NDIS Funded Support Services

NDIS funded support services to individuals that are Self or Plan Managed

Social Work and the NDIS

Social Workers are allied health professionals who help people face life’s challenges, improve their wellbeing and do their best to ensure people are treated fairly.

Social Work is a tertiary qualified profession involving a minimum of 4 years at university, and Social Workers have specialised expertise and training in specific areas of human behaviour, family relationships, social justice and human rights.

Social Workers are governed by professional standards through the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and the profession is recognised by the Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA).

What can Social Workers offer to NDIS clients?

In the disability field, Social Workers can use their diverse range of professional skills to build capacity for people with disabilities around particular areas as identified within the individual’s NDIS Plan. They can undertake assessments, provide 1:1 and group interventions and provide training for caregivers as well as professionals.

Some of the support Social Workers can offer includes:

  • Conducting specialist assessments and reporting on these. Such as Functional Capacity Assessments (FCAs) or Biopsychosocial assessments to assist with collating and presenting detailed, specific information on life domains impacted by disability and the corresponding areas of support needed for individuals.

  • Specific, tailored therapeutic interventions to help build capacity in individuals with disability – such as supporting understanding the nature and impact of diagnosis; strength-based skill building for self- advocacy, effective communication and/or conflict management; explicitly teaching social and life skills necessary for positive relationship building etc...

  • Customising and teaching behaviour management strategies to individuals and/or caregivers and external supports involved with the individual.

  • Providing specialist psychoeducation to individuals and/or their caregivers around sensitive and complex issues such as:

    • Guardianship and Administration processes (including exploration of alternatives and collation and compilation of specialist reports around this)

    • Sexuality, relationship and protective education within a tailored disability context

    • Supporting self-advocacy around disability discrimination, social exclusion and abuse of individuals

      with disabilities

    • Futures and post-school intensive planning processes

  • Taking a key therapist allied health role and ensuring multidisciplinary collaboration whilst coordinating positive partnerships with key stakeholders and family

  • Educating parents and carers to build their own capacity, skill and confidence to better support their loved one with a disability

    Can Social Work support be funded by NDIS?

    Yes. Social Workers are able to work with NDIS clients under the NDIS Registration Group – 0128 – Therapeutic Supports, when the Social Worker is a member of the AASW and undertaking clinical supervision and professional development as required by AASW (p24 of NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission’s NDIS Practice Standards Sept 2021).