What does a support coordinator actually do?

A support coordinator helps you understand and use your NDIS plan. They connect you with providers and community supports, help solve problems, and build your skills so you can manage your own supports over time. Their focus is on the supports themselves, not on paying invoices or approving your plan.

Is support coordination automatically in my plan?

No. Support coordination is not added to every plan automatically. It is a Capacity Building support that must be specifically included based on your circumstances. If you think you need it, raise it at your planning meeting or plan review and explain why it would help you use your plan effectively.

What is the difference between a support coordinator and a plan manager?

A support coordinator helps you find and connect supports and build your skills. A plan manager handles the money, paying provider invoices and tracking your budgets. They are separate roles that can work together. Many participants have both a support coordinator and a plan manager in their plan at the same time.

What are the levels of support coordination?

There are three levels: Support Connection, which is lighter-touch help to understand and connect supports; Support Coordination (Coordination of Supports), which is more hands-on; and Specialist Support Coordination, a higher, usually time-limited level for complex situations. The level you receive depends on your needs and what is written in your plan.

Is a support coordinator the same as a Local Area Coordinator?

No. A Local Area Coordinator, or LAC, is part of the wider NDIS system and helps people access the scheme and link with community supports. A funded support coordinator is chosen by you and paid from your plan to coordinate your specific supports. An LAC can help even if support coordination is not funded in your plan.

Can I choose my own support coordinator?

Yes. Once support coordination is funded in your plan, you can choose any provider you like, and you can change coordinators if it is not working out. It is worth speaking with more than one, asking about their experience, and checking how they help you build your own skills before deciding.

What is a conflict of interest with a support coordinator?

A conflict of interest can arise when your coordinator is linked to the organisation providing your other supports, creating a risk they might favour their own services. It is not automatically wrong, but you have a right to know. A good coordinator is upfront about any links and always offers you genuine, independent choices.

How do I get support coordination added to my plan?

Raise it during your planning meeting or plan review. Explain your circumstances, such as complex needs, a changing situation, or being new to the NDIS, and why support coordination would help. Keeping notes about the barriers you face and your goals can make your case clearer when you speak with the NDIS.

Support coordination explained

What a support coordinator does, the levels of support, and how to get it in your plan.

Support coordination is a service that helps you make the most of your NDIS plan. A support coordinator works alongside you to understand what is in your plan, find the right supports, and put everything into action so your funding actually does what it is meant to do.

It is a Capacity Building support, which means the goal is to build your skills and confidence over time so you can manage your own supports more independently. This guide explains what a support coordinator does, the different levels available, and how support coordination differs from a plan manager and a Local Area Coordinator.

In this guide

A support coordinator helps you understand your plan, connect with providers and community supports, and build your ability to manage supports yourself.
It is a Capacity Building support and must be included in your plan before you can use it.
There are three levels: Support Connection, Support Coordination (Coordination of Supports), and Specialist Support Coordination for more complex situations.
A support coordinator is different from a plan manager, who handles the money side, and a Local Area Coordinator, who helps you access the NDIS and your local community.
You can choose any support coordinator you like, and it is worth asking about any links they have to service providers.

What a support coordinator does

A support coordinator is there to help you turn your NDIS plan into real, working supports. When a plan is first approved, it can feel like a list of budgets and goals with no clear starting point. A coordinator helps you understand what each part of your plan means, what your funding can be used for, and how the pieces fit together.

One of their main jobs is connecting you with the right supports. This includes NDIS-funded providers such as therapists, support workers and equipment suppliers, but it also includes mainstream and community supports outside the NDIS, like health services, housing, education and local groups. A good coordinator looks at the whole picture of your life, not just the parts the NDIS pays for.

Support coordination is also about building your capacity. Rather than doing everything for you forever, a coordinator aims to teach you how the system works so you gain skills and confidence. Over time you may learn how to compare providers, negotiate service agreements, and solve problems yourself. They can also help you prepare for your next plan review by keeping track of what is working and what is not.

The levels of support coordination

Support coordination comes in different levels, and the level you receive depends on your situation and what is written in your plan. The first level is often called Support Connection. This is a lighter-touch support focused on helping you understand your plan and build the connections you need to use it, usually over a shorter period.

The next level is Support Coordination, sometimes called Coordination of Supports. This is a more active, hands-on service. Your coordinator helps you design and put together a mix of supports, works through any barriers, and helps you build the skills to direct your own life. This is the level many participants receive when they have a range of supports to organise.

The highest level is Specialist Support Coordination. This is designed for people in more complex situations, where there are significant barriers or risks that make coordinating supports harder, such as a crisis or several services that need to work closely together. It is usually time-limited and delivered by someone with relevant expertise, with the aim of stabilising the situation and reducing complexity so a lower level of support may be enough later on.

Support coordinator vs plan manager vs LAC

It is easy to mix up these three roles because they all support you in different ways. A support coordinator focuses on the supports themselves: finding providers, connecting services, solving problems and building your skills. Think of them as helping with the practical work of getting your plan going.

