"Support Coordination" is one of the more confusing terms in the NDIS, partly because it's easy to mix up with plan management. Here's what a support coordinator actually does.
The short version
A support coordinator helps you understand and use your NDIS plan. They don't manage your funding or pay invoices (that's plan management), and they don't usually provide hands-on daily support themselves (that's core supports). Instead, they help you find the right providers, set up services, and keep everything working together.
The three levels of Support Coordination
The NDIS funds Support Coordination at different levels depending on your assessed needs:
- Support Connection — building your ability to connect with informal, community and funded supports
- Coordination of Supports — helping you design and use a mix of supports to pursue your goals and live more independently
- Specialist Support Coordination — for participants with more complex situations, delivered by a specialist practitioner
Which level (if any) you have is set out in your NDIS plan — it's worth checking your plan document or asking your NDIA planner if you're unsure.
What a support coordinator actually does week to week
- Explains what your plan funding actually covers, in plain language
- Researches and connects you with providers that suit your goals
- Helps set up service agreements and bookings
- Attends appointments or meetings with you when useful
- Steps in if a provider relationship isn't working
- Helps you prepare for plan reviews
Support Coordination vs Plan Management
These are commonly confused but serve different purposes. A plan manager handles the financial and administrative side of your plan — paying invoices and tracking your budget. A support coordinator helps you use your plan in practice — finding services and keeping them working. Some participants have both, some have one, and some have neither (self-managing everything themselves).
How we approach support coordination
Our coordinators are based in Logan Central and speak English, Arabic, Somali, Dari and Amharic. We respond to enquiries within 2 business hours and can usually begin within the same week.
Want to talk this through with our team?