Whether this is your first NDIS plan review or you’ve been with the NDIS for some time, a statement of outcomes or outcome report can make a big difference to your ongoing funding in your new NDIS plan.
How does a Statement of Outcomes help with your Plan review?
Your plan review is similar to the planning meeting you would have had when you began your NDIS journey. The key difference between a plan review and a planning meeting is that during your plan review, you and your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) representative will review your current plan, what worked and what didn’t, and what is needed moving forward. Your plan review helps to determine the support and funding you receive throughout your next NDIS plan period.
This is where a Statement of Outcomes (also known as NDIS Outcomes Report) comes in.
Your Statement of Outcomes is a report provided to you by your current support team. They can provide you with a NDIS Participant Progress Report that shows the goals you’re working towards, your progress, and recommendations for additional support you need to achieve your future goals.
Why is this Statement of Outcomes so important?
During your Plan Review, your LAC or NDIA representative can request your Statement of Outcomes. This information will be passed on to the NDIA as supporting documentation to help with the development of your next plan. They will compare the statement to your newly identified goals and look for evidence of the following:
Progress being made towards your current goals
Plans to address new goals
Recommendation for additional supports in line with your goals
NDIS funding is provided to help support participants to increase their skills and independence. For the NDIA to continue to provide ongoing support, they will look closely at any goals you identified during your initial planning meeting and your planning review.
What should be included in the NDIS Outcomes Report?
It’s likely that you have more than one service provider on your support team, which means you will probably have multiple Outcome reports - one for each service provider.
Each report should include:
An overview of supports provided
How the support has helped you to achieve or work towards your goals - for example, how your functional ability has changed over the plan period
Whether you have been linked to any additional informal, community, or mainstream supports to help you achieve your goals
Any barriers encountered during the plan period and the strategies implemented to resolve these
Any risks identified to you or others
Any evidence or other information that may be relevant for the NDIA to consider when determining reasonable and necessary supports
Justification for any recommendations of additional supports, including details of the proposed outcomes and any risks or impacts on other supports (if relevant)
How to obtain a Statement of Outcomes?
When it comes to obtaining a Statement of Outcomes, you have three main options:
Ask your service providers directly
Ask your Support Coordinator to help by requesting the Statement of Outcomes on your behalf
Create the Statement of Outcomes yourself, with service provider input
While it is great to have input from your service providers in your Statement of Outcomes, it does not necessarily have to come from them. You can choose to write the statement yourself, and incorporate their feedback and comments.
How do I ask for an Outcomes Report from my Service Provider?
When you first engaged your service provider(s), you probably entered into a Service Agreement between yourself and your provider. In this agreement, your service provider should have outlined how much they charge for their services and identified if there will be any costs that associated with creating a NDIS Statement of Outcomes report.
Most service providers will know what an Outcomes Report is and what is required of them.
When asking for the report to be produced, make sure you identify the cost in advance, either by asking them or referring to your Service Agreement.
After the report has been provided, read the information in the report to make sure you agree with what has been written, and that it includes everything needed for a NDIS Statement of Outcomes report. If it doesn’t, then you are within your rights to request that it be amended.
The NDIS Statement of Outcomes report can have a significant influence on your NDIS funding, so you need to ensure that you agree with the content and that it covers all the information the NDIA need to make their assessment.
Where can I store my Statement of Outcomes?
If you are Plan Managed with First2Care, you can securely store your Statement of Outcomes on your First2Care Plan Magic online portal. To do this, you will need to upload a copy of the Statement of Outcomes to your Plan Magic online portal. Alternatively, you can send a copy to your First2Care Plan Manager and they can upload this document to your file.
If you currently don't have access to your personal Plan Magic online portal, you can contact 1300 322 273 or support@first2care.com.au to arrange for your personal login details and password to be generated.
Read more about the benefits of working with an independent, professional Plan Manager. Alternatively, contact our friendly team on 1300 322 273 or support@first2care.com.au.