ndis and me: steps to plan workbook · anyone rush you. it is your right to do the plan when you...

NDIS and Me: Steps to Plan Workbook

This booklet was produced by Down Syndrome WA

Supported by the Department of Communities (Disability Services)

February 2018(Revised from the NDIS in WA version – October 2017)

Contents

• About the NDIS 4

• How to use the workbook 6

• Steps to getting your NDIS plan 7

• Guide to pre-planning 8

• Step 1: Gathering information 9

• Step 2: My Story 10

• Step 3: What I want my life to look like 16

• Step 4: Life areas to think about 20

• Step 5: My Goals 29

• Step 6: Support to reach my goals 30

• Step 7: Help to put my plan into action 31

• Step 8: Help to manage my plan 32

• Resources 33

• DSWA Help 34

3NDIS and Me: Steps to Plan Workbook - Down Syndrome WA 2018

About the NDIS

What is the NDIS?

The NDIS is the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It is a new disability system where people with disabilities will have more choice and control about their supports than before. The NDIS aim is for people to get the support they need to have the life they want.

The NDIS bases the funding you get on a plan which includes the supports and services you need. Everyone’s plan is different, because every person is different and may need different kinds of supports.

Your NDIS plan lasts for a year, and then it will be reviewed to see if it is helping you to meet your goals. This means that as you get older and your life changes, your plan can be changed to suit you.

What is this workbook about?

This workbook has been designed to help you get ready for your NDIS planning meeting. It contains information to help you understand the NDIS and how to get the best plan for you.

There is a step-by-step guide to help you record your information, work out the goals you want in your plan and what supports you will need to meet those goals.

There are also some separate pieces of information that go with the workbook. This includes some information sheets with tips, ideas and useful information for doing pre-planning with people of all ages. Just choose the one that suits your age.

There are also some worksheets that you may want to use several times. We have kept them separate so you can make extra copies. This includes daily timetables for you to record what supports you get and what you need, at different times on different days of the week.


About the NDIS

What kinds of support can I get from the NDIS?

The NDIS can help you get support that is related to your disability. This could include:• Therapy, to help you develop your skills and abilities. There may also be some

equipment that would help you be more independent or help you communicate better.

• Support workers, to help you connect with and take part in community activities, learn living skills, be a mentor to help you develop social skills, or help you with looking after your home and garden.

• People to help you do further education or training, such as going to TAFE, or to help you learn work skills and find and keep a job or volunteer job.

• Training for parents, such as workshops to build skills to support their child’s development and inclusion.

The NDIS says that it will only fund supports that are ‘reasonable and necessary’. This means that the support must:

• Link with a goal in your plan• Help you with day-to-day living and help you take part in community activities or work• Help you build skills to live the life you want• Be a resource or piece of equipment that helps you live an ordinary life

What can I NOT get from the NDIS?

The NDIS does not cover support that should be provided by other departments such as education or health. It will not fund medical care, or education assistants in the classroom.

This workbook will help you work out which kinds of support you need. You can write all the supports you need into the workbook, but some may not be covered by NDIS.

There is a diagram on page 20 that helps you to think about the different areas of life that you might need support with. You can use it to make notes about what you might want to put in your plan. You can also look at the fact sheets for different age groups to help you think about the kinds of supports you need.


How to use the workbook

Learn about the NDIS

Before you begin to do your pre-planning, read up on the NDIS so that you understand what is included, what is not and why. There is basic information in this workbook as well as a list of useful resources, links and contacts for more detailed information and help.

Start early if you can

We suggest you start pre-planning as early as possible. It’s a good idea to have this workbook in a place where you can easily add ideas and information as you think of them, such as on the kitchen bench.

Involve other people

Planning works best when you can discuss your thoughts and ideas with other people such as your family and other people who know you well. You could have some meetings to look at this workbook together and work out your goals and the support you need. You or the people helping you can write them into the workbook.

Take the workbook to your NDIS planning meeting

Having all the information with you will be useful. You can show the Local Coordinator / Planner all the details and you will already have an idea what your goals are and the supports you need. This means you are more likely to get the help you need.


Steps to getting your NDIS plan

Step 1. Is the NDIS in my area?

The NDIS is gradually rolling out into different areas across WA. You can find out when you will get the NDIS by checking out this link for the rollout timetable.

http://www.disability.wa.gov.au/Global/Publications/NDIS/NDIS-Landing-Page/NDIS-transition-schedule-Western-Australia.pdf

Step 2. Am I eligible to get an NDIS plan?

