIS Services on Comm.care

Comm.care is the care management software that allows service providers streamline operation and deliver better care at scales.

After signing up Comm.care, service providers need to set up Organisation's services. Under your Organisation’s services, you will need to list all of the individual NDIS support items that make up what you offer and loosely group them by category and registration group within Comm.care.

To do this, first, locate the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits for your location and use it to group your approved services by support category so that clients can map your services to their budget.

When choosing your naming conventions, make them simple and self-explanatory, referencing the appropriate category to ensure your invoices list your services clearly for clients.

Explore our tutorial here to learn more about adding services to your organisation on Comm.care.