One of the central aims of the NDIS is to give people with disability more choice and control over how they achieve their goals. If you're an NDIS participant, this means you have the power to choose how you manage your funding, what service providers you work with, and when you receive supports.
When people with disability have more choice and control, they're more likely to achieve better outcomes and use their funding more effectively and efficiently.
However, deciding how to exercise choice and control can be tricky at times. For example, there may be limited NDIS providers in your local area to actually choose from.
In this article, we discuss what choice and control is all about, and how Like Family as an NDIS registered provider further facilitates choice and control.
What do we mean by choice and control?
You've probably heard the phrase "choice and control" many times, but what does it actually mean?
Well, before the NDIS was introduced, the Productivity Commission found the support system of the time gave people with disability little choice over their supports and services. This is partly because funding went straight to the provider of disability services, not the person who actually benefited from those services.
Now, choice and control is a fundamental principle of the NDIS. Funding is now provided to people with disability themselves, who can choose how to best use that funding to achieve their goals. This includes:
- choosing how to manage your plan. You can manage your NDIS plan yourself, via the NDIA, or with the help of a plan manager.
- choosing how to use your funding. If you have core supports funding, you may use it flexibly for a range of things, like consumables or domestic assistance.
- choosing what services or supports you receive. You have choice and control over what service providers you work with, and what support workers.
How Like Family facilitates choice and control
As a proud NDIS registered provider, we aim to give you unparalleled choice and control over how you receive social and community support. This means you can:
Choose which support workers you work with
When you sign up as a Member and post your first Activity, you can browse thousands of Social Carers (support workers) across NSW, Victoria and Queensland. You can filter this list by age, location, support experience, interests and much more. If you see someone you like, you can message them and ask for their availability.
Ultimately, you make the decision about who you want to work with, and you can communicate your expectations directly to the Social Carer right from the very beginning.
If you have found a Social Carer you like, you can choose to see that same Social Carer every week. We understand that it can be frustrating having a different person arrive each time you require care, so we do not rotate staff endlessly like some other providers. This means you don't need to repeat the same instructions over again to a different person every week!
Choose how you achieve your goals
One of the best ways to find support with Like Family is to post an Activity. This is like a job ad outlining what type of support you need. You get to choose when you receive support and how often.
You can explain to prospective Social Carers what you'd like to do together, whether that's going for a bushwalk, doing arts & craft, or getting a lift to the movies. Our Social Carers will then listen to your unique needs and work with you towards achieving your goals.
Note: when you post an Activity, you can set any Social Carer preferences. So if you only want to work with people who are similar in age to you, we won't show your Activity to anyone outside of your preferred age bracket.
Choose what information you share
We understand that information about your identity is private and sensitive. To help make you feel safe on our platform, we won't share your information with Social Carers unless you choose to engage with them to arrange a booking.
For example, when you post an Activity, you can choose whether or not to share details about your care needs with potential Carers. You can also search for Social Carers on our website without signing up at all!
That being said, it is handy to share any relevant details about your care needs with Social Carers when you're ready to make a booking. This ensures they can provide high-quality, personalised quality support.
Enjoy more choice and control with Like Family
Like Family is on a mission to give everyone the opportunity to achieve their full potential, regardless of age or ability. We provide social and community support services to help our Members achieve their goals while building meaningful relationships. Some of the activities we can help with include:
- community access
- household tasks
- arts & craft
- outdoor adventures
- transportation
- a buddy for social events
Our Social Carers all undergo a comprehensive vetting process, including a group induction and NDIS Worker Check, to ensure they are reliable and reflect our values.
Whether you're an NDIS participant, a relative of a participant, or a support coordinator, we can help you find and connect with compatible Social Carers in your local area. Join our community today!