If you have Down syndrome and you already have a Local Coordinator (LC) and/or you are getting services, such as from a service provider, Disability Services, or through Better Start, then you shouldn’t need any extra information to show you are eligible. If you have other conditions that need extra or different kinds of support, such as Autism or mental health issues, you may need to provide letters or reports from your doctor to explain the extra condition and how it affects you. There is a separate checklist with this workbook that lists the kinds of information that may be useful to have ready for your planning meeting.

Step 3. Use this workbook to do your pre-planning

It is a good idea to use this workbook before you go for the planning appointment, so that you know what your goals are and the support you need.

Step 4. Arrange a planning meeting

If you already have an LC they may contact you. If not, you can make contact with them to arrange an appointment to talk about getting a plan. If they contact you to organise a meeting and you aren’t ready, you can ask for more time to get ready before the meeting. Don’t let anyone rush you. It is your right to do the plan when you want.

Step 5. Check your draft plan

You can look at your plan, discuss anything you aren’t happy with and ask for changes before you agree to it. You may need to provide more information to get changes made. If you are not happy after this, you can get an advocate to help you. Contact DSWA for the current list of advocacy organisations.


http://www.disability.wa.gov.au/Global/Publications/NDIS/NDIS-Landing-Page/NDIS-transition-schedule-Western-Australia.pdf

Guide to pre-planning

The next part of the workbook takes you through some steps to make sure you have thought about what your goals are and what supports you need to reach your goals.

Take your time thinking about each step and write down anything that you think might be useful whenever you think about it. Make some time to sit down and talk about your NDIS plan with your family and other people who know you well. Make notes in the workbook or on the separate worksheets.

Step 1. Gathering informationStep 2. My StoryStep 3. What I want my life to look likeStep 4. Life areas to think aboutStep 5. My GoalsStep 6. Support to reach my goalsStep 7. Help to put my plan into actionStep 8. Help to manage my plan


Step 1. Gathering information

Here are some of the pieces of information you might need to show that you are eligible for an NDIS plan and what supports you need.

Eligibility

People with an intellectual disability (with an IQ 60 or under) are automatically eligible for an NDIS plan. However, most people with Down syndrome in WA haven’t had IQ testing, and certainly not babies or very young children. People with Down syndrome generally don’t have to provide this kind of information to prove eligibility.

If you already get disability services you may not need to provide any information to show you have an intellectual disability. For example, this could be Better Start for children, or therapy, respite, recreation or accommodation services from Disability Services. For new babies, parents may have to show a medical letter confirming the baby has Down syndrome.

Supports

It can be useful to have things like therapy reports to say how your disability affects you and the supports you need. The LC will also ask you/your parents to answer some questions to get an idea how much help you will need.

Some people with Down syndrome also have other kinds of disabilities, such as Autism, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy or other conditions that mean you need extra support or equipment. People with extra conditions will need to get medical letters or reports that say what the disability is, and if possible how it affects you and the extra support you need.


Step 2. My Story

What is My Story for?

The NDIS needs information about you to put in your plan to help work out what support you need, so it’s important that you write your story to make sure the information is correct and helps you get a good plan.

What do I put in My Story?

This information is about you, how old you are, your personality, things you like to do, things you are good at and information about your disability, your health and anything else that is important to you.

Your story also includes the important people in your life, where you live and who helps you at home.

It also includes information about the things you do in your life now, what help you need, what support you get, and who supports you.

When you have worked through the workbook, and have decided on your goals and the help you will need, you can add these. Your complete ‘My Story’ statement then gives the LC/Planner a really good picture of you and what you want your life to be like, and the support that you need.This section of the workbook has lots of space for you to write all of the information to put into your My Story.


Who I am

My name is:

My date of birth is:

Things I enjoy:

Things I am good at:

What people like about me:

My disability, health and other important information:


My home and the people I live with

I live with:

About my home (family home, own home, group home, renting, sharing etc)

These are the people who help me at home:


Important people in my life

On this page you can list the important people in your life, your relationship with them, and why they are important to you. This can be family, friends, people at school or work, people you share a home with, people you know from sport or other community activities, and people who help you in different parts of your life.


My life now

It’s a good idea when planning to look at what your life currently looks like and then think about what you want to stay the same and what you may want to change.

Then you can think about what goals you have and what supports you need to work towards achieving the goals.

The next few pages of the workbook will help you do this.

The next page has a weekly timetable. This may give you enough room to write in what you currently do, especially for babies. There are separate weekly worksheets and some for each day of the week so that you can add as much information as you want. You can print extra worksheets any time you need them, such as when you are getting ready for the annual review of your plan.

