Support Coordination Procedures

Document detail	Information
Procedure ID	CC-PR066
Procedure title	Support Coordination Procedures
Version	2.0
Effective date	24 June 2026
Reviewed by	Director / Service Manager / Practice Lead
Approved by	Director
Owner	Director / Service Manager
Related policy	Support Coordination Policy CC-PL066 Version 2.0
Applies to	All staff, contractors and relevant key personnel
Next review date	24 June 2028, or earlier if NDIS requirements change

1.Purpose

These procedures explain how Infinite Support Pty Ltd will deliver Support Coordination, Support Connection and Specialist Support Coordination services to NDIS participants in a safe, ethical, participant-centred and compliant way.

The procedures support staff to help participants understand and use their NDIS plans, connect with appropriate providers and mainstream services, monitor budgets and funding periods, identify risks, resolve issues, prepare for NDIA reporting and plan reassessments, and build the participant's capacity to coordinate their own supports where possible.

2.Scope

These procedures apply to all directors, managers, support coordinators, specialist support coordinators, psychosocial recovery coaches where applicable, employees, contractors, volunteers and other personnel involved in the delivery, oversight or administration of support coordination services for Infinite Support.

These procedures must be read together with the Support Coordination Policy, incident management procedure, complaints and feedback procedure, risk management procedure, privacy and confidentiality procedure, conflict of interest register, service agreement process and worker screening procedure.

3.Guiding principles

Participants are supported to exercise choice and control and remain the decision-maker wherever possible.
Support coordination is capacity building and should increase the participant's independence over time, not create unnecessary dependence on Infinite Support.
Information must be provided in a way the participant is most likely to understand, including through plain English, interpreters, visual supports or supported decision-making where required.
Staff must provide factual, transparent information about supports, prices, conflicts of interest and provider options.
NDIS funding must only be used for supports that are consistent with the participant's plan, current NDIS support rules, pricing requirements and value-for-money expectations.
Participant safety, safeguarding, risk and rights must be considered throughout support coordination.

4.Role responsibilities

Role	Key responsibilities	Evidence / record
Director / Managing Director	Ensure governance, approval, resourcing, monitoring and review of support coordination procedures. Ensure compliance issues, incidents, complaints and conflicts of interest are escalated and addressed.	Governance records, approvals, audit outcomes, corrective actions.
Service Manager / Practice Lead	Oversee day-to-day implementation, staff allocation, supervision, file reviews, risk escalation, training and quality improvement.	Supervision notes, staff allocation records, file audit records, risk register entries.
Support Coordinator / Specialist Support Coordinator	Deliver support coordination in line with the participant's plan, goals, consent, risks, funding, provider choices, reporting requirements and these procedures.	Case notes, action plans, service agreements, reports, referrals, budget monitoring notes.
Administration / Intake staff	Support referrals, consent records, document collection, portal checks where delegated, appointment coordination and file set-up.	Referral logs, intake forms, consent forms, portal records.
All staff and contractors	Follow the NDIS Code of Conduct, privacy requirements, incident and complaints processes, worker screening requirements and conflict of interest procedures.	Training records, worker screening records, incident/complaint records, conflict declarations.

5.Procedure overview

Support coordination is delivered through the following core stages. The order may vary depending on urgency, participant need, plan status, portal requirements and risk.

Step	Action required	Responsible person	Evidence / record
1	Referral, intake and eligibility check	Intake staff / Support Coordinator	Referral form, request for service, intake notes.
2	Request for Service / portal action	Support Coordinator / delegated staff	my NDIS provider portal record or myplace record where applicable.
3	Initial contact, consent and explanation of service	Support Coordinator	Contact note, consent form, communication preferences.
4	Conflict of interest and provider choice discussion	Support Coordinator	Conflict disclosure, provider option record.
5	Service agreement and action plan	Support Coordinator / Participant	Signed service agreement and Support Coordination Action Plan.
6	Plan implementation and provider connection	Support Coordinator	Referrals, provider quotes/options, service agreements.
7	Budget, funding period and NDIS support monitoring	Support Coordinator	Budget tracker, plan monitoring notes, funding period checks.
8	Risk, incident, complaint and crisis response	Support Coordinator / Service Manager	Risk assessment, incident report, complaint record, escalation notes.
9	NDIA reporting and plan reassessment preparation	Support Coordinator	Implementation/progress reports, evidence, report submission record.
10	Exit, transfer or service ending	Support Coordinator / Service Manager	Exit plan, handover notes, final report, file closure checklist.

