Choice and Control - Negotiating quality NDIS supports.
As an NDIS services user, our family is often overwhelmed by the choice of providers.
It now seems NDIS services are popping up everywhere and it can be difficult to know who to hire.
Living with a disability, we find we have our routines and structures in place to help life flow. Part of being able to access the community or do life more independently for us has been finding the right providers who are a good fit. When we have gotten this match correct, we have thrived as a family and our quality of life has improved greatly. However when we have been let down, it has been so detrimental to us functioning well and led to a flare up of symptoms. Part of our struggle has been accessing supports who can deliver on what they promise.
As participants in the NDIS, we can exercise choice and control to shop around and use the provider which best meets our needs under the NDIS guidelines.
Some tips I have found helpful in selecting the provider who is the correct fit for us have included:
Checking if the provider has not just knowledge of, but experience working with your specific disability. Given the market is so flooded with choice it’s likely there will be providers who specialise in your disability. This can save you time explaining the basics of your disability and will hopefully lead to better tailored services from a provider.
Ask questions about how the provider has supported other people with your disability. This will be a good way to gauge if they have knowledge and expertise to provide the services you need. For example, you may need a Support Worker who has experience with behaviours of concern. You could ask for examples of how the support team have managed behaviours of concern on shift or strategies they have previously used to de-escalate a person who is triggered.
Look at timeframes for follow up from your existing provider. If you ask a question and have no response for a week, perhaps you should look at alternative options. If you are told by a provider they will follow through with an action and this doesn’t happen, think about exploring other options. While I understand the lack of follow through as a once off, when this becomes a pattern it may be time to find someone else.
Look for providers who are transparent and communicate openly with you. What services are they providing? How is this being billed? On request you should be able to obtain a summary of services you are being billed for and dispute any payments you have not agreed to in writing (i.e: via a Service Agreement). If a provider mis-uses the funds you have been allocated, this impacts you accessing services needed in the future. You only should ever be billed AFTER the service has been provided to you.
Check you feel comfortable with the person delegated to provide you the service. Do you click? Can you be your authentic self with them? I look for unconditional positive regard when receiving services, this is where we feel respected, valued and not judged by our provider. It’s always OK to tell a provider you need a change if it’s not the correct personality match. This is especially important when it comes to services you will access repetitively such as Counselling or a Support Worker.
Do a reference check online. What do the google reviews say about the provider? Have people in Disability Support Groups worked with this provider and had a positive experience? Do they have good Facebook ratings? This can be a good way to weed out businesses who may over promise and under deliver. Sometimes other providers have great relationships with consistently good providers and they may have suggestions. For example, ask your allied health team if they know of any great Support Workers to implement their suggestions with you.
Lastly, ask your Support Coordinator to research options for you. They should come back with three tailored options based on your ‘wish list’ of what you are looking for in a provider.
I hope these suggestions have been helpful and empower you to exercise your ‘choice and control’. Improving access to tailored services goes a long way to achieving your NDIS goals.
If you need assistance to access Support Coordination or would like to change Coordinators please contact me here.
