It takes a village: Involving friends and family in NDIS planning.
Building an engaged support crew around an NDIS participant is one of the best ways to make sure they get the help they need.
Helping participants get the most from their NDIS funding is about more than putting in place the right services. Getting a great outcome starts with involving friends and family in the planning process.
When important people in the participant’s support network are involved in nutting out great outcomes for their loved one, participants feel more supported, which enhances their overall wellbeing. It also helps members of the support network understand how they can best help to care for the participant.
Let’s take Nadine, she used to attend her yoga centre once a week, but after being diagnosed with a disability, she started feeling anxious and isolated, which made her reluctant to leave home. Her lack of confidence prevented her from going out alone, which further worsened her situation. However, by discussing her concerns with her NDIS support coordinator, they were able to come up with a solution. They arranged for Nadine's sister to accompany her to the yoga centre until she felt confident enough to go alone. This is an excellent example of how NDIS assistance can work in conjunction with other support systems to achieve a positive outcome for the individual.
It’s a process
There are many ways to engage an NDIS participant’s friends and family when planning their care. What’s important is to ask your participant and their team about the nature and scope of the help they can give and involve them in the journey. Here are some ideas you can try.
Ask the participant about the help they want from their network and check in with the support team about the realistic help they can provide. This develops shared expectations.
With everyone’s permission, set up an NDIS WhatsApp group chat with the participant and their support crew as a central place where everyone can communicate.
Outside the chat, build one-on-one relationships with the support crew so they feel free to talk to you about any ideas they have or if they need to make any changes to the support they offer.
Regularly check in with the support team to make sure they are still able to help the participant in ways that were agreed initially. People’s circumstances change. So, it’s useful to liaise with the participant’s support team from time to time to make sure the situation still suits everyone.
Take Charge Assessment and Therapy provides allied health assessments and therapy services at home and in the community. Talk to us today to find out more about how we help our support coordinators achieve their potential and meet participant needs.