In the weekly or daily timetables, write down what you do at each time and who supports you to do it, such as parents or support workers.


15

My Week

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Early

Morning

Morning

Midday

Early

Afternoon

Late

Afternoon

Evening

Overnight

NDIS and Me: Steps to Plan Workbook - Down Syndrome WA 2018

Step 3. What I want my life to look like

In this section, you can write or draw what you want your life to look like.

If you like your life the way it is, you can ask for the support you need for things to stay the same. If there are things you don’t like about your life the way it is now, you can ask for support to make changes.


What I want to keep in my life

What is going well for me in my life? (Things I enjoy, that are exciting, that make me feel happy, that help me feel safe).

Things I want to stay the same.


What do I want to change?

If you don’t like your life the way it is, then you can ask for the support you need for things to change.

Things I don’t like in my life right now, that make me feel unhappy, unsafe, bored or stressed.

Things I want to change in my life.


What is stopping me having the life I want?

It might be that you need more friends and connections, some therapy, help to learn living skills, help with further studies after school, help to do sport or hobbies, help to find and keep a job, some equipment, technology, or other kinds of support.

What is stopping me having the life I want? What do I need?


Step 4: Life areas to think about

20

These are the “Eight Domains” or areas of life covered by the NDIS.Thanks to Les Cope for the diagram.


Daily Living

This is about being independent and doing ordinary day-to-day things

You can write on this page about any help you need with Daily Living.

Here are some examples: • Do you need help with learning to do more things for yourself? • Do you want to learn new life skills? What help will you need? • Do you need help with personal care, such as showering, shaving, getting dressed or

going to bed?• Do you need help getting to where you need to go in the day? This could be help with

travel / transport and /or learning how to do this more independently. • Do you need help getting to appointments and doing shopping?• Do you want someone to help you with paying your bills? This includes learning how

to do this yourself.• Is there any equipment you might need for daily living, such as continence products?

Have a look at the separate information sheets for your stage of life for more ideas.

Things I need to help me with daily living:


Home

This is about being independent at home

You can write on this page about any help you need to be independent at home.

Here are some examples of things to think about:

• Does your current home suit you?

• Are you living with people you like?

• Are you near people and places you know?

• Do you need to change where you live? Do you want to try something different?

• Do you need some help to make sure you stay living where you are?

• Are there any modifications that would help you to manage better, feel safer and happier in your home?

• Do you need support around the home to keep it clean and tidy, inside and out?


Things I need to help me be independent at home:


Health and wellbeing

This is about improving or maintaining your health, fitness and wellbeing

You can write on this page about any help you need to be fit, healthy and feel good.


• Do you want to get healthier, change your diet or do more physical activity, like taking up a sport?

• What is it you want to change or achieve?

• Are there any therapists, specialists or professionals that could help you in being healthy?

• Do you need help to get to doctor’s or therapy appointments, or to go to the gym or other exercise?

• Do you want to take a break or a holiday? What help do you need to plan and to get away?

Have a look at the separate information sheet for your stage of life for more ideas.

Things I need to help me with my fitness, health and wellbeing:


Choice and control

This is about learning or improving your skills to make decisions

You can write on this page about any help you need to be able to make more choices about your life


• Are you happy with the control that you have at the moment over the choices you make in daily life? This includes where you live, who you live with, your job, your social life or the services you get. What help might you need to choose to make some changes?

• Do you know about your rights, including making your own decisions?

• Do you need help with making big decisions?

• Do you need help to make choices about who supports you and when?

• Do you need help with learning how to make wise choices?

• Do you need help to speak out and be more confident?

• Do you need help with teaching others how you communicate your choices?

• Do you need help with planning for the future?

• Do you need support to set goals and put your plan into action?


Things I need to help me have more choice and control:


Social and community participation

This is about doing things in your community

You can write on this page about any help you need to be able to do things in your community.


• Do you need help to get out and about?

• Do you need help with communicating?

• Do you want to spend more time with other people in your community?

• Do you want to make more friends and get to know more people?

• Would you like to try new activities, like joining a club or group?

• Are you interested in being on a committee or group helping to make your community better?

• Do you want to find some roles you can do? What help will you need?

• Do you need help finding information about what is available in your community?

• What kind of sport activities, art, hobbies, social and leisure activities do you enjoy?

• Would you like to be more able to attend events or special occasions in your community?


Things I need to help me do things in my community:


Relationships

This is about building and keeping relationships with family and friends

You can write on this page about any help you need to be able to maintain and extend your relationships.


• Are you happy with the relationships in your life?

