Support Coordination > Specialist Support Coordination Procedure
Authorised by Chief Executive Officer
Approved Date: 05 May 2023
Purpose
Specialist support coordination is a higher level of support than the level expected in standard support coordination (although in practice very complex support is undertaken there too). The focus is on reducing complexity in the participant’s support environment and helping the participant overcome immediate and/or significant barriers in plan implementation.
Specialist support coordination helps participants:
•address complex barriers that affect their access to supports
•design a service plan for their support needs, where appropriate
This procedure supports Kyeema Support Services to apply NDIS Practice Standards Module 4: Specialist Support Coordination under registration group 0132 Support Coordination.
•Specialised Support Coordination
•Management of a Participant’s NDIS Supports
•Conflict of Interest
References
National Disability Insurance Scheme (Provider Registration and Practice Standards)
Rules 2018
NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators
Scope
This policy guides all Specialist Support Coordinators and those relevant in providing specialist support coordination services to our participants.
Definitions
Kyeema Support Coordination Department understands that specialist support coordination is required where there are specific high complex needs or high-level risks relating to a participant’s situation.
Specialist support coordination will be delivered by an appropriately qualified and experienced practitioner (psychologist, OT, social worker, other allied health, developmental educator, social or health science professional), who uses an expert or specialist approach, to meet the participant’s needs.
Specialist support coordination intends to:
•assist participants reduce complexity in their support environment
•address barriers to connecting with supports
•build capacity and resilience.
When providing specialist support coordination, Kyeema Support Coordination will ensure participants are genuinely allowed to exercise choice and control, and will focus on clearly identified aims, goals and benefits. Planning and coordination will include mainstream, informal, community and funded supports and will decrease the need for specialist support coordination over time.
Any specialist support coordination included within a plan must show a clear benefit to the
participant and include specific goals for the plan's duration, aiming to decrease the need for
high-intensity support to continue.
Kyeema Support Coordination will provide the participant information regarding their options and plans in a communication mode and language that they are most likely to understand. Such information will include transparent and factual advice about the participant’s support options and ensure that any conflicts of interest are made clear. Kyeema Support Coordination will make sure supports funded under a participant’s plan are used effectively and efficiently and are complemented by the community and mainstream services.
Procedure
Overview
Specialist support coordination will be provided in line with the principles documented in our
NDIS core module policies and procedures and will include:
•person-centred supports
•support for individual values and beliefs
•individual privacy and dignity
•independence and informed choice
•support planning
•responsive support provision.
Accordingly, specialised support planning will ensure that each participant is actively involved in developing their specialist support plans. Kyeema Support Coordination will provide all participants with sufficient and appropriate information to promote choice and control.
The support coordinators will determine, based on a participant’s specific requirements, the most appropriate specialist support worker to provide the services (psychologist, OT, social worker, other allied health, developmental educator, social or health science professional).
Support coordinators will undertake reference checks to determine staff are qualified to deliver specialist supports to a participant.
The manager is responsible for identifying all risk-assessed roles and confirming all support workers hold appropriate NDIS worker clearances before being allocated to support a participant.
The Specialist Support Coordinator will work with the participant and their support network to
complete all necessary assessments and develop a Specialist Support Plan using the Goals and Actions template to identify goals funded under Specialist Support Coordination
•Support Coordination Goals and Actions SCF-05
The Specialist Support Plan will be developed in collaboration with the participant and be
tailored specifically to meet their needs. The plan will:
•be based on information sourced from a range of resources and multiple stakeholders
•be developed collaboratively with the participant
•include completion of appropriate Participant Review Form
•to obtain an overview of the participant’s current supports and identify any complexities relating to the administration of supports
•to develop an action plan that effectively manages available NDIS funding
•include the participant’s needs, support requirements, preferences, strengths and goals
•include any relevant information derived from risk assessments
•identify potential triggers to crises and appropriate strategies to treat these
•identify potential appropriate support solutions, including NDIS providers and community support networks who have appropriate skills and experience, to deliver desired supports
•seek to resolve points of crisis
•assist the participant in connecting with supports and build capacity and resilience to decrease the continued need for high-intensity support.
•work with the participant to build their capacity so that they can coordinate, self-direct
and manage their supports
•help the participant better manage their budget funding to be more flexible in meeting their own needs and support requirements.
Where appropriate, and with the participant's consent, information on the Specialist Support
Plan is communicated to family members, carers, advocates, other providers and relevant
government agencies.
The Specialist Support Coordinator will implement strategies to provide participants and their
support networks information using their preferred communication methods, including using
plain language, translators, repeated information or Easy Read documents.
Plan implementation
Kyeema Support Coordination will arrange for supports and services to be utilised as per the
participant’s NDIS amounts directed and for the purposes intended by the participant. In
achieving this, Kyeema Support Coordination will continue to provide information to the participant in an accessible format, using suitable language and communication mode to ensure the participant fully understands their support options to make an informed decision.
The Specialist Support Coordinator will consult and negotiate proactively with multiple
stakeholders to implement a well-coordinated Specialist Support Plan.
