The three levels of support coordination explained

If you have support coordination in your NDIS plan, you might have noticed that the NDIS funds support coordination at three levels, each suited to different needs. 

At every level, the participant remains at the centre. Support coordination is about working alongside you, not making decisions for you or simply organising services around you. It’s about helping you understand your plan, communicate what matters to you, explore your options and make informed decisions about your life and supports. 

A key part of this is making NDIS information and processes easier to understand. This might mean explaining information in plain language, breaking it into smaller steps or using visual or other accessible ways to communicate. 

Support coordination can also help bring together your support network, including NDIS providers, mainstream services, community organisations, family, friends and other informal supports. The aim is to help everyone understand their role and work together around your goals, preferences and choices. 

Across all three levels, the goal is to build your capacity, confidence and independence. The type and amount of assistance varies, but you should be supported to understand your options, exercise choice and control, communicate your needs and increasingly direct your own supports. 

Here’s what each level involves. 

Level 1: Support Connection

Support Connection is the most basic level of support coordination. It’s focused on helping you connect with supports and build your ability to manage them yourself. 

A Support Connector can help you: 

• Understand what’s in your NDIS plan 

• Understand your options 

• Connect with providers and services 

• Set up your initial supports 

• Build confidence and skills to manage your supports 

The aim is to help you take an active role in directing your own supports. This level suits participants who need some help getting started but are largely able to manage their supports once they’re set up. 

Level 2: Support Coordination

Support Coordination provides more hands-on, ongoing support. A Support Coordinator works with you to: 

• Understand your NDIS plan and funding 

• Identify and connect with suitable providers and services 

• Work through barriers such as waitlists or gaps in support 

• Coordinate your different supports 

• Understand information, consider options and make informed decisions 

• Build your skills and confidence to manage supports more independently 

They can also help bring together your wider support network and coordinate communication, with your consent. This level suits participants who are coordinating multiple supports, facing challenges navigating the system or want ongoing guidance. 

Level 3: Specialist Support Coordination

Specialist Support Coordination is the highest level, designed for participants with more complex situations. This might include navigating multiple service systems, managing higher-risk circumstances or working through complicated support needs. 

Complexity isn’t defined by a particular diagnosis, the number of supports you receive or how busy your plan is. It relates to the barriers, risks and circumstances affecting your ability to understand, access, coordinate and maintain your supports. 

A Specialist Support Coordinator can: 

• Work through complex challenges across your supports 

• Help reduce risk and resolve crises where they arise 

• Coordinate closely with providers, family, carers and community 

• Support you through significant changes in your circumstances 

• Help you understand complex information and options so you can participate in decisions 

The participant remains at the centre, with the Specialist Support Coordinator providing more intensive assistance while supporting choice, control and independence. This level suits participants whose circumstances require a more experienced, specialised approach to keep things working safely and effectively. 

Which level is right for you?

The NDIS decides the level of support coordination in your plan based on your goals and circumstances. The number of supports you have doesn’t automatically determine the level you need. If you’re unsure which level you have, check your plan. If your current level no longer meets your needs, speak with the NDIS about what has changed and why a different level may better support your goals. 

How CoAct Support Coordination can help

Get in touch today to register your interest, or explore our resources for parents and carers and referrers to see how support coordination can help you or someone you support get the most out of an NDIS plan.