The independent review has suggested significant modifications in support coordination. We’ve taken a deep dive into these changes because every day we hear from our participants how support coordinators have gone above and beyond to find them services that meet their needs. 

The primary goal of these changes is to streamline the service delivery by addressing the overlap in roles of planners, LACs, plan managers, and support coordinators. While this is the stated aim, many of the review submissions stressed that support coordination is highly valued by many participants, with many stressing that this function shouldn’t change.

A key proposal from the review is the transition from support coordination to a new “Navigator” role. This shift warrants attention from current support coordinators due to several critical distinctions: 

1. Role and Funding of Navigators: Navigators will operate under the guidance of the NDIA. This might involve a block funding model, differing from the current choice-driven approach for support coordinators. These models typically involve a few large organisations which we saw in the LAC tendering process. Navigation providers will be expected to have consistent policy, reporting, monitoring process.  
2. Focus on Community Services: Navigators are expected to guide participants towards utilising non-NDIS community services, a function originally associated with LACs. This change reflects a shift in the approach to support coordination, adapting to a broader perspective on participant support. 
3. Contractual Independence: The contracts for Navigators, anticipated to be akin to those for LACs, are likely to include stringent independence clauses. This could mean limitations on providers offering multiple services, ensuring a clear demarcation of roles within the system. 

While the review indicated that much of the current intermediary workforce could be redeployed, it will likely involve a substantially different role. Many of our support coordination partners started their own business to ensure that participants received a service consistent with their values. The proposed reform will likely create an environment where coordinators will likely be employed by a major not for profit, who are subject to contractual obligations that require navigation to be performed a consistent fashion. While the effect on the participant experience is unclear, it will certainly be a new environment for coordinators. 

The review emphasizes the necessity of thorough consultation and co-design with the disability community to ensure that these changes are effectively aligned with their needs.  While the total implementation horizon is thought to be 5 years, we shouldn’t be surprised if support coordination changes happen faster given their impact on the scheme. 

A major change to the type of work 

There are a lot of recommendations in the Independent Review, few of which individually will radically alter the scheme. However, taken together, some of these changes will have major implications for how participants and support coordinators work together in the scheme.  

The first two primary changes are “budgeting before planning” and “independent assessments” with their associated reference ranges. Fundamentally, these changes taken together will enable the Agency to determine someone’s funding level, without reference to their intentions or desired level of support. This may create the circumstances where navigators, rather than finding support at the level determined in the plan, will be responsible for making a participant’s budget “fit” with their desired supports. This may mean negotiating with participants and providers about what services they “really” need and potentially bargaining for subunit price rates. 

Another important change to support coordination is the creation of “foundational supports” for the scheme. Early intervention participants will largely be removed from the scheme and will transition to state funded arrangements which are unlikely to be market based. Naturally, this is a substantial deviation from the current format of assisting families to find their most suited provider. 

While this is naturally a stressful time for support coordinators and providers alike, we’ve seen across the sector the same commitment to ensuring that participants receive the best service possible. While the future is uncertain, it is clear that these changes will take time, and our important work must continue.