Specialist support coordination: what it is and how to check a coordinator

Some NDIS plans sit inside a wider set of appointments and agencies. Specialist support coordination is level 3, the third of three levels of NDIS support coordination, for situations like these. The NDIS Guide to working as a support coordinator says: "A specialist support coordinator provides a higher level of support to participants whose situations are more complex." For NDIS participants and families in Melbourne, the useful next question is how to check a specialist coordinator before you sign.

What does a specialist support coordinator do?

A specialist support coordinator brings several systems into one plan and works on what is blocking access to supports. The NDIS Guide to working as a support coordinator lists two parts of the role. The coordinator helps a participant:

• "address complex barriers that affect their access to supports"
• "design a service plan for their support needs, where appropriate."

Coordinating across systems can involve, for example:

• a hospital stay that needs supports in place at home before discharge
• a change of housing that affects every provider in the plan
• contact with the justice system alongside disability supports
• school or study arrangements that sit beside an NDIS plan.

In practice the work suits participants coordinating supports across health, housing, justice or education.

How is a specialist support coordinator different from a support coordinator?

A specialist support coordinator works at level 3 of the three levels of support coordination the NDIS sets out. The NDIS Guide to working as a support coordinator states: "There are 3 levels of support coordination that can be included in a participant’s plan, depending on their circumstances." The same page describes the third as "A high level of support for participants with complex needs and who need specialist support."

The level has to be in the plan first. The guide is direct about it: "Level 3 specialist support coordination needs to be included in a participant’s plan to deliver this level of service." Some providers call it specialised support coordination. For the general role at the other two levels, read what an NDIS support coordinator does.

What qualifications should a specialist support coordinator have?

A specialist support coordinator should have the qualifications and the experience to match the complexity of your situation. The same NDIS guide puts it this way: "A specialist support coordinator should be appropriately qualified and experienced to deliver the expert approach needed to address a participant’s complex support needs and risks in their environment."

That sentence gives you two things to ask about. Ask what qualifications the coordinator holds. Then ask about experience with situations like yours, system by system. If housing or justice is part of your situation, ask what the coordinator has done in that system before, and how recently.

How to check a specialist support coordinator

Take these checks to the first conversation. Each one has a clear answer you can hold the coordinator to.

• Is level 3 in your plan? Read the support coordination line in your plan. If it is unclear, ask your NDIA planner. The NDIS page How to find a support coordinator says: "Your NDIA planner will talk to you about which level of support coordination is right for you."
• Are they registered for level 3? Search the NDIS provider finder under the support coordination registration group, and check their name appears.
• Who will do the work? Ask for the name of the person you will deal with each week. The same NDIS page suggests asking: "Who is the person you’ll likely speak to or work with?"
• Which systems have they worked across? Ask for a recent example in health, housing, justice or education that looks like yours. A coordinator with that experience can describe the steps they took.
• How will they report progress? Ask how often you will hear about progress on your goals, and in what form. Coordinators report to the NDIA as well. The NDIS Guide to working as a support coordinator tells them: "You also provide regular progress reports to let us know if a participant’s plan is meeting their needs."
• What happens when something changes suddenly? Ask how they respond, and who you contact if your coordinator is away.
• Can you change later? Yes. The NDIS page How to find a support coordinator says: "You can change your support coordinator at any time."

For support coordinators and plan managers

List each system involved at referral, and the plan goal each one connects to. The first conversation then starts from the map of the case. Name the other professionals involved, such as a treating team, a housing worker or a caseworker, and agree how progress will be reviewed against each goal. Where psychosocial disability is part of the picture, read how a psychosocial recovery coach works before the referral.

Next steps with Selective Support

Selective Support is a registered NDIS provider. We start with your whole situation. We work Victoria-wide and know the local service network.

Your specialist support coordinator coordinates multiple providers and systems, including disability, health, housing, education, and justice services. We hold to three things:

• Your goals, safety and choices at the centre
• Supports informed, empowered decision-making
• Stability and continuity, so you're not starting over every few months.

Participants describe our support as above and beyond. One family put it this way in a Google review: "…of the highest grade, the most supportive we have had above and beyond in a long time."

Read more about specialist support coordination in Melbourne, or book your free chat.