Specialist Support Coordination: What it is and who it’s for

Specialist Support Coordination is the most intensive type of navigation support the NDIS provides at $190.54 per hour, close to double the NDIS coordination of support standard rate. It’s also misinterpreted, it’s expected to be a premium service for those who want it, but those who really need it don’t know what it is.

Neither is right. Specialist Support Coordination (Level 3) is a specific, well controlled service that is only available in cases of genuine complexity and risk. It is what it is, it is for them and it is different to the coordination most participants receive.

What is it that makes it “specialist”?

If you've been told you may need Specialist Support Coordination, it's completely understandable to have questions. Many participants and families haven't heard of Level 3 Support Coordination until they face a particularly complex situation.

At Support Network, we help participants understand what Specialist Support Coordination is, when it may be appropriate and how it can help bring stability during challenging times.

Typical Level 2 coordination links with providers, addresses routine issues and develops capacity. Specialist coordination is provided for when that is not sufficient, where the participant’s situation contains serious and interacting issues requiring professional knowledge to deal with safely.

It’s really three things that make it distinct.

The practitioner. The role necessitates clinical-adjacent judgement, rather than just system knowledge, which should be evidenced by specialist coordinators having relevant professional qualifications (usually allied health or social work backgrounds). You have been provided money towards a qualified practitioner, and you should seek one out.

The work. Service coordination is not just about linking services; it’s also about working through crisis points, stabilising arrangements that are constantly on the verge of falling apart, and designing responses to complex situations across different systems concurrently (housing, health, justice, child protection and mental health). It is more intensive in nature than normal coordination.

The regulation. What no one tells participants is that Specialist Support Coordinators have always been expected to be registered to practise with the NDIS and had to meet other practice standards, including having documented practitioner expertise, thorough records of all contacts and actions, and an applied conflict-of-interest policy, with mid-term audits at each registration cycle. Even though the government is in the midst of a wider ranging reform effort, registration for specialist coordinators continues to be required. Where your plan funds Level 3, you should have a registered provider who has specialist qualifications that can be demonstrated. Make sure to read before signing; a provider that is not registered to provide “specialist coordination” is not allowed to provide it.

The target beneficiaries of the money

For a participant with a situation that has significant complexity or risk or is unable to be managed safely by a standard coordinator, funds will be allocated to them at Level 3. The situations that are eligible in practice are likely to fall into the following categories:

High level social complexity, high level mental health needs which are not matching disability support needs, particularly if the crisis is recurring. Housing instability or homelessness risk (where support and accommodation needs to be stabilised together). Engagement with the justice system including transitions from custody, requiring the co-ordinated involvement of a number of agencies. Complex health care scenarios that necessitate the creation of supports to meet clinical realities and often change. Child protection involvement, family violence or other context where safety planning is a part of the work. Substandard application of the support, and repeated breakdowns of support arrangements, this is beyond the capacity of Level 2.

The common theme is not “high needs” as such, but intersecting systems and active risk, many of the participants have significant support needs and are well served at Level 2. One system misfiring is a coordination problem. Several misfiring simultaneously, with real consequences if they are not stabilised, is a specialist problem of co-ordination.

What it isn’t

Needing Specialist Support Coordination doesn't mean you've failed or that your situation is beyond help. It simply recognises that some participants face more complex circumstances and may benefit from additional expertise and coordinated support.

It’s not a punishment for those who are persistent, a higher paying tier for those who aren’t happy, or a method to get quicker answers from an overworked sector. Anything that is said with a statement of “I want more attention” does not work. The NDIA carefully considers the need for funding when the service also comes with an increased cost (nearly double the standard cost), and only considers funding for the service where evidence shows that the situation requires it, not preference.

Also, it’s not automatically permanent. Many times, specialist coordination will be used to help stabilise a situation and move it into the realm of standard coordination (or less). As in all Capacity Building, the aim of a Level 3 engagement is to make itself unnecessary, and this is what can be achieved if it is well run.

How to get it funded

The case is based on professional evidence of complexity and risk. What persuades planners:

Reports from treating professionals (psychiatrist, psychologist, GP, hospital social worker) that make the overlapping problems real: about systems, crisis history, consequences of lack of coordination. Evidence of previous failures to coordinate support, hospital admissions, housing losses or contact with the justice system as a result of poor coordination of support. A self-evident and convincing explanation of why standard coordination is not enough, preferably from a professional who has seen it not work.

Bring it to your planning meeting or reassessment, or a plan variation where there are significant changes to the situation, such as when a person is discharged from the hospital into unstable homes. A Level 2 coordinator might be able to assist in compiling evidence; they are often willing and able to do this, and this is a good sign of their honesty.

If the NDIA decides not to and you think this is a bad decision, you can use regular complaint processes, which include internal review (within 3 months) and then the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Organising a specialist coordinator

Use all the qualities you would expect in any coordinator: responsiveness, independence, local knowledge, and the extra specialist tests: check their NDIS registration, ask what qualifications they have and what their background is, and ask for (de-identified) examples of difficult situations they’ve helped to resolve. With the price per hour of the service given your plan, this diligence will pay for itself practically immediately.

The bottom line

Specialist Support Coordination is the scheme’s response to the intersection of disability support, health, housing and justice and crisis situations, and is provided by qualified registered practitioners, at an appropriate rate of pay, to meet the complexity. If this is you, it is there for you: create the professional evidence and make the case. If it doesn’t, a good Level 2 coordinator is the correct tool, and knowing the difference is beneficial to your funding and expectations.

Support Network offers Specialist Support Coordination in addition to all other levels of support, across Australia. Learn more at supportnetwork.com.au or call 1300 671 931.