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NDIS navigators, explained properly
Navigators will take the place of support coordinators and LACs in the largest overhaul of the way people navigate the NDIS since its inception. What's known, what's still up for discussion, and what it means to you, without the rumours.
The Confirmed Timeline
A unified role to replace coordinators, LACs and recovery coaches.
Federal Budget support for navigator consultation and a coordination quality pilot.
Support coordination and funding work the same as they do today.
The NDIA starts commissioning the new coordination and navigation function.
What Is An NDIS Navigator?
One new role to replace several old roles, and one new way to provide navigation help and decide who can access it.
Currently, support to navigate the NDIS is held in a variety of roles, including support coordinators within participant plans, contracted Local Area Coordinator (LAC) roles, Specialist Support Coordinator roles and psychosocial recovery coaches. The NDIS Review found that this fragmentation leads to gaps and duplication, some people receive more than one service from a coordinator, many receive no service from a coordinator at all, and potential conflicts of interest between coordinators and organisations that also provide services.
So, its solution: a single family of roles, navigators, for the lot. The useful core of today's coordination, unified under one front door, with a navigator to help anyone with a disability understand the scheme, engage with funded services and community supports, deal with transition and crisis, and develop capacity.
It brings about three structural changes. Navigating will no longer be a budget competition in your individual plan, as it will be funded by the NDIA. It will be open to everyone with a disability (not just those registered for the NDIS) and fill one of the scheme's most stubborn gaps. Independent of service delivery: navigators will not be able to be involved in selling you other NDIS services, thus removing the conflict of interest inherent in the current market.
The direction was confirmed by Government and the first hard date is set for 2028, when a new support coordination function comes into existence; design and consultation is underway. Until then, and it's important, there is no change to your current plan.
Not One Navigator, A Family Of Them
The NDIS Review suggested a number of different types of navigator for different levels of need. The actual design of the final structure is still to be determined, but the suggested shape is as follows:
General navigators
The daily work for the majority of people, supporting their grasp of the scheme, linkage to funded and community based supports, and capacity building. Replacing the majority of today's Level 1-2 coordination and LAC activity.
Specialist navigators
Today's Specialist Support Coordination, requiring allied health or social work qualifications, for complex, high-risk situations spanning health, housing, justice or crisis.
Psychosocial recovery navigators
A psychosocial disability stream (picking up and further developing the recovery coach role in the consolidated model).
The Review drew up a total of six types of navigators, and they can ramp up intensity as needed during crisis without the need of a plan change. The details are still in design, so anything more specific than this is speculation for now.
Navigators Vs Support Coordinators: What Actually Changes
The straight, honest side by side, even where there are still unanswered questions.
| Support coordination (from today) | Navigators (from 2028) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Within your personal funding plan: up to $100.14/hr (Level 2), $190.54/hr (Specialist). | Funded by the NDIA, from outside your individual plan. |
| Accessed by | Participants who have coordination funding in their plan. | All people with disability under 65 years old. |
| Choosing a provider | Open market: you select and can vary your provider. | Commissioned: the NDIA selects providers; participant choice not yet determined. |
| Conflict of interest | Coordinators may come from an organisation that also offers services. | Independent by design: navigators cannot sell you other NDIS services. |
| Flexing in a crisis | Usually needs a plan change to adjust hours up or down. | Expected to flex intensity during a crisis without a plan change. |
| The workforce | Today's coordinators and LACs. | Most of the same workforce, expected to become navigators. |
The Promise, And The Open Questions
The navigator model solves real challenges: funds wasted inside a plan, no assistance for non-participants, and conflicting advice. Those gains are genuine.
But there are real questions that aren't being answered, and no one is served by pretending there aren't. These are some to keep an eye on while the design process continues.
Will you keep your coordinator?
Many people have invested years in one person. The Review anticipates a transition in the workforce, but there is currently no consensus on how this transition would be ensured at the participant level.
How much choice survives?
You can select and switch providers easily today. A commissioned model may be different (the extent of participant choice is still being worked out).
Can commissioned stay responsive?
Today, providers have a reason to pick up the phone because of competition. It's an open design question whether a commissioned system maintains that pressure.
NDIS Navigators: The Questions People Actually Ask
So what's an NDIS navigator?
A new position recommended by the NDIS Review to merge support coordinators, Local Area Coordinators and psychosocial recovery coaches into one unified navigation position. Funded by the NDIA outside of plans and available to everyone with disability under 65, not only the people being funded, navigators will assist people with disability to understand the NDIS, connect them with services and community supports, and help them manage transitions.
When do navigators begin?
The first confirmed date is 1 July 2028, which is the date that a new support coordination function starts. Design and consultation has been ongoing since 2024-25. Until then, your coordination stays the same.
Will navigators take the place of my support coordinator?
Yes, in the long haul, that's the direction that has been confirmed. Much of the current coordination and LAC workforce will be shifting to navigator roles, though, so there's a good chance the same individual you work with will continue under a new designation. The details of how individual arrangements will work out have yet to be finalised.
Can I select my navigator?
Undecided, and it is the biggest open question. Today's coordination is based on participant choice; the navigator model is commissioned, meaning the NDIA chooses providers. Questions of choice are central to the ongoing design activity, as are questions of continuity of relationship.
What kinds of navigator will there be?
The Review recommended a family of navigator types, general navigators (the majority of people), specialist navigators (complex, high risk scenarios, allied health and/or social work qualifications expected), and psychosocial recovery navigators, up to six types, with an intensity that can flex during crises. The final structure is still under design.
I work in the sector, what does this mean for coordinator jobs?
The Review clearly sets out that today's support coordinators and LACs should be the foundation of the navigator workforce, so the skills transfer directly. As with Specialist Support Coordination, allied health or social work qualifications are anticipated to be the prerequisites for specialist navigator roles. You're developing a career as a coordinator, and that's building up towards a career as a navigator.
How can I get ready?
Nothing to defend against yet. The real preparation: keep your own records of goals, providers and support history for a smooth transition, and keep building your capacity to understand and manage your own plan. And if you need some navigation assistance today, that's what support coordination is for, it is in place and continues to be funded as usual.
Navigators Arrive In 2028. Support Coordination Works Now.
If you require support to understand your plan, connect with providers, or to navigate a complex situation, you don't have to wait for the reform, this is the funded version of navigation today, and we deliver support coordination at all three levels, across Australia.
Get support coordination in place early
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