Navigating the NDIS and its services can feel overwhelming, right? Each service offers a unique contribution to help people with disabilities to live to their full potential. Key workers and support coordinators play important roles in supporting people with disabilities with their NDIS plans. Let’s break down the differences between them and explain how they can help you or your child reach their goals.
A support coordinator helps participants aged nine years and older (in most cases) to coordinate and implement supports in their NDIS plan and participate more fully in the community. Generally, a support coordinator will:
Different levels of support coordination are available, depending on your needs, goals and circumstances. The level of support coordination funded is outlined in your NDIS plan. These levels are [1]:
Your support coordinator can help you understand when you may need a formal advocate, though they should not act as an independent disability advocate for you.
Where necessary, support coordination funding will be included in the Capacity Building Budget as a predetermined amount.
Key workers help children aged under nine years of age, and their families to implement their early childhood intervention services.
At Everyday Independence, our key workers work in child and families teams alongside therapists and practitioners to help families meet their child’s developmental needs.
A key worker acts as your family’s main point of contact for your early childhood intervention services. They take the lead in developing strategies to meet your child’s unique needs, bringing your child’s support team together, and making sure everyone’s working together to provide therapies and services at the right time to meet your child’s developmental needs.
Key workers focus on:
A key worker is responsible for bringing together a team of therapists and professionals to help a child with disabilities and/or developmental delays to live to their full potential.
At Everyday Independence, your child and family team may include:
At Everyday Independence, our key workers are degree qualified teachers with expertise in early childhood development. Their broad understanding of childhood development enables them to understand and support the unique needs of each child.
Our key worker model offers many benefits for both your child and family. These include:
Research shows that the key worker model can lead to improved outcomes for children and families, including better communication, increased satisfaction with services, and improved child and family functioning.
Key workers focus on establishing personal relationships, providing individualised support and building the skills of families to meet their child’s developmental needs.
Our child and family teams are ready to support your child and family as soon as you have your NDIS plan. Complete this form to begin your journey with Everyday Independence today!
[1] NDIS, 2021. Support Coordination. ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan/who-can-help-start-your-plan/support-coordination
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