Standard Operating Procedure

Complete the planning conversation tool

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will help you complete the Planning Conversation Tool task in the NDIS Business System (System).

Note:

• If you do not have access to the System use the Off System planning pack – 15 years and over. Transfer the information to the System when you get access.
• You don’t need to record your justification for changing the Typical Support Package here. You will do this as part of the Review and Submit Plan for Approval task. Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Review and submit plan for approval.
• The age range is changing for the NDIS early childhood approach. From July 1, 2023, the age will change to include children younger than 9. The change will be rolled out over the next 2 years. Early childhood partners will need to use this resource to plan for children aged 7 or 8.

Recent updates

Date	What’s changed
July 2023	Updates to support early childhood partners to plan for children aged 7 or 8.
April 2023	Guidance for staff inserted at step 10, reminding to use the participant’s correct pronouns in the Notes field.

Checklist

Topic	Checklist
Pre-requisites	You have:

• read and understood Our Guideline – Creating your plan.
• read and understood the Age range change
• started the planning conversation. |

Standard Operating Procedure

Checklist

• checked consent has been given to collect information from third parties (if relevant). Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Check third party consent or authority. If available, you have reviewed:

• the Access Request Form (ARF)

• current supports or compensation information provided under s55 of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act)

• any relevant recommendations or reports, such as a functional capacity assessment

• the participant statement

• any recorded informal, community and mainstream supports

• participant and family outcomes questionnaire responses

• Alerts, Interactions, or Inbound Documents

• the In-Kind listing report in Panda Live to see if the participant is receiving any In-kind supports. Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Using the In-kind Listing report

• supporting information provided by the participant or carer. This may include the Participant Booklet 2 — Planning or a carer’s statement. If the participant is self-managing, you have:

• checked bank account details are recorded. Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – View approved bank details

Actions

3.1 Complete the planning conversation tool

Procedure

Note: For participants younger than 7, the Reasonable and Necessary Supports Explanation checkbox is the only requirement that needs to be completed in the planning conversation tool. No further information needs to be completed in the planning conversation tool. Refer to the Practice Guide — Early childhood planning for additional information.

Complete the planning conversation tool

1. From the Pre-Planning staff tasks, select Planning Conversation Tool.

V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 2 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 74 of 131

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

2. The Create – Record Informal, Mainstream and Funded Support Needs screen displays. There are 13 sections to complete.

Record information in Notes that is relevant to your reasonable and necessary decision making. Only record information in this section that you do not record elsewhere in the System.

Note: Make sure you refer to the participant by their preferred name and correct pronouns.

3. Reasonable and Necessary Supports Explanation: You can use the reasonable and necessary explanation as a guide to help the participant understand what reasonable and necessary supports are, or you can use your own words. Select the checkbox to show you have done this.

Note: For participants younger than 7, this is the only section of the planning conversation tool that needs to be completed. Once completed, select Submit.

V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 3 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 75 of 131

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

Reasonable and Necessary Supports Explanation

The following explanation has been provided to the participant:

The NDIS provides reasonable and necessary supports that aim to assist people to live a good life through building and maintaining independence and through participation in community, work and social activities. There must be evidence that funded supports are likely to be effective and beneficial (good practice) and represent a reasonable cost in comparison to alternative support. Importantly, funded supports must relate to a person’s disability and have a clear link to their goals. The NDIS does not fund supports that are seen as day-to-day living costs, that is, costs that everyone would incur regardless of whether they have a disability e.g. if a participant has a goal of getting fit by going to a gym, the NDIS may pay for the support or assistive technology the person requires to undertake this activity, however it is not the NDIS’s responsibility to pay for a person’s gym membership itself. Before the NDIS can determine what is reasonable and necessary to fund we must first explore what can be provided by informal and other support systems. This is because the NDIS does not want to replace the positive natural supports a person has in their life (such as those supports provided by family, carers and friends); and because the NDIS is not responsible for funding supports that are already available through existing services, community groups or government departments (such as Medicare or the education system).

Daily living (core support needs): Select the relevant checkboxes.

Daily living (core support needs)

• Financial management - mainstream: ✔
• Informal support available:
• Personal Care:
• Live in carer:
• Group activity:
• Host /alternative family situation:

Daily living (capacity support needs to improve daily living): Select the relevant checkboxes.

V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 4 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 76 of 131

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

6. Daily living (capital – assistive technology (AT)): Select the relevant checkboxes.

   • Daily living (capital - assistive technology (AT))
     • Referral to mainstream service:
     • Assessment required:
     • Therapy / skills training:

   Notes: redacted for more information refer to:

   • Our Guideline – Assistive technology on the NDIS website, and
   • Assistive Technology guidance on the Planning Intranet page.

7. Daily living (capital – vehicle modification needs): Select the relevant checkboxes.

   • Daily living (capital - vehicle modification needs)
     • Referral to mainstream service:
     • Assessment required:

   Notes: redacted V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 5 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 77 of 131

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

Home (capital – home modification needs): Select the relevant checkboxes.

• Referral to mainstream service:
• Assessment required:

Notes:

Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Include home modification capacity building supports in plans if you need more information.

Home (capacity building support needs to improve living arrangements):

• For Younger People in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) participants in a Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF): select Support to locate accommodation. Go to Step 10.
• For all other participants: select the relevant checkboxes. Go to Step 11.

