What is capacity under the NDIS?

Social and Community ParticipationCapacity is a phrase used frequently in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), especially when it comes to goal setting and funding.

Under the NDIS, capacity refers to growing your skills and capabilities, supporting you to lead an independent life and to better participate in your community.

There are nine categories of Capacity Building funding that you may receive in your NDIS plan, if they align to your NDIS goals.

These categories are:

• Support coordination - support to connect you with informal, mainstream and funded supports to get the most out of your NDIS plan and make sure your supports are being delivered as promised.
• Improved living arrangements - help with finding and applying for shared or independent accommodation and assistance with managing rental agreements and responsibilities.
• Increased Social and Community Participation - support to strengthen your ability to manage your life independently and participate in your community. This can include support to participate in community access programs or group activities.
• Finding and keeping a job - support to find and maintain employment, such as support to update your resume, apply for jobs and prepare for an interview.
• Improved relationships - includes support to develop social skills and behaviour intervention supports where necessary. This could include funding for a behaviour support plan, which aims to limit the development of behaviours of concern.
• Improved health and wellbeing - may include funding for personal training sessions, or nutrition advice to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. These supports may be funded by the NDIS if health, physical and wellbeing difficulties are directly caused by your disability.
• Improved daily living - covers occupational therapy, physiotherapy or other therapies, including Early Childhood Intervention.
• Improved life choices - can include plan management support, financial assistance and training to improve organisational and self-management skills.
• Improved learning - support to research and apply for study or training opportunities.

These categories are all designed to build your capacity and therefore your independence, continuing to empower you to live as an equal citizen.

Yooralla provides many services that can support you to build your capacity, including Support Coordination, Therapy, Positive Behaviour Supports, Job Skills and Employment pathways, Life Skills, Community Hubs, Recreation and Assistive with Daily Living.

If you need support to understand capacity building, or any other part of the NDIS, you can contact Yooralla on 03 9666 4500.

You can also meet with Yooralla Connect one-on-one, to answer any of your NDIS questions, no matter what stage of the journey you are in.