What to expect at your first Planning Meeting

Following on from our prior piece ‘Top Tips to help you prepare for your first NDIS Planning Meeting’, we thought a piece on what to actually expect within your first Planning Meeting was a logical follow on.

So, what actually happens within your NDIS Planning Meeting, and what can you expect them ask you?

The Planning Meeting will take between 1 and 2 hours. During your Planning Meeting, the Meeting Planner will ask a host of questions to help them determine the level of funding and support required for you to achieve your goals. So, let’s dive in.

What should you expect?

They will ask demographical information about you, and who you are

Your personal details, name, age, address and about your primary disability and questions along these lines.

They will enquire as to the supports, both formal and informal, that you are currently receiving

Your informal, community and mainstream supports, including activities or help you get from family members, friends, and the local community (these supports will be mentioned in your plan, but you won’t receive funding for them).

They will ask you what type of supports you are looking to receive through your NDIS Plan

How you manage your everyday activities, and the type of supports, services, equipment, accommodation or help you may need in your home or to get out and about. Additionally, activities or tasks which you need help to do independently and/or safely. This can include anything you do on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.

What supports and services are you likely to need to overcome the effect of your disability so you can do these activities and achieve your goals?

They will ask you what your Short-Term and Long-Term goals are

Your goals for the next 12 (or more) months and what you want to achieve. Keep your goals broad so you maximise the range of services and supports you might get to help you meet them.

They will ask you for Reports and Supporting Documentation from practitioners and medical professionals about your disability and personal circumstances

The Meeting Planner will ask for evidence to support any requests you make for supports to achieve your goals. Hence, have your reports from therapists (such as Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Psychologists, Physiotherapists) that outline the functional impact of the disability and what specific activities or tasks will be tackled to help you achieve your goals. If you think you need changes to your home or your vehicle or for specific aids and equipment, then try and make sure your allied health specialist includes these and demonstrates how they would help you achieve your goals.

They will ask you how you want your Plan to be managed

Aka who will process your bills and invoices? You can either be Self Managed, Agency Managed, or Plan Managed. Check out our article ‘Top Tips to help you prepare for your first NDIS Planning Meeting to understand the benefits and differing features to these three options. Maple Community Service recommends you consider Plan Management as an option as it provides you with greater flexibility to use both registered and unregistered providers, and you don’t have the hassle of paperwork or separate bank accounts. Plus, it costs you nothing.

They will ask you to complete a short Disability Questionnaire

The last 15 minutes or so of the meeting will include a questionnaire on how easy or hard you find certain activities and tasks. The way you answer these questions will most likely influence how much funded support you receive in your plan, so be sure to be accurate and draw attention to any assistance or difficulties you have experienced within these areas.

Cognition – understanding and communicating

• Mobility – moving and getting around
• Self-care – hygiene, dressing, eating, and staying alone
• Getting along – interacting with other people
• Life activities – domestic responsibilities, leisure, and work
• Participation – joining in community activities

Maple Community Services NDIS Plan Assistance

If you have any questions around what is an NDIS Plan, or would purely like to chat to a Maple Community Services representative around the role we play in assisting you with your Plan Management needs, please get in touch with us today.