Support coordination – the delicate art of balance – Q3

Panel members

• Elizabeth Hickey (EH) – Support Coordinator, AFA Support Coordination
• Sera CrichtonAita (SC) – Support Coordinator, Australian Regional & Remote Community Services
• Kate Read (KR) – Founder/CEO, Inspires & Co
• Zena Dyson (ZD) – Specialist Support Coordinator/Team Leader, Esteem Care Services
• Danni Bament (DB) – Managing Director, Aspire Recovery Connection

In your view, how has the price freeze on support coordination impacted NDIS participants – and/or how will it impact them in the future?

EH – When I started as an independent support coordinator in 2017, the maximum price for Level 2 Support Coordination was $96.04 per hour. We received a $2.02 increase in 2019 and a $2.08 increase to a maximum rate of $100.14 in 2020, where it has stayed.

If we say there has been an average CPI growth of at least 2 per cent each year over that time, theoretically we should be receiving (based on the 2017 price) $108 per hour. In real terms, support coordinators and organisations are worse off and have actually received in real terms a pay cut to the support coordination rates.

How does this impact – over the last six months especially I have seen a huge number of providers leave the support coordination area completely. There are two parts to that – the rate and the expectation of a support coordinator in regards to the work needed versus the number of hours funded.

Many providers are finding the squeeze from both sides, along with the extensive documentation requirements involved with being a registered provider, just doesn’t add up to breaking even or delivering a small profit that is required to just allow for continuing services, expansion of services and improvements in both staff and business.

SC – I am not a support coordinator who focuses on the number that is on the page, I work alongside my participant until I am told not to.

KR – I don’t think it has impacted participants as they are unaware. Very rarely are they funded enough in support coordination, so they have to make do with the little funding they have.

ZD – I do not believe the price freeze on support coordination will impact our participants. They will still have the same number of hours funded in their NDIS plans.

DB – We haven’t noticed any impact.

Click here for question 4.