The Specialist Support Coordinator will help stakeholders resolve crisis points for participants, to provide consistent service delivery and provision of relevant supports during crises.
As appropriate, participants will be supported to build their capacity to coordinate, self-direct
and manage their supports and understand how to participate in their planning processes (e.g. establishing agreements with service providers and managing budget flexibility).
Referrals to and from other providers will be documented for each participant following our
normal referral procedures and outcomes and interactions documented in the Support
Management file notes on Carelink.
Specialist support coordination services and assistance may include:
•linking the participant with the right mainstream support and ensuring the provider
•meets their obligations
•engagement and networking with the participant’s preferred communities
•coordination of various supports, both funded and mainstream
•resolving points of crisis with the participant
•training of support workers
•promoting safety for the participant
•building the participant's capacity and ability (and their informal supports) to
•understand and implement their own NDIS plan.
Monitoring and review
The support coordinator ensures the plan is implemented, effectively managed, monitored and reviewed to address all reporting obligations associated with the participant are met.
The support coordinator will regularly review specialist support plans to ensure that:
•risks are being adequately addressed
•changes are made in response to a participant’s changed circumstances
•the participant is receiving value for money
•the participant’s funds are used effectively and efficiently
•any supports funded under a participant’s plan are complemented by the community and mainstream services.
When working with the participant, the support coordinator will review the requirements and provision the participant may need.
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest exists when an organisation may benefit from managing a participant’s
plan and providing support coordination or other support types to a participant.
In this event, Kyeema Support Coordination will ensure that each participant is supported (using the language, mode of communication and terms that the participant is most likely to comprehend) to understand:
•the distinction between the provision of specialised support coordination and other
reasonable and necessary funded supports
•the full range of options available to them
•any choice they make about providers of other supports will not impact our provision
of specialised support coordination.
Support Coordination Conflict of Interest Form SCF-02
Conflict of Interest Register K:\Admin\Human Resources\Conflict of Interest Register
Collaborative approach
Kyeema Support Coordination will:
•use a collaborative approach when undertaking all decision-making processes regarding support for a participant, to allow for an informed approach and can include collaboration with:
o mainstream service providers that have appropriate skills and experience in delivering the required supports
o involved allied health or medical practitioners
o the participant and their support networks
•ensure the process is explained to the participant at the time of development, including how and when support will occur
•work with suitable NDIS providers (who have experience and appropriate skills required to deliver supports) that have been identified and are in-line with available funding
•work across service boundaries to provide participants with complex care needs access to a full range of services, including allied health, health and social support
•services employ team members and providers that have all the necessary skills and knowledge
•to make informed decisions in the development of a participant's plan ensure all team members continue to undertake professional development to maintain an understanding of practices that are required for their specific role
•ensure the participant is involved in the evaluation of their situation and the identification of the supports required to prevent or respond to a crisis, incident or breakdown of support arrangements, and the promotion of safety for the participant and others
•gain consent from the participant or their advocate and the participant’s support network and mainstream services (as appropriate) before support coordination being implemented.
o Consent to Exchange Information - Support Coordination SCF-08
o Consent to Use Photos - Support Coordination SCF-22
Training & Awareness
Specialist support coordination is delivered by a specialist support coordinator. Specialist support coordinators should be appropriately qualified and experienced to deliver the expert approach which is needed to address a participant’s complex support needs and/or risks in their environment. Professions such: psychologist, OT, social worker, other allied health, developmental educator, social or health science professional.
Source: Quantum NDIS Certification Guide 2022 Appendix A Professional Requirements
Reporting
Reporting to the NDIA, as applicable, including on how receiving funded Specialist Support Coordination has built the participant’s capacity.
Record keeping
Kyeema Support Coordination workers must record all relevant information about the progress of the support provided to a participant into:
•Electronic file on Kyeema’s S drive (Support Coordination’s dedicated drive)
•Hard copy locked filing cabinet in the SC Office
Records for the Participants file:
Record of participant involvement in the identification of their supports
Participant consent SCF-16
Record of referral to suitable NDIS providers and mainstream services
Record of engagement with NDIS providers and mainstream services
Record of monitoring & reporting obligations
a) initial plan implementation report at 8 weeks
b) mid-term implementation report
c) plan review and evaluation report
Record that supports and services arranged are used for the purposes intended by the participant
Record of support options given to the participant
Record participant is supported to build capacity to manage their supports (where appropriate)
Record of conflict of interest explained to participant
Training records for workers are kept on Sentrient
Related Policies, Procedures and Documents:
Support Coordination Procedure
Support Coordination Conflict of Interest Form SCF-02
Support Coordination Goals and Actions SCF-05
Consent to Exchange Information - Support Coordination SCF-08
Easy Read Support Coordination Conflict of Interest Guide SCF-17
Specialist Support Coordination Level 2 & 3 Charge Rates SCF-18
Participant Meeting Notes SCF-20
Consent to Use Photos - Support Coordination SCF-22
Conflict of Interest Register HRF-36
Conflict of Interest Register K:\Admin\Human Resources\Conflict of Interest Register