6.Referral, intake and request for service

6.1Referral and intake

Record the referral source, participant details, NDIS number if provided, plan dates, support coordination funding, funding management type and any urgent risks or immediate service gaps.
Confirm whether the participant is seeking Support Connection, Support Coordination, Specialist Support Coordination or another capacity building support.
Check whether Infinite Support has capacity, appropriate skills, language/cultural capability where relevant, location coverage and absence of unmanageable conflict of interest.
Where the referral involves urgent risk, service breakdown, homelessness, abuse, neglect, violence, mental health crisis, hospital discharge, justice involvement or other high-risk circumstances, escalate to the Service Manager as soon as practicable.
Create or update the participant file in the approved system and store all referral documents securely.

6.2Request for Service and provider portal

Where the participant is in the new NDIS computer system, delegated staff must regularly check the my NDIS provider portal for Requests for Service, reporting due dates and participant information relevant to support coordination.
Requests for Service must be accepted or declined within the current NDIA timeframe. As at this review, the timeframe is 4 business days unless the NDIA changes the requirement.
Before accepting a Request for Service, staff must consider capacity, conflicts of interest, participant needs, risk and whether Infinite Support can deliver the required support safely and competently.
Where a Request for Service is accepted, record the acceptance date, portal record, participant contact attempts and any initial reporting or implementation requirements.
Where a Request for Service is declined, record the reason and any communication required by the NDIA process. Do not retain unnecessary personal information where Infinite Support will not provide service.
For participants in the older system, continue to use myplace provider portal processes and service bookings where required, particularly for NDIA-managed budgets.

7.Initial contact, participant consent and service explanation

Make initial contact with the participant or authorised representative as soon as practicable, generally within 5 business days of referral or acceptance of Request for Service unless the matter is urgent.
Explain Infinite Support's role, what support coordination can and cannot do, the difference between support coordination and direct supports, limits of confidentiality, fees, cancellation arrangements, privacy, complaints and how the participant can change provider.
Confirm the participant's preferred communication method, language, cultural considerations, accessibility needs, decision supporters, nominee or guardian arrangements and consent preferences.
Obtain participant consent before contacting family, carers, providers, health professionals, mainstream services, NDIA representatives or any other third party, unless disclosure is required by law or needed to manage serious and immediate risk.
Document the participant's goals, priorities, immediate concerns, current supports, service gaps, risks and what they want from support coordination.

If the participant has a nominee, guardian or informal decision supporter, staff must still seek and record the participant's own views, preferences and will wherever possible.

8.Conflict of interest and provider choice

Conflict of interest must be addressed early and revisited whenever the participant is considering Infinite Support or a related party for direct supports, accommodation, behaviour support, therapy, community access, plan management or any other service.

Identify any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest, including situations where Infinite Support provides or may provide both support coordination and another direct support to the same participant.
Explain the conflict in plain language and confirm that the participant understands they can choose another provider without disadvantage.
Offer genuine external provider options wherever possible. Options should consider the participant's goals, location, culture, language, needs, risk profile, preferences and value for money.
Record the providers discussed, information given, conflict disclosure, participant decision and reasons if provided.
Do not pressure, direct, reward or penalise the participant for choosing or not choosing Infinite Support for other services.
Escalate to the Service Manager where the conflict is significant, cannot be fairly managed, or may affect participant choice, safety, funding use or public confidence.

