One of the most important things you need to do when preparing for your planning meeting is to think about your current and future goals.
Goals are the things you want to achieve through the support of your disability services provider.
Your goals might include a range of different things, such as becoming more independent, learning new skills, enrolling in a course or training, becoming more active in the community or building your relationships with friends and family.
To make sure your NDIS plan really benefits you, you should try to make your goals as specific as possible.
Clearly defining your goals
Clearly defining your goals from the beginning will help ensure your NDIS plan reflects the supports you need to achieve your objectives.
Your goals can be broken down into short-term goals – that can usually be achieved in under 12 months – and medium to long-term goals that may take a number of years to achieve.
Examples of short-term goals might include:
- Using public transport by yourself to go to the shops
- Starting a course
- Going out with friends
Examples of medium-term goals might include:
- Developing your communication skills
- Finding a job
- Developing better social skills.
- Joining community groups
Examples of long-term goals might include:
- Moving out of home and getting a place of your own
- Maintaining or improving your health.
- Becoming more independent.
- Building the skills needed to learn better at school or university.
Talk to an NDIS representative
You will be in contact with an NDIS representative at different stages of your NDIS journey. NDIS representatives will provide you with guidance on things like registering with the NDIS scheme and conducting scheduled reviews of your plan. Your NDIS representative can also offer general support on how best to bring your NDIS plan to life.
Get support from an NDIS Support Coordinator
NDIS Support Coordinators can support you to get the most from the NDIS scheme.
An NDIS Support Coordinator can assist you to work towards your identified goals and achieve your outcomes. Click here to find out more about NDIS Support Coordination through Nextt.
Don’t wait to review your plan
Your plan will be reviewed at regular intervals to make sure you are on track to achieving your goals and that your goals are still relevant. The NDIS website states that “it is expected that your first plan review will take place after your first 12 months in the scheme. Plan reviews can then be scheduled up to two years apart dependent on personal circumstances and goals.”
A lot can happen in two years. If your goals change between your scheduled reviews, you should consider reviewing your plan yourself, and advise the NDIS if you wish to change it. Continual self-assessment will ensure your plan stays relevant to your changing situation.
Getting the most out of your NDIS plan is about knowing where you are at personally and seeking expert support when you need it.
The Nextt Indie platform
A first of its kind in Australia, our Nextt Indie platform allows us to clearly capture our client’s goals and measures their progress to reaching these goals. It lets us know if we are being effective in our support or if we need to make improvements to our service. It also supports our to clients know if they are making progress towards achieving their goals.
We are extremely proud of Nextt Indie, as it aligns with our core purpose of supporting our clients to “get more out of life”.
Nextt are a registered provider for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Our Disability and Mental Health Support Services help you get the most out of your NDIS plan while ensuring the services you choose deliver on your needs, expectations and goals.
Contact the friendly Nextt team for more information.