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Understand and update the plan conversation support tool

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For Internal Use Only The contents of this document are OFFICIAL.

Understand and update the plan conversation support tool

Guidance in this document is not approved for use unless you view it in PACE. This article provides guidance for all NDIA staff and partners to:

  • understand the plan conversation support tool
  • update the plan conversation support tool
  • update the plan conversation support tool as a JAWS user
  • update ZoomText before you use the plan conversation support tool.

Recent updates

12 August 2024

Guidance updated to:

  • mention that the Plan Conversation Support Tool (PCST) must be used for all new plans and plan reassessments
  • change how agency staff provide PCST feedback
  • remove retired article Understand the product catalogue
  • change name of article Understand, review and determine changes to the draft budget to Understand the draft budget.
29 July 2024

Guidance updated to:

  • align process steps with enhancements made to the Plan conversation support tool (PCST)
  • include instructions for naming the tool when saving it to your local device.

Before you start

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You have:

  • understood the participant’s disability-related support needs
  • made a decision to fund supports using the NDIS funding criteria (external) and relevant Operational Guidelines (external)
  • received technical advice if needed, using article Create a technical advice case
  • received the home and living decision if needed, using article View and update a home and living application
  • understood the draft budget using article Understand the draft budget
  • read and understood article Support categories.

Understand the plan conversation support tool

In PACE, draft budgets are developed based on the:

  • Typical Support Package (TSP) for first plans. This is based on information collected during the community connections, early connections and access stages of the participant journey
  • supports in the participant’s previous plan, transitioned from SAP CRM
  • supports from the participant’s current plan for reassessments or variations.

If you’re a delegate, you’ll review draft budgets against information and evidence to make sure it meets the NDIS funding criteria (external).

We’ve developed the plan conversation support tool (PCST) to support delegates when adjusting the TSP, or the previous plan budget. Use the PCST instead of other resources as it’s the only accepted tool for developing draft budgets.

The prices in the PCST are current and updated according to the NDIS product catalogue.

Who can use the plan conversation support tool?

If you’re a delegate, use the PCST to:

  • develop a draft budget that meets the NDIS funding criteria (external)
  • provide evidence to support your decision to approve the participant’s plan.

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If you’re partner or agency staff, use the PCST to understand how the plan was developed and how different budget categories were funded. Use the Budget Calculator tool (external) to support plan implementation.

s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies

Update the plan conversation support tool

If you use the PCST, record factual and accurate information. The PCST forms part of the participant’s record and must be added to the case.

Note: The participant may ask to see information on their record through the Participant Information Access process or Freedom of Information process. For more information, go to Our Guideline – Your privacy and information (external).

Access the plan conversation support tool

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Make sure the most current and up-to-date version of the plan conversation support tool (PCST) is used. Each time you use the PCST, open it from the PACE tools and resources library on the 3P Hub.

  1. From the PACE tools and resources library on the 3P Hub, open the Plan conversation support tool.
  2. If you:
    • use JAWS, learn tips about saving and using the PCST in section Update the plan conversation support tool as a JAWS user in this article
    • don’t use JAWS, go to step 3.
  3. Save a copy on your local device using the naming convention ‘[Case number] Plan conversation guide Day_Month_Year’. For example, 12345 Plan conversation guide 29_July_2024. Note: Don’t record the participant’s name or NDIS number in the file name or document.
  4. Go to section Record participant details in this article.

Record participant details

Use these steps to record participant details in the plan conversation support tool.

  1. From the Plan conversation support tool (PCST) summary, confirm the prerequisites are complete.
  2. Select Answer questions in Record participant details.
  3. At Do you have evidence to show the supports meet the NDIS funding criteria? select from the drop-down options.
  4. At Record the plan draft budget, record the budget if generated in PACE.
  5. At Select the participant’s age range, select from the drop-down options.
  6. At Confirm the Modified Monash Model (MMM) record the participant’s postcode, suburb and state.

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Note: If the MMM doesn’t display for the suburb recorded, use a neighbouring suburb with the same postcode or MMM. Confirm the neighbouring suburb using the Health Workforce Locator (external).

  1. At Confirm plan duration, record the plan start date using DD-MM-YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY. For example, 01-12-2026.

  2. At Select the amount of years from the drop-down options, select the plan duration years.

  3. To add months to the plan duration, at Select the amount of months from the drop-down options, select the amount of months. Otherwise, you can leave this blank.

  4. Confirm the plan conversation support tool will generate supports for the right amount of:

  • months
  • weeks
  • weekdays
  • Saturdays
  • Sundays
  • Public Holidays.

  1. Take note of the duration amounts to help record support in the PCST. For example, if the participant needs support on a public holiday, you’ll need to use the amount of public holidays when recording support in the PCST.

  2. Select Return to budget summary.

  3. Go to section Record the participant’s support needs in this article.

Record participant support needs

Use these steps to record NDIS funded supports in the plan conversation support tool.