9.Assessment, action planning and service agreement

9.1Initial assessment

Review the participant's NDIS plan, goals, funding, stated supports, flexible supports, funding management type, funding periods, mainstream responsibilities and plan review/reassessment dates.
Identify current providers, informal supports, mainstream services, community connections, risks, safeguarding needs, communication needs, cultural considerations and service gaps.
Consider whether specialist support coordination is required due to high-level complexity, significant risk, service breakdown, multiple systems involvement or barriers that cannot be addressed through standard support coordination alone.
Where required and with consent, seek information from the participant's support network, health professionals, providers, behaviour support practitioner, housing provider, education provider, justice, hospital, mental health or other relevant mainstream systems.

9.2Support Coordination Action Plan

Develop a Support Coordination Action Plan with the participant as soon as practicable after commencement.
Include the participant's goals, priority actions, responsible people, timeframes, provider connection tasks, budget monitoring tasks, risk actions, reporting due dates and review points.
Provide the plan in a format the participant can understand and review it with them regularly.
Update the action plan when the participant's goals, risks, funding, providers, living situation, health, informal supports or plan requirements change.

9.3Service agreement

Complete a service agreement before ongoing support coordination is delivered wherever practicable.
The agreement must explain supports to be provided, prices, funding category, estimated hours, cancellation terms, travel/non-face-to-face arrangements where applicable, privacy, complaints, ending the agreement and conflict of interest arrangements.
The agreement must not restrict the participant's right to change providers and must be consistent with NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
Store the signed agreement in the participant file. If a participant cannot or chooses not to sign, record the steps taken to explain the agreement, the participant's consent or refusal, and any alternative lawful arrangement.

10.Plan implementation and provider connection

Support the participant to understand their NDIS plan, goals, budgets, funding periods, stated supports, flexible supports and implementation priorities.
Assist the participant to identify and compare suitable providers, including mainstream, community, informal and NDIS-funded options.
Encourage the participant to ask providers about experience, qualifications, availability, pricing, travel, cancellation terms, notice periods, safeguarding, communication and how the support will help achieve their goals.
With consent, make referrals, request quotes, coordinate provider meetings and help the participant negotiate service agreements.
For NDIA-managed funding in the older system, ensure service bookings are managed in line with current NDIA requirements where applicable.
For participants in the new computer system, follow current my NDIS provider portal and my provider relationship processes where applicable.
Clarify roles and responsibilities between providers so that the participant understands who is responsible for each support, action or report.
Document referrals, provider options, participant decisions, service commencement dates and any provider issues or barriers.

11.NDIS supports, replacement supports and value for money

Support coordinators must assist participants to understand that NDIS funding can only be used for supports that are NDIS supports, relate to the participant's disability, align with their plan and meet NDIS funding rules.
Staff must not arrange, recommend, approve or claim supports that are clearly not NDIS supports or are inconsistent with the participant's plan.
Where the participant seeks a replacement support, staff must explain that NDIA approval evidence is required before the support can be arranged or claimed as a replacement support.
Support coordinators may help the participant gather information or evidence for NDIA consideration, but must not represent that approval is guaranteed.
Where there is uncertainty about whether an item or service is an NDIS support, staff should seek guidance from the current NDIS support lists, operational guidance, plan manager where relevant, or escalate internally before proceeding.
Staff must consider value for money, participant goals, effectiveness, safety and whether mainstream or community services are responsible for the support.

12.Budget monitoring and funding periods

At commencement, record the participant's support coordination budget, relevant capacity building budget, funding management type and plan dates.
Where the participant's plan includes funding periods, record the relevant period dates and amounts and explain them to the participant in accessible language.
Monitor support coordination hours and other relevant budgets at agreed intervals, considering plan duration, funding periods, service frequency, risks and upcoming plan reassessment dates.
Identify over-spending, under-spending, provider over-servicing, unmet need or risk of supports ending early, and discuss these issues with the participant promptly.
Do not provide financial advice or act as a financial intermediary. Where plan management or payment issues arise, support the participant to contact their plan manager, NDIA or relevant provider as appropriate.
Escalate concerns about inappropriate claiming, misuse of funds, fraud risk, coercion, exploitation or unauthorised spending to the Service Manager and follow incident, complaint or safeguarding processes where required.

