What is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme is also called NDIS. It is a scheme designed to help people with a disability under the age of 65 to get the support they need. The NDIS is designed for people with a permanent and significant disability which impacts the ability to engage in day-to-day activities.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was established in 2013 and is a new way of assisting people with a disability to get the support they need, achieve their human rights, and participate in the social and economic life of the nation. The NDIS’ central objective is for people with disability to achieve their life goals.
If you meet the NDIS eligibility and work out what reasonable and necessary supports you need to live the life you want. NDIS will fund to pay for the supports you need.
The NDIS is not means tested. It is funded by all Australians and when rolled out by 2020 it is expected to provide about 460,000 Australians with a permanent and significant disability under the age of 65 with the supports they need to live life.
How To Access NDIS Supports
01.
Apply to Join the NDIS
02.
Once you're approved, contact us
03.
Talk to us about your needs
04.
We'll build you a specialist support plan
05.
Gain access to your Support Plan
Learning about the NDIS
What supports will the NDIS fund?
The NDIS funds lots of different things. Things like Accommodation, Flexible support, Therapy, Community access are some of the things funded by the NDIS. But there’s more. You get to choose when, where and how to receive these supports.
Learn more about what Blue Star Homecare can do for you.
Are you eligible for the NDIS?
Eligibility for the NDIS depends on a few things
- Residency – You need to Australian citizen, permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen who holds a Special Category Visa
- You must be under 65 years of age during the time of your application
- Disability – You must have a permanent disability that significantly affects your day to day living
- Location – You need to be in an area where the scheme is already rolled out
- Early intervention – You may be eligible if early intervention would improve your child’s functioning.
The Code of Conduct
The NDIS Code of Conduct promotes safe and ethical service delivery by setting out expectations for the conduct of both NDIS providers and workers. In providing supports or services to people with disabilities, Blue Star Homecare staff will ensure to:
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- Act with respect for individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination, and decision-making in accordance with relevant laws and conventions
- Respect the privacy of people with disability
- Provide supports and services in a safe and competent manner with care and skill
- Act with integrity, honesty, and transparency
- Promptly take steps to raise and act on concerns about matters that might have an impact on the quality and safety of supports provided to people with disability
- Take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to all forms of violence, exploitation, neglect, and abuse of people with disability
- Take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.
Commonly Asked Questions
NDIS plan is a document that is based on your goals and describes the disability-related services and support that will help them to achieve those goals. It describes the funded supports you will receive from the NDIS.
If you are eligible for the NDIS, you will receive funding on an annual basis to purchase the services, aids and equipment you need from the service provider/providers of your choice such as Aidacare.
You can choose to either self-manage your own funds, in which case you make claims to NDIS personally, or else ask the NDIA – the agency established to administer the NDIS – to manage your funding for you.
As individual circumstances, conditions or needs change, NDIS participants will be able to apply to have their funding plan adjusted accordingly.
All reasonable and necessary disability care, equipment and support services will be funded through the NDIS.
Generally, the supports and services that will be provided, if eligible, need to assist you to:
- work towards achieving your goals
- become as independent as possible
- develop skills for day-to-day living
- participate in the community
- work and earn money
In practice this means providing support, as and if required, in areas including:
- mobility
- communication
- self-care and self-management
- social interactions
- learning
- building skills and capacity for social and economic participation
Blue Star Homecare can support you to prepare for your NDIS planning meeting, to help you to make the most of the NDIS. We can also help you understand and implement your NDIS plan once you receive it.
Our Community Engagement team can answer your NDIS questions no matter what stage of your NDIS journey you are at.
When you receive your NDIS plan Blue Star Homecare can support your NDIS goals with our wide range of tailored, flexible and quality services. We are a specialist disability provider, and we know the NDIS.
Well, that’s entirely up to you. The most important thing is to find a provider that not only offers the services you are looking for but that feels like a good fit for you.
Some things you might like to consider or questions you could ask are:
- Do they offer the services you are looking for in your area?
- Do they take into consideration your preferences for support and how it is delivered e.g., what you like to do, how you prefer to be showered, how you prefer to be fed etc?
- Do you feel like you’re being respected as an individual?
- What are their values as an organisation?
- How do they measure quality? What will happen if I’m unhappy with anything?
- Can I pick a different support worker if I feel the ones that I have is not a good fit for me?
- Can I come in and see where the services are delivered (if relevant) e.g., employment, day services etc.
At the end of the day, it’s totally your choice!