Feeling lost when it comes to funding your NDIS plan? Others are experiencing the same thing as you. Participants who don’t understand the distinction between Capacity Building, Core Supports, and Capital Supports often ask us hundreds of questions due to their confusion.
In the purview of addressing your dilemma, the article focuses on three types of support budget; core support budget, capital support budget and capacity support that helps to increase your skills, allowing you to participate in community activities.
What is capacity-building support?
The two main objectives of capacity-building support are developing your skills and maintaining independence.
Capacity building support will provide you with assistance and service to perform daily tasks. For instance, it might consist of getting your meals prepared and delivered daily.
In contrast, it might also include proper guidance on how to prepare nutritionally balanced meals on your own with an independently moving task.
It is possible to receive support in nine different categories within Capacity Building. The NDIS plan goals will determine how much funding you receive for these nine areas.
Consider the case where you would like to become more active in your community. In that case, you might be offered funding for behaviour support or have a support worker attend social activities with you until you feel confident enough to participate in your community alone.
NDIS capacity building support categories
Capacity Building supports nine types of activities. Your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan determines which categories you receive funding for; however, you will not receive funding for all nine of the capacity-building categories.
Unlike Core Supports, Capacity Building funds support long-term goals that will enable you to be independent. They are usually provided as additional support to Core Supports so that you can carry out your regular daily tasks comfortably.
Likewise, the Core Support fund might offer weekly assistance in meal preparation, whereas Capacity Building funds may teach you how to cook healthy meals on your own. So now you can understand the difference between the core and capacity supports, right?
Capacity support budget, how can it help?
NDIS funding for capacity building can be used for many activities and goals. You can build your capacity through specialised support. You can build your skills and achieve your goals.
Funds allocated for people with disability can be used to pursue the following activities:
- Housecleaning
- Buying groceries
- Meal preparation
- Managing finances
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
- Job hunting in the open market
- Taking public transportation or a taxi
- Playing sports, arts, etc., as well as participating in recreational activities
- Group activities with your peers to build social skills and confidence
- Attending day-to-day activities such as work or school
When you have many goals, it is important to build skills and independence, and therefore deciding how to allocate your budget to pay for every goal in your plan is challenging.
Remember, the budget can only be used in a single area instead of being distributed across nine categories. So, pre-inform the plan manager on how you want to develop capacity-building support help for the upcoming days.
What types of activities can you pay for with this support category?
The funds can be used to cover support for every NDIS and can be proactively used for their specific purpose. Again, we remind you; one support category does not permit support funding from another category.
Support Coordination
Funded by the NDIS, support coordination ensures your NDIS plan is being delivered as promised. You can connect with your informal, mainstream, and funded support. Support coordination is usually requested during your plan meeting.
The National Disability Insurance Agency must determine what level of support is reasonable and necessary based on the information you present during your meeting.
Improved Daily Living
An occupational therapist, physiotherapist or registered nurse will conduct assessments, therapy, and training. The program includes Early Childhood Intervention.
This funding category entitles you to 30 hours a year of speech and occupational therapy assessment and intervention.
Finding & keeping a job
Serious attention has been paid to employment, a big priority for the NDIS. Transitioning into a career will be made easier with the help of these support services.
In addition, they will assist you in the transition from school to work if you are a member of school age. Overall, the movement from university or tafe to your employment destination is well taken care of.
Also, these supports will help you build your resume and write job applications, prepare for interviews, and build your work skills to succeed if you are in a job searching phase.
Improve life choices
This support will surely aid you in financial management and money management instead of capital and capacity building.
The costs may include the setup of financial intermediaries, training in planning and management, improving financial skills, organisation skills and enhancing self-management skills.
You need to acquire these skills to manage your NDIS plan or find someone capable of doing it for you.
Improved living arrangements
The purpose of this funding is to facilitate the transition to a new home or support independent living arrangements in the disability accommodation. Once your funding gets approved, funding from one category cannot be moved to another one.
The core support of this category also includes securing and managing rental agreements and responsibilities and finding and applying for shared accommodation.
You can use these funds to engage in a rental property search service and complete rental application forms for your independent living.
Improved Learning
This category provides funds for services such as transitioning from school to university. A support worker could accompany you to class or plan your schedule and budget for textbooks. There will be no reimbursement for support costs under Improved Learning funding, including your course fee or tuition fee.
Improved Relationships
Assists with the development of social skills and behaviour support plan. The funding supports helping build a plan for the development and training of relationship-building skills. Include funding for the behaviour if you want to develop healthy relationships with your friends, families, and neighbourhood.
Social and community participation
Assistance with managing your independence and participation in your community on a short-term or ongoing basis. A community access program or group activity can be part of this support to create a positive impact on your disability. Your goals for independence and community participation can include:
- Improving your social skills.
- Making new friends.
- Meeting new people, for example, at a community camp or vacation group.
- Improved Living Arrangements
- Support workers to help in social and recreational activities
- Improved health and wellbeing
The support may cover exercise, physiology, personal training, dietician consultations, and exercise or diet advice. You can learn healthy eating habits, exercise, and prepare delicious meals through wellbeing support.
It’s important to discuss your goals and needs at your plan meeting so the NDIA can allocate appropriate funding for the needed areas in addition to core supports. You won’t automatically receive funding for all nine categories; hence, we advise you to meet with the plan manager for the coordination of support.
How beneficial is the capacity-building fund?
With the NDIS plan funding, you can keep the impact of your disability aside and understand;
- The benefits of Capacity Building support.
- Capacity building towards independence.