  1. From Flexible support budget and Stated support budget, select support categories relevant to the participant. Don’t select support categories that aren’t related to the participant’s support needs. For example, select Assistance with Daily Life if the

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participant needs assistance with daily life. You’re now on the Assistance with Daily Life page. For information, go to article Support Categories.

  1. If the draft PACE budget is available, record the participant’s draft budget for the support category. For example, the draft budget for assistance with daily living.
  2. Answer questions for support items which relate to the participant’s support needs. Don’t answer questions for support items that don’t relate to the participant’s support needs. For example, if you determine the participant doesn’t need assistance with self-care activities, move to Specialised home-based assistance for a child section in the PCST. If you determine the participant needs assistance with self-care activities, complete the Assistance with self-care activities section.
  3. If a question you want to answer is blacked out or N/A, check you have answered all the questions in Record participant details.
  4. At Does assistance with self-care activities meet the NDIS funding criteria? select from the drop-down options.
  5. If you select:
  • Yes, supports that can be recorded will show as purple, as this support may meet the NDIS funding criteria.
  • No, questions will show as N/A and be blacked out, as this support wouldn’t meet the NDIS funding criteria.
  1. Record supports that meet the NDIS funding criteria (external) for the participant in the purple fields.
  2. At Support item, select from the drop-down options. Include support using the level, time of day, and day of week which meets the NDIS funding criteria.
  3. At Ratio of support, select from the drop-down options.
  4. At Quantity, record the amount needed. For example, the amount of hours or amount of items which meet the NDIS funding criteria. The Quantity unit will show if the item should be included as hours or per item.

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  1. At Frequency, record how often the support is needed.

  2. At Frequency units, select how the Frequency should be measured from the drop-down options. For example, 10 weeks or 10 months during the plan period.

  3. The PCST will generate supports using the Support item, Ratio of support, Quantity and Frequency. s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies

  4. At How much funding quoted for on-call overnight assistance meets the NDIS funding criteria, record the amount quoted. If the participant doesn’t need this support, move to the next question.

  5. Once questions for support items which relate to the participant’s support needs are complete, review the the support category summary. For example, Assistance with daily life summary. If support items:

  • align with the participant’s support needs, continue to step 16.
  • don’t align with the participant’s support needs, repeat steps 3 to 15 in this section.
  1. At Next steps, select:
  • Continue: this will take you to the next support category.
  • Back: this will take you to the previous support category.
  • Return to budget summary: this will take you to the Plan conversation support tool (PCST) summary page.

  1. Complete these steps for each Flexible support budget and Stated support budget support categories relevant to the participant’s support needs.

  2. Once each support category relevant to the participant’s support needs is complete, go to section Review supports generated in the plan conversation support tool in this article.

Review supports generated in the plan conversation support tool

Use this section to understand and review supports generated in the plan conversation support tool.

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  1. From the Plan conversation support tool (PCST) summary, review the Flexible support budget and Stated support budget.
  2. Confirm supports align with your decision against the NDIS funding criteria, including:
    • Draft PACE budget: this is the draft budget recorded for each support category.
    • PCST budget: this is the amount for supports recorded in the PCST.
    • Monthly PACE input amount: this is the monthly amount of the PCST budget. Use this amount to record the budget in PACE.
  3. At the Outcome and Recommendation table, review the budget estimate and recommendation to understand next steps.
  4. If the budget estimate is:
    • higher than redacted of the draft PACE budget, review the participant’s support needs against the NDIS funding criteria (external). Confirm what type of approval you’ll need for changes with your senior planner or team leader. For more information, go to article Understand the draft budget.
    • less than, or similar to, the draft PACE budget, it’s likely the draft PACE budget will meet the participant’s support needs.
  5. Go to section Add the plan conversation support tool to a case in this article.

Add the plan conversation support tool to a case

  1. Save any changes made to the plan conversation support tool (PCST).
  2. Add the PCST to the case as an Excel document. Don’t upload the PCST as a PDF. To learn how to add the PCST to a case, go to article Add documents to a case. Note: Participants can’t view documents you add in PACE. Participants can only view receipts or invoices they upload to their my NDIS portal. Participants can only access the PCST if they ask to see information on their record through the Participant Information Access process or Freedom of Information process. For more information, go to Our Guideline – Your privacy and information (external).

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  1. Delete the PCST from your local device. Don’t use the version saved on your local device for another participant. Always open and use the most current and up-to-date version of the PCST from the PACE tools and resources library on the 3P Hub.

  2. If you:

  • Use ZoomText, go to section Turn on ZoomText controls in this article.
  • Don’t use ZoomText, go to section Next steps in this article.

Update the plan conversation support tool as a JAWS user

The plan conversation support tool (PCST) is built into Microsoft Excel and uses different sheets for each support category. Use these steps to learn how to save and navigate the PCST as a JAWS user.

These steps are to compliment, not replace, the guidance in this article.

