EC PEC – Carers – Sustaining | FOI document library

Document 2 FOI 25/26-3703

EC PEC – Carers – Sustaining

  informal supports

       SGP KP Publishing

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SGP KP Publishing – EC PEC – Carers – Sustaining informal supports

Table of Contents

1 Recent updates …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4

2 Before you start …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

3 Carers questions in the PEC case ………………………………………………………………………….. 6

4 Support provided by informal, community and mainstream supports …………………….. 7

4.1 Childcare services ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7

5 Sustaining informal supports ………………………………………………………………………………… 8

5.1 PEC question: ‘After considering informal, community and mainstream supports, does the family require NDIS funded supports to sustain their caring role because of the child’s developmental delay or disability’ …………………………………………………………………………………….. 8

5.2 PEC question: ‘to help with the child’s daily routines such as completing personal care’ .. 8

5.3 PEC question: ‘to have time to attend to daily tasks’ ………………………………………………… 9

5.4 PEC question: ‘to attend to other responsibilities such as siblings needs’ ………………….. 10

5.5 PEC question: ‘to have a break from caring for the participant’ ………………………………… 10

6 Guidance for planner delegates on funding Core Supports for children younger than 9 12

6.1 Examples of support item scenarios …………………………………………………………………….. 12

6.1.1 Specialised Home-Based Assistance for a Child: …………………………………………………………….. 12

6.1.2 Assistance With Self-Care Activities – Standard: ……………………………………………………………… 12

6.1.3 Assistance With Self-Care Activities - High Intensity:………………………………………………………… 12

6.1.4 Intensive and Complex Behaviour Support: …………………………………………………………………….. 12

Table of Contents – 2

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This article provides guidance for early childhood partners and planner delegates about:

Carers questions in the Personal Environmental Circumstances (PEC) case
Considering the support provided by informal, community and mainstream supports
Sustaining informal supports
Funding support to sustain informal supports for children younger than 9

Careful consideration should be made when completing the PEC case to best reflect the

participant and their family’s actual circumstances and NDIS funded support needs. The PEC

case is used to inform the Typical Support Package (TSP) and planner delegate reasonable

and necessary decision making.

Recent updates – 3

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1 Recent updates

8 September 2025

Additional guidance related to childcare services
Guidance to complete PEC questions updated.

1 September 2025

Intranet links updated
Minor update to direction for PACE

Recent updates – 4

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2 Before you start

You have read and understood:

article EC Early intervention supports for early childhood overview
Our Guideline – Mainstream and Community Supports (external).

Before you start – 5

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3 Carers questions in the PEC case

The PEC case is completed by the early childhood partner or, in non-partnered areas the

planner delegate. The responses to the questions in the Carers section should capture any

relevant information to support the planner delegate to make a decision about funded supports

the family may require, to sustain their caring role.

Where NDIS support for this is being requested or considered, a conversation with the child’s

family should take place to explain that NDIS support does not replace, but compliments the

support provided by informal, community and mainstream supports. Where there are requests

for support the reasonable and necessary criteria should be discussed with the family, including

how they might apply to the request.

Carers questions in the PEC case – 6

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4 Support provided by informal, community and

mainstream supports

The support provided by families is vitally important to children. Typically, the support for

children with daily activities and community access is provided by families and other informal

supports. Some children also receive support from mainstream services such as early childhood

education and care or school.

Funded supports in a plan are not intended to replace the usual care and supervision provided

by family or other informal carers, or support that is the responsibility of community and

mainstream services to provide. Information on a child’s participation in early childhood

education and care and school settings is recorded in responses to the PEC case – Daily

Supports questions, in the participant’s My Profile tab (in particular, the ICM tab) and within the

completed ecomap.

4.1 Childcare services

The NDIS does not fund childcare fees including fees associated with specialist childcare

models. This also means the costs associated with the reasonable adjustment that childcare

services are required to make to accommodate a child with developmental delay or disability.

Support is available through the Australian Government’s, Inclusion Support Program who

provide support for eligible early childhood education and care services.

Childcare services have a responsibility to provide learning assistance and supervision so all

children can learn and join in. They must do this by making reasonable adjustments and

providing inclusion supports for children. For eligible services, this might be provided through an

additional educator funded through the inclusion agency. The childcare service will continue to

be responsible to provide learning assistance and supervision for all children while they are in

attendance. Support funded through the Inclusion Support Program can help the service

provide individual support for a child at specific times of the day. For example, for going to the

toilet or feeding. However, it does not provide 1:1 support for children who always need close

supervision due to medical or behavioural risks.