- Support and knowledge necessary to take control of your life.
- Learn and go independent with your daily living.
- Community involvement and activities.
- Mainstream services and community programs.
Capacity building support budget, what to include?
You can purchase any approved individual support within a specific category with your Capacity Building funds.
For example, if you receive funds under the Improved Daily Living budget, perhaps you decide to spend 30% on occupational therapy and 10% on physiotherapy.
Later on, through core support, you may choose to assign a more significant percentage to occupational therapy or speech therapy.
You can determine what capacity-building support you believe is most appropriate for achieving your goal based on your preferences.
Remember that any support under the Capacity Building package in your plan must be ‘reasonable’ and necessary to help the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) decide how much money to allocate.
You should provide as much information as possible in any specialist reports during your planning meeting. Talk about what could include in funding when demonstrating the need for specific therapies or supports.
Services recommended by the specialist, as well as their frequency, should be detailed in the statement.
Your child’s doctor may recommend therapy for your child, make sure you get a report outlining how many sessions your child needs per year, how long each session will be, and what goals these therapies support.
Capacity Building funds cannot be transferred from one category to another. Each category in your plan corresponds to a specific goal, so be wise during your plan management procedure.
Are Capacity Building budgets flexible?
Core Supports are flexible, but Capacity Building Supports are not. It is impossible to use funds allocated to ‘Improved Learning’ for ‘Improved Daily Living’ if you have funding for ‘Improved Learning’. There is no scope that you could include funding for any other categories besides a specific one.
How are Core, Capacity Building and Capital Budgets different?
A core support budget assists you in your everyday tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, whereas capacity-building support can improve your skills, abilities, and confidence in tasks.
However, your capital budget and core budget work quite differently.
The core support might be able to assist you in your daily life when you cannot handle it on your own.
You may need help cooking, cleaning, transporting children to and from school or buying consumables through your core budget.
Home and vehicle modifications are usually part of your capital budget. You can access funds in your capital budget to install a ramp at your home if you cannot get around without a wheelchair but have stairs leading up to the front door.
If you have any other questions about capacity-building support or anything else relating to your plan, give us an immediate call. You can get answers about the NDIS from our experienced team of NDIS support coordinators and plan managers!
Capacity Building Program at Advance Care
We at Advance Care understand that everyone works towards independence with unique goals, which is why we offer Capacity Building support services for NDIS participants. You can customise our programs according to your needs.
Every aspect of your needs is considered, including the type of support, the frequency, and the level of support. Our Capacity Building process also considers your Capacity Building goals and all the necessary requirements for you to reach them.
Experts from various backgrounds and qualifications make up the Advance Care team. So we have many professionals who can help you lead a productive and independent life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the three types of support budgets in the NDIS plan?
In the NDIS plan, you can fund three types of support budgets: Core support budget, Capital support budget and capacity building support budget.
What is NDIS core support?
Core Supports allow you to live a fulfilling life and achieve your goals by providing support daily. A support worker can accompany you on shopping trips or clean the house if your disability prevents you from doing so.
Where can I spend my core support budget?
You can use the fund if you need help with your everyday needs, household cleaning, or yard maintenance. Everything you might need every day. You might be interested in continence products or low-cost assistive technology for your mobility.
What is NDIS capital support?
The capital support program provides funding for higher-cost assistive technology, equipment, home or vehicle modifications, and living arrangements at Specialist Disability Accommodation.
Can I use the core budget fund to capital support budget?
The core support budget is flexible and can be used for other categories. Participants in the NDIS can choose how their core support funds are spent. However, it cannot be used for capital or capacity-building support. The core support budget must be used for core support.
Are NDIS capital-building support budgets flexible?
NDIS budgets have the least flexibility when it comes to capital support. You will only be able to spend your budget on items identified in your NDIS Plan.
Which support should I choose between capital and capacity building?
Well, understand your requirement before taking a leap on the support budget. Secondly, plan for NDIS meet with your plan manager to further clarify your needs.
Are disability support functions linked with NDIS capacity building support?
Well, no! The disability support functions are entirely separate. They are mostly linked to Centrelink. If you are receiving disability pension you may not be automatically eligible for the support.
How much capacity building support budget can I expect?
The funding depends entirely upon your assessment. So, review your plan with your NDIS plan manager to receive a generous amount of funding support. Carefully evaluate each and every aspect of your requirement before sending the application for review, for your capacity-building support might exclude the important aspect.
With capacity-building support, how can you work towards your goal?
The budget helps you to build skills that you may need in your everyday life. The main goal of the support budget is to make you independent through capacity development.
How can I create NDIS plan funding for the support categories?
You can take support from the plan management service offered by the NDIS service provider. Set up a meeting with Advance Care and get your plan reviewed for the capacity building NDIS and other support categories.
What support can I expect in the coordination of support?
NDIS Plans often include ‘Capacity building supports’ as a type of support coordination.
Those with disabilities may be eligible for funding to help them manage all the various support they receive. They coordinate these supports.
Through the assistance of a Support Coordinator, you can ensure you are getting the most value for your money while accessing all of the support you require.
The NDIS plan does not guarantee funds for the coordination of support for everyone. You may be able to address this if you are confident about managing your Plan.
How do I get more NDIS support under capacity building NDIS?
If you want to get maximum funds for capacity building or for overall NDIS support, then you must:
- Well, plan your needs
- Get your plan ready
- Highlight safety, social inclusion, and safety
- Mention formal and informal support
- Prepare your budget and expenses
- Review your plan with the plan manager