Save the plan conversation support tool using JAWS

  1. Save a copy of the plan conversation support tool (PCST) on your local device, press F12 to open Save As dialog box.
  2. Press SHIFT+TAB to navigate to the folder tree view.
  3. Use your arrow keys to select Desktop and press ENTER.
  4. Press TAB to return to File Name.
  5. Use the naming convention ‘Case number Plan conversation guide Day_Month_Year’. For example, 12345 Plan conversation guide 29_July_2024. Note: Don’t record the participant’s name or NDIS number in the file name or document.
  6. Press ENTER to save.
  7. JAWS will announce Select a label submenu, press ENTER to continue.
  8. Select Unofficial and press ENTER.
  9. Press TAB to navigate to Apply.
  10. Press ENTER to save the PCST.

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  1. If you want to:
  • learn how to navigate the PCST, go to section Navigate the plan conversation support tool using JAWS in this article.
  • complete the PCST, go to section Record participant details in this article.

Use these steps to understand what navigation keys you can use to move through cells in the plan conversation support tool (PCST). This includes navigation keys to move past options you don’t need to record in the PCST. For example, move past disability-related health consumables section if this support doesn’t meet the NDIS funding criteria.

  • ARROW UP to move up
  • ARROW DOWN to move down
  • ARROW LEFT to move left
  • ARROW RIGHT to move right
  • CONTROL+HOME to move to the top of the page
  • CONTROL+END to move to the bottom of the page.

Record the participant’s support needs

Use the free edit box or the combo box options to record supports in the plan conversation support tool. Activate the combo box by typing the answer, such as yes or no, or opening the options.

  1. Press ALT+ARROW DOWN. The combo box will open.
  2. Press ARROW UP or ARROW DOWN to navigate.
  3. Press ENTER to select from the drop-down options.

Note: A dialog box will appear as an alert if your entry doesn’t fit the cell requirements. This will happen if you’ve not selected a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer or have entered a date more than the timeframe allowed.

Use these tips to navigate between Excel spreadsheets.

  • Press CONTROL+PAGE UP or CONTROL+PAGE DOWN to navigate between sheets.

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  • Press CONTROL+SHIFT+S and ARROW UP or ARROW DOWN to navigate to the sheet you need.
  • Press CONTROL+HOME or CONTROL+END to allow JAWS to take you to the beginning or end of the spreadsheet options. Press ENTER to select the chosen sheet.

Press ENTER on hyperlinks within the spreadsheet to help you navigate between sheets or go to external knowledge articles. Use the below tips to help you navigate faster around hyperlinks:

  1. Press JAWS Key+F7 to stack hyperlinks.
  2. Press ARROW UP or ARROW DOWN to navigate around hyperlinks.
  3. Press ENTER to select and open the hyperlink.

If you’re ready to use the PCST, go to section Record participant details in this article.

Update ZoomText before you use the plan conversation support tool

When you select a drop-down field in the PCST, ZoomText moves your magnified view to the very top-left corner of the screen. To stop ZoomText moving your magnified view, use these steps to turn off ZoomText controls.

Turn off ZoomText controls

  1. From the ZoomText Magnifier/Reader window, select Navigation.
  2. From the drop-down options, select Tracking.
  3. The Navigation Settings will open. From Track on these items, select Controls to uncheck the box.
  4. Select OK. ZoomText controls are now off.
  5. Complete the PCST, go to section Record participant details in this article.

Turn on ZoomText controls

  1. From the ZoomText Magnifier/Reader window, select Navigation.

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  1. From the drop-down options, select Tracking.
  2. The Navigation Settings will open. From Track on these items, select Controls to check the box.
  3. Select OK. ZoomText controls are now on.
  4. Go to section Next steps in this article.

Next steps

  1. If the plan conversation support tool recommends:

    • changes to the budget for a plan approval case, go to article Change the draft budget.
    • changes to the budget for a plan change or participant budget update case, go to article Action a budget update.
    • it’s likely the draft PACE budget will meet the participant’s support needs, you’re not likely to change the budget. Go to step 2.

  2. If you:

Feedback about the plan conversation support tool

We’ll continue to review feedback and improve the plan conversation support tool. If you’re:

  • Agency staff, create a ticket using 3P PACE Service Delivery Support. Select 3P Ways of Working in the 3P Area dropdown.
  • Partner staff, give feedback to your Super User.

Article labels – internal use only

PACE user role names

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No changes.

Topics

No changes.

Case names

No changes.

Ownership

No changes.

Version control

Version Amended by Brief Description of Change Status Date
5.1 SGH107 Removed mention of retired article Understand the product catalogue. DRAFT 2024-07-19
5.2 BTM847 Peer review DRAFT 2024-07-30
5.3 SGH107 Action peer review feedback DRAFT 2024-07-30
5.4 EJW711 EL1 review DRAFT 2024-08-05
5.5 SGH107 Change to how agency staff provide PCST feedback. New inclusion of mandatory PCST use. DRAFT 2024-08-06
5.6 ADO206 Peer review DRAFT 2024-08-07
6.0 JS0082 Class 1 Approval Mention that the Plan Conversation Support Tool (PCST) must be used for all new plans and plan reassessments. Change to how agency staff provide PCST feedback APPROVED 2024-08-08

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