Home (capacity building support needs to improve living arrangements):

• Referral to mainstream service:
• Informal support available:
• Therapy / skills training:
• Support to maintain tenancy:
• Support to locate accommodation:
• Support to sustain informal care:

Notes:

For YPIRAC participants record the following questions and the participant’s answers at every review in Notes:

• What led to you living in aged care? For example, breakdown of informal supports, function getting worse, couldn’t find housing to support my needs, high medical support needs, cost.
  • Is it your choice to live in aged care?
    • If yes, why do you think aged care is the best place for you to live? For example, worried about getting the right supports, safety reasons, change in the family, like living in aged care.
• If no, continue to next question.

V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 6 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 78 of 131

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

• Did you consider or try other housing options? For example, support to live at home, Supported Independent Living or Specialist Disability Accommodation.
  • If no, ask the participant to explain why. Consider if the NDIA can support the participant to overcome any barriers.
  • If yes, ask the participant to explain why they didn’t find the options suitable. Keep a record of the housing options considered and the participant’s reasons.
• During this plan, do you need support to explore other housing options? Tell the participant what supports may be funded in the plan. Tell them they will be supported to identify and choose suitable housing options. This will include support for assessments and support coordination where needed.
• When thinking about other housing, what are your preferences? If the participant has a goal to find suitable housing refer to Practice Guide – Identifying housing solutions.

11. Social/Community Participation (capacity building supports to improve participation): Select the relevant checkboxes.

Referral to mainstream service:	Informal support available
Referral to volunteer work:	Skills development (ind./group)
Peer support/ mentoring:	Activity costs

12. The Work (capacity building supports to find and keep a Job): Select the relevant checkboxes.

| Referral to mainstream service: | Informal support available | | Referral to ADE: | ADE Ongoing | | On-the-job support: | Employment preparation | | Employment Services Assessment: | |

V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 7 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 79 of 131

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

Relationships (capacity building supports to improve relationships): Select the relevant checkboxes.

• Referral to mainstream counselling:
• Informal support available:
• Referral to mainstream service:
• Behaviour intervention:
• Social skills development:

Notes:

Refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Behaviour intervention supports if you need more information.

Health and Wellbeing (capacity building support needs to improve health and wellbeing): Select the relevant checkboxes.

• Referral to mainstream allied health:
• Informal support available:
• Referral to mainstream service:
• Personal training:

Notes:

Lifelong Learning (capacity building support needs to improve learning): Select the relevant checkboxes.

• Referral to mainstream service:
• Informal support available:
• Mainstream education:
• Employment Services Assessment:
• Transition from school to other:

Notes:

V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 8 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 80 of 131

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

Choice and control (capacity building support needs to improve life choices):

Select the relevant checkboxes.

Training in plan management:	Support connection:
Support coordination (SC):	Specialist SC:
Plan Management Provider:	Notes:

Notes:

• If you need more information on plan management or support coordination refer to:
  • Standard Operating Procedure – Complete the Determine Plan Management task
  • Standard Operating Procedure – Include Support Coordination in a plan.
• If support coordination or a recovery coach is included in the plan, ask the participant or their authorised representative if they have a preferred provider. If they do, refer to Standard Operating Procedure – Make a Request for Service (support coordination and recovery coach). You will also need to ask for their consent for the NDIA to make a referral on their behalf.
  • For more information, refer to Practice Guide – Psychosocial disability and Standard Operating Procedure – Include Psychosocial Recovery Coach support in a plan.

When you have finished select Submit.

Related procedures or resources

• Our Guideline – Creating your plan
• Our Guideline – Assistive technology
• Planning Intranet page
• Participant Booklet 2 – Planning
• Off System planning pack – 15 years and over

V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 9 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 81 of 131

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

• Practice Guide — Psychosocial disability
• Practice Guide — Identifying housing solutions
• Practice Guide — Early childhood planning
• Standard Operating Procedure — Behaviour intervention supports
• Standard Operating Procedure — Check third party consent or authority
• Standard Operating Procedure — Complete the Determine Plan Management task
• Standard Operating Procedure — Include home modification capacity building supports in plans
• Standard Operating Procedure — Include Psychosocial Recovery Coach support in a plan
• Standard Operating Procedure — Include Support Coordination in a plan
• Standard Operating Procedure — Make a Request for Service (support coordination and recovery coach)
• Standard Operating Procedure — Review and submit plan for approval
• Standard Operating Procedure — Using the In-kind Listing report
• Standard Operating Procedure — View approved bank details

Feedback

If you have any feedback about this Standard Operating Procedure, please complete our Feedback Form.

Version control

Version	Amended by	Brief Description of Change	Status	Date
1.0	CW0032	Class 2 approval. Standard Operating Procedure moved to the new SOP format to be used with Our Guidelines — Creating your plan. This SOP replaces existing SOP — Complete the planning conversation tool V7.0.	APPROVED	2021-02-09

V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 10 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 82 of 131

Standard Operating Procedure

For Internal Use Only

Version	Amended by	Brief Description of Change	Status	Date
2.0	EMN960	Class 1 approved Updated to align with updates to planning resources for participants younger than 7.	APPROVED	2022-01-20
3.0	EMN960	Class 1 approved Reminder to use the participant’s correct pronouns.	APPROVED	2023-02-03
4.0	CW0032 IIW664	Class 2 approved Updated to align with the early childhood age range change. Updates to support early childhood partners to plan for children aged 7 or 8.	APPROVED	2023-06-19

V4.0 2023-06-19 Complete the planning conversation tool Page 11 of 11 This document is uncontrolled when printed. OFFICIAL Page 83 of 131