If a child has high disability support needs which are beyond the reasonable adjustment

requirements of a childcare service and support through the Inclusion Support Program, it may

be reasonable for the NDIS to fund individualised disability supports to assist them while at

childcare. For example, some children may require funding in their plan for personal care

support for disability related health needs, such as specialist help with feeding or for

individualised support for a period of time where there are significant behaviours of concern or

risks.

When considering funding to support a participant in a childcare service planner delegates need

to consider the evidence available from either the service, education department or Inclusion

Support Program as to why the child’s needs cannot be met through these supports.

If there are likely complexities in engaging services, it is important to consider if a family

requires additional assistance to ensure they have the support to meet their needs. For

example, funded supports may be required to assist with this such as support coordination.

Note: The PEC question does not directly capture this information. It is important to record any

information about this in the Activity Log – Internal Note for the planner delegate to consider

Support provided by informal, community and mainstream supports – 7

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5 Sustaining informal supports

Where a child requires support with daily activities significantly beyond the level usually required

for a child of the same age, and families require support to sustain their caring role, funded

supports in their plan may be required. For this to be considered, the need for any increased

level of support must be directly attributed to the child’s developmental delay or disability.

When thinking about this, the needs of the both the child and their family should be considered.

This approach not only supports the child’s development and wellbeing but also helps maintain

the overall wellbeing and sustainability of the family.

When answering the PEC questions, any relevant information should be added to the free text

field and then to the Activity log to Internal notes if it does not fit in the space provided.

redacted: [s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies](/library/documents/bc455e3f7247-foi-24-25-0515-documents/document-015__47e-d-certain-operations-of-agencies/)

Sustaining informal supports – 8

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redacted: [s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies](/library/documents/bc455e3f7247-foi-24-25-0515-documents/document-015__47e-d-certain-operations-of-agencies/)

Sustaining informal supports – 9

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redacted: [s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies](/library/documents/bc455e3f7247-foi-24-25-0515-documents/document-015__47e-d-certain-operations-of-agencies/)

Sustaining informal supports – 10

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redacted: [s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies](/library/documents/bc455e3f7247-foi-24-25-0515-documents/document-015__47e-d-certain-operations-of-agencies/)

Sustaining informal supports – 11

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6 Guidance for planner delegates on funding Core

Supports for children younger than 9

This guidance provides clarification as to how different support items can be applied for Core

supports for children younger than 9.

6.1 Examples of support item scenarios

6.1.1 Specialised Home-Based Assistance for a Child:

This support item provides specialist assistance in the home that is required due to additional

requirements of a child’s developmental delay or disability and may be funded to strengthen the

sustainability of informal supports.

Note: This rate should only be used if you are confident all the care will be provided in the home

environment only and the child does not have complex support needs.

Note: There is no weekend rate for this support. For weekend assistance, planners should

consider the Assistance with Self-Care Activities rate.

6.1.2 Assistance With Self-Care Activities – Standard:

These support items provide a child with assistance with, or supervision of, personal tasks of

daily life.

This rate applies to children who require assistance in or out of the home with daily personal

activities. This can be used for children with behaviours of concern that require moderate

support or for other circumstances such as personal care support. This funding is not expected

to replace the family’s responsibility for their children to access the community. For example, to

drive a child to or from a community activity.

6.1.3 Assistance With Self-Care Activities - High Intensity:

These support items provide a participant (including children under 9 years of age) with a need

for High Intensity Supports with assistance with, or supervision of, personal tasks of daily life.

This rate applies to children with disability-related health support needs that require high-level

assistance, for example complex feeding needs, respiratory care, or dysphagia.

Note: Ensure funding for Registered Nurse (RN) delegation and supervision of care is also

included for these children, using the CB - Improved Daily Living budget.

For more information refer to Supplementary module: High intensity daily personal activities |

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (external) and Disability Related Health Supports.

Refer to article Determine disability-related health supports and meal preparation supports.

6.1.4 Intensive and Complex Behaviour Support:

This rate is intended and only included for children with very complex behaviours of concern

where a support worker is needed to implement intensive and complex behaviour support plans

and strategies.

Refer to current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Pricing Limits (external)

Guidance for planner delegates on funding Core Supports for children younger than 9 – 12

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Document for detailed criteria to apply this support item, refer to article Understand

behaviour support.

Guidance for planner delegates on funding Core Supports for children younger than 9 – 13

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