13.Risk, safeguarding, crisis and complex needs

13.1Risk identification and management

Complete and update risk assessments for participants with complex needs, significant behavioural concerns, service breakdown, mental health risk, homelessness risk, family violence risk, medical risk, substance use risk, justice involvement, restrictive practices or other safeguarding concerns.
Document known triggers, early warning signs, de-escalation strategies, key contacts, emergency contacts, consented providers and escalation pathways.
Where restrictive practices or behaviours of concern are involved, confirm whether a behaviour support practitioner is engaged and whether providers understand lawful behaviour support and restrictive practice requirements.
Where risks relate to health, housing, justice, child protection, education, employment or mental health, identify mainstream responsibilities and coordinate with those systems with participant consent.

13.2Crisis and service breakdown response

If there is immediate danger to the participant, staff or others, contact emergency services first.
Provide calm, rights-based support to help the participant understand options and next steps.
With consent where possible, coordinate urgent communication with relevant providers, informal supports, health professionals, housing services, mental health crisis services, justice or NDIA contacts.
Escalate to the Service Manager as soon as practicable and document the concern, actions taken, people contacted, decisions made and follow-up required.
Where an incident may be reportable or relates to abuse, neglect, violence, exploitation, serious injury, death, unauthorised restrictive practice or serious risk, follow Infinite Support's incident management and reportable incident procedure immediately.

14.Case notes, records and privacy

Case notes must be factual, timely, respectful, objective and relevant to the participant's plan, goals, risks and support coordination activities.
Records must clearly separate fact, participant views, staff observations, professional opinions and third-party information.
Records must include consent, contact notes, referrals, provider options, service agreements, action plans, budget monitoring, risk information, reports, incidents, complaints, conflicts of interest and key decisions where applicable.
Participant information must only be collected, used, disclosed and stored in accordance with privacy law, participant consent and Infinite Support's privacy procedure.
Staff must use approved business systems and must not store participant information in personal email accounts, personal phones, unauthorised cloud storage or unapproved messaging platforms.
Where information is received verbally from a third party, staff must record who provided the information, when it was provided and any consent basis for the communication.

15.NDIA reporting and plan reassessment preparation

Identify all reporting requirements at commencement, including implementation reports, progress reports, end-of-plan reports, portal due dates and evidence required for plan reassessment.
Regularly check the my NDIS provider portal for reporting due dates for participants in the new computer system and record due dates in the participant file or task system.
Use the current NDIA support coordinator implementation report, progress report or other required reporting template unless the NDIA directs otherwise.
Prepare reports in consultation with the participant and, with consent, their nominee, family, carers, providers and other relevant stakeholders.
Reports must describe the participant's goals, support needs, supports received, progress, outcomes, barriers, risks, budget use, unmet needs and recommendations using respectful, evidence-informed language.
Submit reports by the required due date through the relevant portal or pathway and store the submitted copy and submission evidence in the participant file.
Where the participant needs a plan reassessment, change of situation or urgent review, support them to gather evidence and contact the NDIA or relevant partner in line with current NDIA processes.

16.Complaints, feedback, incidents and escalation

Participants must be told how to provide feedback or make a complaint to Infinite Support and, where appropriate, to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
Complaints must be acknowledged, recorded, managed and reviewed in line with the complaints and feedback procedure.
Incidents and near misses must be recorded and managed in line with the incident management procedure.
Staff must escalate concerns involving abuse, neglect, violence, exploitation, serious risk, unauthorised restrictive practices, fraud, coercion, significant service breakdown or unsafe provider conduct.
Complaint and incident trends must be considered in supervision, file reviews, internal audits and continuous improvement activities.

