The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) want to make sure that people under 65 with permanent and significant disabilities and complex support needs can get the support and services they need.
You might find this section of the website helpful if
- you are a person with disability (or a family member) and you have funding for capacity building or capital supports in your (or a family member’s) NDIS plan
- you are wanting to choose allied health professionals to support you (or a family member) do the things you want to do.
In this section of the website you will find information about
- the types of Capacity Building and Capital supports you have in your NDIS plan to help you (or a family member) do the things you want
- choosing allied health professionals to help you (or a family member) do the things you want
- making a service agreement with an allied health professional
- checking an allied health professional is meeting your (or a family member’s) support needs.
What Capacity Building and Capital Supports do you have funding for in your NDIS plan?
In your NDIS plan you will have some goals of what you want to achieve, develop or learn.
If you need any help understanding your plan, you will find the NDIS contact details on the front page of your plan.
There is a checklist you can use to think about the types of Capacity Building and Capital Supports you have in your NDIS plan to help you do the things you want.
Watch this video to hear about how Chris, an NDIS participant, has used this checklist to consider the capacity building and capital supports he has funding for in his NDIS plan.
Choosing who you get supports from
The next step is to think about who will provide the supports to you (or your family member).
In your NDIS plan there is a section ‘How will I be supported?’ This will help you understand who will support you with your goals.
You (or your family member) might need support from one or more allied health professionals.
Shopping around to find the right allied health professional is important, but it might not be easy.
How to find allied health professionals
You might decide to find allied health professionals
- by yourself
- with your family
- with a friend
- with an advocate or carer
- with a support co-ordinator
- with your local GP or treating medical team.
You could ask people you know to tell you about allied health professionals they know.
You can look at the Allied health Professionals section of the website which has a list of allied health professionals, and information about
- How they can help you
- When you should see them
- What services they provide
- Links to allied health professional websites.
Working out what you need
When you have a list of potential allied health professionals, you can find out more about them by visiting their websites.
You might decide to do this
- by yourself
- with your family
- with a friend
- with an advocate or carer
- with a support co-ordinator.
Important questions you should ask
There are some important questions you might ask an allied health professional. We have included some of them below. We also have a checklist you can use to help you think about what you want from an allied health professional, and what is important to you.
You can download the checklist here:
It can be hard asking questions. It might help to have someone with you.
Can you provide the supports I need?
Most importantly, you need to choose an allied health professional that has the skillset you need for your support needs and stage of life.
Not all allied health professionals work with people with disabilities and complex support needs.
You should ask if they have experience working with people in your age group.
You should also ask if they are able to provide the support you want.
You can use the checklist of what you have funding for in your NDIS plan to tell them what support you want.
You might also want to ask the allied health professional other questions about their experience that is important to you. For example, whether they have experience working with
- Aboriginal people with disability
- People with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- LGBTIQ+ people with disabilities.
You might also want to check that the allied health professional is able to communicate with you in a way that you will understand. For example,
- Sign language
- Can communicate in languages other than English.
Do you work in my location?
You will need to check that the allied health professional works in the suburb or town where you live.
How quickly do you want to see an allied health professional?
Think about when you want to go and see them.
You should check how long you will need to wait before you can get an appointment to see them.
How and where do you want to see an allied health professional?
Think about how and where you want to see an allied health professional.
There are some allied health professionals who will travel to you. For example, to your
- home
- place of study
- place of work.
There are some allied health professionals who provide support using telehealth.
Telehealth is a way you can have an appointment over the phone or by video. You can see each other on a screen if you are using video.
Some allied health professionals work in private practice, hospitals, schools, disability organisations or community services.
If you want or need to travel to an allied health professional you might want to check that it will be easy for you to travel to them. For example, do you need an allied health professional that is near buses, trams and trains?
You might also want to check that the building is accessible. For example, do you need accessible parking, ramps, lifts, tactile and audible signals, different colours between walls and floors, or anything else?
Other questions you might want to ask when calling to book an appointment
There might be other questions you want to ask when calling to book an appointment to see an allied health professional.
You can use the checklist to think about other things that are important to you.
This will help you to check the allied health professional can meet your needs.
A man or a woman allied health professional
It is important to feel OK with the people who provide supports to you.
This might mean choosing to see a man or a woman allied health professional.
The age of the allied health professional
It is important to feel OK with the people who provide supports to you.
This might mean choosing to see an allied health professional who is a similar age to you, or you might prefer to see someone who is younger or older than you.
Allied health professionals who work together in the same location
Think about how many allied health professionals you need support from.
Allied health professionals’ work together as a team. Sometimes, they might work in the same location and through the same service.
This might be helpful if each of the allied health professionals have the skills that you are seeking.
This could help with communication between the allied health professionals you work with.
If you are travelling into a service, this might also be helpful if you would like to see each allied health professional in the same location on the same day.
Are you a registered NDIS provider?
If your NDIS plan is NDIA-managed you can only use NDIS registered providers.
If the allied health professional is registered with the NDIS they will be called a ‘NDIS registered provider’.
If you self-manage your NDIS plan, or have a Plan Manager to manage your NDIS plan, you can choose an allied health professional who is NDIS registered or one who is a not a NDIS registered provider.
How much will it cost for you to provide support to me?
You will need to check the allied health prices are consistent with the NDIS pricing guide, and you have enough money in your NDIS plan to pay them.
You can download the price guide here.
This is a very complex document, but you could ask for support to read the price guide from
- your family
- a friend
- an advocate or carer
- a support co-ordinator.
If you want the allied health professional to come to you should check how much it will cost for them to travel to you.
You should also check if there are any other costs you need to know about. For example, if you have to cancel an appointment.
Anything else?
Think about if there is anything else that is important to you.
There is space on the checklist for you to write any other questions you want to ask.
Watch this video to hear about how Chris, an NDIS participant, has used this checklist to consider the questions he would like to ask when calling to book an appointment with a new allied health professional.
