NDIS High-Intensity Support
Some daily routines need more skill, more training and a lot more consistency. Support Network helps NDIS participants, families and Support Coordinators find experienced support workers for high-intensity and high physical support at home.
Definition
High-intensity support is help with daily personal activities that require a higher level of skill or training to deliver safely — such as complex bowel care, tube feeding, catheter management or seizure support. Under the NDIS, these supports have specific quality requirements, and workers must be trained for each task.
It's different from simply needing a lot of hours. High-intensity describes what the task involves, not how long support lasts.
Under the NDIS
The NDIS Practice Standards describe several high-intensity daily personal activities. Examples include:
Bowel care routines that go beyond everyday assistance.
Support with tube feeding (PEG or nasogastric) according to a care plan.
Mealtime management for swallowing difficulties following a mealtime plan.
Support for people using tracheostomies or ventilators.
Urinary catheter care, including indwelling or suprapubic catheters.
Seizure management and subcutaneous injections as directed by health professionals.
Who It's For
People with spinal cord injury, acquired brain injury, neuromuscular or progressive neurological conditions, cerebral palsy, or multiple disabilities may have high-intensity or high physical support needs. Needs can also increase after surgery or a hospital stay.
Significant hands-on help with transfers, repositioning, hoist use, mobility and personal care — often with two workers for some tasks. Workers need the right manual-handling training and experience with the person's equipment.
Showering, toileting, dressing, grooming and mealtimes, done at the person's pace and in the way they prefer. Getting routines right is what makes the day work.
Tell us the tasks involved and the hours needed. We'll be honest about what we can arrange and how.
At Home
Receiving high-intensity support at home means the person keeps their routines, space and relationships. Workers follow the care plan and learn the details — how equipment is set up, preferred positions, early warning signs.
Where several needs interact, see our complex care page for how support can be coordinated across a team.
When support is needed around the clock or overnight, it's delivered by a coordinated roster. See 24-hour care and overnight care.
Finding Workers
Not every worker has the training for every high-intensity task. We look at the specific tasks in the care plan and find workers with relevant experience and training, and we'll say so if a task needs a nurse or a different arrangement.
High-intensity support is safer and more comfortable when the same people provide it. We aim for a small regular team, with familiar back-up workers where possible.
Families often hold the most knowledge about what works. With consent, we involve families in sharing routines and reviewing the team.
For Professionals
Support Coordinators, case managers, discharge planners and allied health professionals can refer participants with high-intensity or high physical support needs.
Only share what you have consent to share. We will confirm anything else we need when we call.
Share the details and we'll call to talk through suitable workers.
Common Questions
High-intensity supports are daily personal activities that need a higher level of skill or training to deliver safely — for example complex bowel care, enteral (tube) feeding, severe dysphagia management, tracheostomy care, ventilation, urinary catheter management, subcutaneous injections and complex wound care. The NDIS Practice Standards set specific requirements for these.
High physical support describes needs where a person requires significant hands-on help for most daily activities — such as transfers, repositioning, personal care and mobility — often with equipment like hoists.
People use 'high care' and 'high level care' loosely to mean a lot of support. In the NDIS, 'high-intensity' refers to particular tasks that need extra skills. Someone can have high physical support needs without high-intensity tasks, and vice versa.
No. Workers need relevant training and experience for each specific task, and some tasks require a care plan developed by a health professional. We match workers carefully and tell you if a requirement is outside what we can arrange.
It may, where the support is reasonable and necessary and included in the participant's plan. We don't assess or approve funding — speak with your planner, LAC or Support Coordinator.
Yes. Many people receive high-intensity support in their own home, with workers following the person's care plan and routines.
Where suitable workers are available, support can be arranged across the day and night through a coordinated roster. See our 24-hour care and overnight care pages.
Use the enquiry form or call us. Include the participant's location, the specific high-intensity tasks, funding type, hours needed and any relevant care plans.
It depends on location, the training required and the hours needed. We'll give you an honest view once we understand the requirements.
Whenever you’re ready
Whether you're a participant, family member or professional, we'll help you work out the next step.
Share a few details and a member of our team will call you back to talk it through.
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