17.Staff screening, competency, training and supervision

Before commencing support coordination duties, staff must complete required recruitment checks, reference checks, qualification or experience verification, and worker screening requirements relevant to the role.
Key personnel and workers in risk-assessed roles must hold an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance where required and must be linked or recorded in accordance with applicable NDIS worker screening processes.
Additional checks may include Working with Children Check, police check, international police check, driver licence, professional registration or role-specific competency checks depending on the role and jurisdiction.
Staff must complete induction before unsupervised work, including NDIS Code of Conduct, participant rights, privacy, complaints, incident management, safeguarding, conflict of interest, supported decision-making, risk management, portal use, reporting requirements and case note expectations.
Support coordinators working with high-risk or complex participants must receive appropriate supervision and escalation support.
Training and supervision records must be maintained and reviewed during audits or performance reviews.

18.Exit, transfer or ending support coordination

Support coordination may end when the participant chooses to leave, the plan ends, funding is exhausted, the participant transfers to another provider, the service agreement ends, or Infinite Support can no longer safely or appropriately provide the service.
Staff must provide reasonable notice in line with the service agreement unless immediate ending is required due to serious risk, legal obligation or another exceptional circumstance.
Where the participant is transferring to another support coordinator, staff must support a safe handover with participant consent and provide relevant documents, outstanding actions, risk information and contact details.
Complete a final case note, final report where required, budget summary, handover notes and file closure checklist.
Ensure all final claims are accurate, supported by records and consistent with the service agreement and NDIS pricing requirements.

19.Quality assurance and continuous improvement

The Service Manager or delegated person will complete periodic file reviews to check consent, service agreements, action plans, provider choice records, conflict of interest evidence, case notes, risk records, reports and budget monitoring.
Audit findings, complaints, incidents, participant feedback, staff feedback, portal changes, NDIS updates and regulatory findings must be recorded and considered for continuous improvement.
Corrective actions must be allocated to a responsible person with a due date and reviewed for completion.
This procedure must be reviewed at least every two years and earlier if there are changes to NDIS legislation, rules, Practice Standards, provider registration, worker screening, pricing, funding periods, NDIS support rules, portal processes or organisational structure.

20.Minimum evidence checklist

The following evidence should be maintained where applicable to each participant file:

Referral, Request for Service and intake records.
Participant consent records and communication preferences.
Service agreement and Support Coordination Action Plan.
Conflict of interest disclosure and provider choice records.
Plan details, funding periods, budget monitoring and support coordination hours tracking.
Provider referrals, quotes, service agreement discussions and referral outcomes.
Case notes, contact records and key decision records.
Risk assessments, safety plans, escalation notes and incident/complaint records where applicable.
NDIA implementation reports, progress reports, final reports and submission evidence.
Exit, transfer or file closure records.
Staff screening, training and supervision records.

21.Related policies, procedures and documents

Support Coordination Policy (CC-PL066).
Support Coordination Addendum: Support Coordination Levels (CC-PR066A).
Service Agreement and Support Plan template.
Support Coordination Action Plan template.
Participant Intake and Consent forms.
Conflict of Interest Policy and Conflict of Interest Register.
Incident Management Policy and Procedure.
Complaints and Feedback Policy and Procedure.
Risk Management Policy and Procedure.
Privacy and Confidentiality Policy and Procedure.
Worker Screening and Recruitment Procedure.
NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, current version.
Current NDIA support coordinator implementation and progress report templates.

22.Legislation, rules, standards and guidance

National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth).
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Act 2024 (Cth).
National Disability Insurance Scheme (Code of Conduct) Rules 2018 (Cth).
National Disability Insurance Scheme (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Rules 2018 (Cth).
National Disability Insurance Scheme (Practice Standards - Worker Screening) Rules 2018 (Cth).
National Disability Insurance Scheme (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018 (Cth).
National Disability Insurance Scheme (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 (Cth), where applicable.
NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators, including the Specialist Support Coordination Module where applicable.
NDIS Code of Conduct and NDIS Workforce Capability Framework.
NDIS support lists, replacement support rules and current NDIA operational guidelines.
NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, current version.
Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 (Cth).
Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and Australian Privacy Principles.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth).
Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth).
Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), where applicable.
Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic), Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic), and other relevant state or territory legislation where Infinite Support operates.