• Are you having difficulty in social situations or with getting along with your friends, family or other people in your life? Do you need help to be close to friends and family?

• What would you like your relationships to look like?

• Would you like help to learn social skills and have a better social life?

• Do you need help with learning about sex and your sexuality?

• Would you like to have more friends and better relationships?


Things I need to help me with relationships:


Lifelong learning

This is about learning something new or improving your skills, no matter how old you are.

You can write on this page about any help you need to be able to learn something new and/or improve your skills.


• Would you like to learn a new skill or get a qualification?

• Are you starting or moving to a new school or other form of education?

• What do you want to achieve?

• Are there any training programs or conferences that would be useful to you?

• Do you want to learn more about your rights? What help do you need?


Things I need to help me with lifelong learning:


Work

This is about finding, getting and keeping a job (paid or volunteer)

You can write on this page about any help you need to be able to do things in the workplace.


• Do you want to get a job or be a volunteer? What help do you need?

• What would you like to do?

• Do you want to increase your work or volunteer hours?

• Do you need help to get job ready?

• Do you need help to find and keep a job? What kind of help do you need?

• Do you need help to get to work or volunteer work?


Things I need to help me with work or volunteering:


Step 5: My Goals

This part lists my goals and things I want to work towards during this plan.

Have a look at the separate information sheet for your stage of life for example goals, but remember to set your own goals for your life using the information you have written in this workbook so far. You can include a few goals to work towards over the year.

Goal 1.

Goal 2.

Goal 3.

Goal 4.

Goal 5.

Goal 6.


Step 6: Support to reach my goals

30

Now that you have written some goals, think about what support you will need to reach them. For example, if your goal is to improve your health and fitness, you may need people who can help you get to the gym. You may also need a qualified person to advise you about healthy eating and exercise. If your goal is to get involved in some community activities, you may want help from a person who is good at finding out what is available, helping you make connections and helping you develop skills. If you want to improve your speech or communication, then you’d need help from a speech pathologist.

Look at your goals and write down the support you think you will need for each one.

Goal 1.

Goal 2.

Goal 3.

Goal 4.

Goal 5.

Goal 6.


Step 7: Help to put my plan into action

31

Sometimes it can be hard to know where to begin when you have a new plan, or new goals. You might want some help to get started or some ongoing help.

You can talk to your LC about the help you will need to put your plan into action.

What help do you think you might need?


Step 8: Help to manage my plan

You have a few different options when it comes to managing your plan and funding.

You can self manage your plan, have a plan manager, or the NDIA can manage your plan.

Have a look at the separate sheet on types of management options.

Here is a link to the latest information on management options on the NDIA site:

https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/understanding-your-plan-and-supports.html


https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/understanding-your-plan-and-supports.html

Resources

Fact sheets to go with this booklet:

Timetable sheets (Daily, weekly and occasional)

Life stages tip sheets

– Baby and Early Childhood

– Primary School

– High School

– Adult

Life Area posters

Links:

DSWA’s NDIS and Me Facebook group:

This is our closed Facebook group for Australians (living in any state or territory) with Down syndrome and their families. The group aims to help its members to get ready and get the best outcomes they can from the NDIS. This group is useful and relevant for sharing questions and experiences within the national and local Down syndrome communities. https://www.facebook.com/groups/NDISandMe/

NDIS

The NDIS website has lots of information about the scheme, for people with disability, for families/carers and for providers and communities. https://www.ndis.gov.au/index.html

The official Facebook page for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, posts every day with info about the scheme and people’s stories. The weekly Q & A is always worth looking at for answers to frequently asked questions during the week. https://www.facebook.com/NDISAus/

Disability Loop

This website contains much information and some great resources, some written and some videos, and they are all produced in plain language so they are easier to understand. Check it out here: https://www.disabilityloop.org.au/resources.html

Here is the Disability Loop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/disabilityloop


https://www.facebook.com/groups/NDISandMe/

https://www.ndis.gov.au/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/NDISAus/

https://www.disabilityloop.org.au/resources.html

https://www.facebook.com/disabilityloop

DSWA Help

Down Syndrome WA is a peer support organisation, and our trained staff have their own experiences of using services and supports and doing planning with their own families. We also have up to date information, a regular NDIS & Me eNews, local support groups and online support groups, where you can discuss NDIS planning with other people.

We can help you with getting ready for your NDIS plan, and advise on putting your plan into action.

Contact us at:

Down Syndrome WAPh: (08) 9368 4002Email: [email protected]


ndis and me: steps to plan workbook · anyone rush you. it is your right to do the plan when you...

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