In most cases, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) does not cover the cost of advocacy services. This is largely because advocacy agencies, funded by local, state, and federal governments, provide these services free of charge. Advocacy is often sought when individuals encounter challenges with their NDIS services or feel they have been treated unfairly.
An individual advocate can assist in several important ways, including helping you understand your rights, ensuring your fundamental needs are met, providing guidance on how to join the NDIS, or addressing issues with your funding. Advocacy is also critical for those who have faced discrimination, conflict, or unfair treatment.
Typically the services of an advocate are not paid for by the NDIS. This is usually because the local, state and federal governments provide funding to advocacy agencies to deliver these services free of charge.
Advocacy is often used in circumstances where a person has experienced some difficulties with their services or how they have been treated.
An individual advocate can help you:
- Understand your rights
- Ensure that your fundamental needs are being met
- Get information on how to join the NDIS or deal with problems with your funding.
- If you have been the victim of discrimination, conflict or unfair treatment
- Learn how to advocate for yourself
In Queensland, there are a number of providers of advocacy services that you can reach out to for help. You can you use this useful online tool to help you find an advocacy provider in your area.
While advocacy itself is not typically funded in your plan, there are some services that are paid for by the NDIS that have some similarities to the role of an advocate. For example, you may have funding for support coordination in your plan.
Their role is to help you find and use a range of services to increase your capacity and meet the goals of your NDIS plan. Support coordination is not always available to all participants however, you can always discuss this in your next NDIS planning meeting.