A plan manager, on the other hand, looks after the money. If you have plan management funding, a plan manager pays your provider invoices, keeps track of your budgets, and handles the financial claiming with the NDIS. They do not choose your supports or coordinate services. Many participants have both a plan manager and a support coordinator, and the two roles work well side by side.

A Local Area Coordinator, or LAC, is different again. LACs are part of the wider NDIS system and help people access the scheme, understand the NDIS, and link with community and mainstream supports. An LAC is not the same as a funded support coordinator in your plan. If support coordination is not funded in your plan, an LAC may still be a useful point of contact for general information and local connections.

Conflict of interest

A conflict of interest can happen when a support coordinator is linked to the same organisation that delivers your other supports. For example, if the company employing your coordinator also provides your support workers, there is a risk they might steer you toward their own services rather than the option that is genuinely best for you.

This does not automatically mean anything wrong is happening, and some organisations manage these situations carefully. But it is something you have a right to know about. A quality coordinator will be upfront about any links they have to providers and will always present you with genuine choices, including options from other organisations.

You can ask directly whether your coordinator has any connection to the providers they suggest. You should feel free to choose providers your coordinator is not connected to, and you can raise concerns if you ever feel you are being pushed in one direction. Independence and honest advice are a big part of what makes support coordination valuable.

Getting it in your plan

Support coordination has to be included in your plan before you can use it. It is not automatically added for everyone. Whether it is funded depends on your individual circumstances, such as how complex your support needs are, whether you have informal supports to help, and how confident you feel navigating the system on your own.

The best time to raise support coordination is during your planning meeting or plan review. Be clear about why you would find it helpful, for example if you have several supports to arrange, if your situation is changing, or if you are new to the NDIS and finding it hard to get started. Explaining the practical difference it would make helps show that it is reasonable and necessary for you.

If support coordination is not in your current plan and you feel you need it, you can request a plan review or discuss it at your next scheduled review. Keeping notes about the barriers you face and the goals you are working toward can make your case clearer when you speak with the NDIS.

Choosing a support coordinator

Once support coordination is in your plan, you get to choose who provides it. You are not locked into any particular organisation, and you can change coordinators if the relationship is not working for you. It is worth taking a little time to find someone who suits you.

Good questions to ask include how much experience they have with your type of disability or situation, how they will help you build your own skills, and how they handle any links to service providers. You might also ask how often you will be in contact, how they communicate, and how they support you when problems come up. Trust and good communication matter, because you will be sharing personal information and relying on their guidance.

It can help to speak with more than one coordinator before deciding. Directories, word of mouth from other participants, and your LAC can all be useful ways to find options. The right coordinator should listen to you, respect your choices, and focus on helping you become more independent over time rather than keeping you dependent on their service.

Frequently asked questions

What does a support coordinator actually do?: A support coordinator helps you understand and use your NDIS plan. They connect you with providers and community supports, help solve problems, and build your skills so you can manage your own supports over time. Their focus is on the supports themselves, not on paying invoices or approving your plan.
Is support coordination automatically in my plan?: No. Support coordination is not added to every plan automatically. It is a Capacity Building support that must be specifically included based on your circumstances. If you think you need it, raise it at your planning meeting or plan review and explain why it would help you use your plan effectively.
What is the difference between a support coordinator and a plan manager?: A support coordinator helps you find and connect supports and build your skills. A plan manager handles the money, paying provider invoices and tracking your budgets. They are separate roles that can work together. Many participants have both a support coordinator and a plan manager in their plan at the same time.
What are the levels of support coordination?: There are three levels: Support Connection, which is lighter-touch help to understand and connect supports; Support Coordination (Coordination of Supports), which is more hands-on; and Specialist Support Coordination, a higher, usually time-limited level for complex situations. The level you receive depends on your needs and what is written in your plan.
Is a support coordinator the same as a Local Area Coordinator?: No. A Local Area Coordinator, or LAC, is part of the wider NDIS system and helps people access the scheme and link with community supports. A funded support coordinator is chosen by you and paid from your plan to coordinate your specific supports. An LAC can help even if support coordination is not funded in your plan.
Can I choose my own support coordinator?: Yes. Once support coordination is funded in your plan, you can choose any provider you like, and you can change coordinators if it is not working out. It is worth speaking with more than one, asking about their experience, and checking how they help you build your own skills before deciding.
What is a conflict of interest with a support coordinator?: A conflict of interest can arise when your coordinator is linked to the organisation providing your other supports, creating a risk they might favour their own services. It is not automatically wrong, but you have a right to know. A good coordinator is upfront about any links and always offers you genuine, independent choices.
How do I get support coordination added to my plan?: Raise it during your planning meeting or plan review. Explain your circumstances, such as complex needs, a changing situation, or being new to the NDIS, and why support coordination would help. Keeping notes about the barriers you face and your goals can make your case clearer when you speak with the NDIS.

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