Setting personalised NDIS goals is crucial in developing a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan that will work for you. As a NDIS participant, you can only access supports within your funding if they align with one or more of your NDIS goals.
Our guide explains what makes a good NDIS goal and how to use your NDIS planner, NDIS Service Providers and family members to guide you to effective goals.
Understanding the NDIS Goal-Setting Process
Understanding the NDIS Goal-Setting Process
You have been accepted into the NDIS, or you are scheduled for a NDIS plan review. The next step is a NDIS planning meeting with your Local Area Coordinator (LAC). This is the same process if it is for your child’s NDIS plan. Setting smart goals will give you the most value and greater flexibility in the types of supports you can access under your NDIS plan. Your NDIS supports must be aligned with one or more of your NDIS goals. If not, then your NDIS Plan Manager may not be able to authorise payment to that NDIS Service Provider, even though it might otherwise be a necessary support. At your NDIS planning meeting, your LAC will take a person-centred approach to help you craft meaningful goals. The same applies to your child’s goals. The primary aim of your planning meeting is to write goal statements and then allocate funding to the three broad funding categories. Having solid goals will help you:
- have a good quality of life
- achieve your full potential over time.
These NDIS plan goals will focus on outcomes (the “what”), not directly on the types of support required (the “how”). For example, one of your goals could be getting a job. This would be the broader goal rather than listing the different types of services needed to achieve that goal. NDIS goals will typically fall into a few categories:
- independence-based, e.g. I want to be able to live on my own with some help from disability support workers
- physical, e.g. I want to be able to take public transport to the local shop by myself
- social, e.g. I want to feel confident to talk in a small group so I can make new friends.
Preparing for NDIS goal-setting
It is a good idea to start preparing for your session with your NDIS representative well in advance. That applies whether it is your first meeting or you are updating a previous plan. As well as reflecting on what you would like out of your NDIS journey, it is wise to also take a collaborative approach. Ask your support team for reports on your progress and the goals they think would be the best NDIS goals for you. Allow up to six weeks, as a rule of thumb, if you need a report prepared. Preparation includes asking others -ask:
- family members and carers
- your service providers, such as your speech therapist
- NDIS support coordinator (if you have one)
What goals can the NDIS fund?
The NDIS can fund what is ‘reasonable’ and ‘necessary’ to work towards your goals. It can fund core supports, capacity building, and capital support. Across the three categories, these include:
- consumables
- daily self-care activities
- assistance with social and community participation and relationships
- learning and employment
- transport and accommodation
- assistive technologies, e.g. for mobility
- home modifications.
What the NDIS will fund in practice depends on your individual goals and the amount of support allowed through your funding. The NDIS is not the only source of support. For example, there may be community services that can help you achieve your goals without relying on the NDIS scheme.
How to set effective NDIS goals
Here is a smart method for setting effective NDIS goals. Think about:
- what is most important for you in:
- your daily life
- bigger goals
- what supports you need to help you fulfil what is important for you
- what disability-specific barriers you encounter in progressing towards what is important for you.
Reflect on your life and circumstances as a whole. Remember to highlight your strengths and what is already working well, as well as areas you would like to develop. Think about what is important for you, such as
- maintaining and developing your independence in your daily life at home and in the community, such as:
- looking after your own personal care
- doing household tasks such as cooking and shopping
- improving your age-appropriate life skills, think about:
- making new friends
- money management
- accessing public transport
- participating in higher education
- getting a job
- regulating and talking about your emotions
- getting involved in social activities
- trying new things and developing new skills.
Different types of goals to consider
Now that you have thought about what is important and gathered feedback from the people around you, you have a great starting point for your discussion with the NDIA planner. If you have thought about your individual needs, this will help the LAC to express the goals in your own words. When setting your specific goals, consider various aspects of your life where you would like to see improvements. Here are some areas to focus on:
- Becoming more independent: Crafting goals that foster independence.
- Building skills: Goals focused on skill development.
- Improving relationships: Setting goals to enhance social relationships with others.
- Enhancing health and wellbeing: Goals that focus on improving your overall physical and emotional health.
- Increasing community participation: Crafting goals that encourage community engagement.
Some of the areas important to you may be within what the NDIS supports. Others may be outside of what the NDIS can support, but NDIS funding can help you develop the skills to participate. Think about how your goals can align with the list of the things important to you. Try to express the goals clearly and in your own words. Here are some general ideas, e.g.:
- To improve my ability to dress myself
- To learn to catch the bus on my own
- To be able to recognise and express how I am feeling
- To participate in a physically active group with people my age
- To participate in an educational course that will help me find a job
- To swim independently at the local pool, with minimal support
- To build confidence and improve my communication skills
- Developing your child’s fine motor skills in preparation for attending kindergarten.
Each of these goals is broad enough to enable a range of supports relevant to the goal and allow flexibility.
Maintain flexibility in your goals
It is important to write the goals broadly enough so that you can apply the types of supports needed in a way that meets NDIS plan management requirements. It also allows you to shift your focus a little. For example, the group you want to participate in may not be available. A broad goal will enable you to change to a different approach to community participation. And, if your circumstances change substantially, you can request a plan review.
How many goals to set
Try to set a handful of goals – not too many and not too few. Two or three short-term goals (less than a one-year timeframe) and two to three mid-term to long-term goals are plenty. Set some readily achievable short-term goals. This will give you the satisfaction of achieving your goal and can help you stay on track for the more challenging, longer-term goals. Your LAC and support coordinator can help guide you. It is important to focus on areas you are doing well and want to improve, as well as areas for development. Talk to your therapists and NDIS support coordinator. They have the expertise and knowledge to guide you in setting goals and offer practical strategies for success.
Conclusion
As we wrap up, remember the importance of setting NDIS goals that fit your current situation and individual needs. The right goals for you will be different from those for others. We are all unique, and your NDIS goals should fit you and what you need. For us as NDIS Plan Managers, having well written goals and specific supports listed in your plan will mean providers who support you for those goals will not require additional approval and will be paid within our payment processing time frame. Contact Trinity Plan Management today for Personalised Plan Management Services.
