Plan Maximiser

Plan Maximiser is unique to Auscare Support. Its fills some of the service gaps you might experience from when you first get your plan to really activating and using it.

For example, you might need someone to simply arm you with knowledge about how to navigate the NIDS so that you can quickly move forward independently.

This might include and overview of how the system operates, to building up a working knowledge of the myplace portal.

Or you may need to be introduced to the provider system and shown how to search for supports and set up Service Agreements.

Under Plan Maximiser, the first few provider relationships can even be established and locked in to help build momentum and knowledge before you move forward.

Plan Maximiser is also a great supplement to understanding and maximising the financial side of your plan.

Plan Maximiser analysts access sophisticated budgeting software that helps you really understand the detail of your budget provider by provider, week by week, month by month and year by year.

This added insight and control offers you peace-of-mind, knowing that you are making the most of your funding and are in the best position to achieve your goals.

Plan Maximiser Sessions are scheduled over the phone or via a teleconference call and are charged at $60 per hour + GST.

We suggest an 8-hour program as a starting point. This would cover an introduction to the NDIS portal and help you plan your goals.

We would run you through the services you need to help action your plan, as well as their cost. Part of this process includes the use of our budgeting software to break your full spend down.

If your budget is particularly involved or complex, you can book extra hours.

You can also use Plan Maximiser at any point during your plan, whether it’s the beginning, middle or end. It’s completely up to you.

For example, you might realise towards the end of your plan that you have not allocated your full budget and need help finding the right providers and knowing how many sessions per week you can book with them to hit your target.

Or you might be early on in your plan and fear that you’re spending too much and might not reach the end of your plan with sufficient budget. We can provide accurate forecasts to help you feel completely in control of your spending.

If you would like more time sourcing and engaging providers, you can also book additional Plan Maximiser service hours.

Our aim is to make sure you’re in control of what you want to achieve, in control of how you get there and know exactly how you’re going to spend your budget.

Pretty much anyone with NDIS funds can access Plan Maximiser. There are three types of support budgets that can be funded as part of your NDIS plan. They are your:

1. Core Supports.
2. Capacity Building Supports.
3. Capital Supports.

Plan Maximiser falls under the first two budgetary categories: your Capacity Building and Core Supports budgets.

Your Support Coordination budget (which sits in Capacity Building) can be used for Plan Maximiser.

There are a couple of broad sub-categories under Capacity Building that can also be used for Plan Maximiser.

Further to this, Core Supports has a broad sub-category that covers Plan Maximiser, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to fund this service from your existing plan.

The short answer is Yes!

Many Support Coordinators are great at helping you connect with supports. They can’t, however, offer the understanding of your budget that you need to schedule and pay for your providers so that you stay on budget over time.

We can work with your Support Coordinator, whether they are from Auscare Support or not, to supplement your current activities to give you greater control over how and when you engage people.

(Did you know that all Auscare Support Support Coordination clients have automatic access to our sophisticated budgeting software from the outset?)

A great Plan Manager like Auscare Support’s will provide you with a monthly update on where your budget is at. Offering the extra analysis and control when you need to break down your budget at the beginning or adjust as you go is the real strength of Plan Maximiser.

We’re also happy with work with you if you are working with a Plan Manager who is not part of Auscare Support, but you really need to be able to get your NDIS budget under control.

A large percentage of NDIS participants do not spend their full budget. There are some understandable reasons for this.

The NDIS can be complex and some people don’t know where to begin, so never really build out a comprehensive plan that makes the most of their budget.

Some don’t understand the funding categories and the supports that they can access under these.

Many participants are worried that they won’t have enough funds left at the end, and so underspend early on and then discover surplus funds when it’s getting too late to allocate them.

Participants even end up on waiting lists, wanting to use their budget but never getting the chance to book in the supports they want or need before their plan expires.

Common reasons for overspending include participants getting a tranche of funds but not understanding how to break down necessary core budget over time, from their weekly to monthly spend, to make their budget go the distance.

Taking a large chunk of money and working exactly how to break it down can be tough.

You need be across different provider categories, from those who help you manage your money and build capacity through to those who help in your home and community, and then split these many providers into weekly and monthly services, each with different time plans and hourly rates.

At the heart of Plan Maximiser is sophisticated budgeting software that allows our team to break your budget down by category, by provider, by price per hour, and across time frames, from week, to month, to quarter to year.

We can also project into the immediate future (for example, before your plan is about to end), or into the more distant future to offer you long-term insight into how to bring your plan to life.

If you or someone you know are struggling with the complexities of NDIS budgeting, call our Plan Maximiser service today.