NDIS, Decluttering and Professional Organisers
Can NDIS funds be used to access Professional Organising services?
The short answer is Yes! There are Professional Organisers delivering services to NDIS participants all over Australia.
The NDIS can be hard to navigate and is changing regularly as participants, government and the disability sector work to improve how the scheme works in the real world.
Professional Organising is a new, growing profession and delivers a specialised service unlike any other. This can mean a little extra effort to access these services via the NDIS.
You may need to:
Advocate at your planning meeting for the right type of funding to support decluttering and organising goals.
Educate planners, your LAC or service providers about professional organising and the value it has for participants.
Find the best fit for how your plan is funded and managed.
We have seen participants make amazing progress on their plan goals with the unique support and guidance of a professional organiser.
Here are 3 tips if you think a Professional organiser could help you achieve your NDIS Plan goals.
Professional Organising should help you with the goals in your plan
To use NDIS funds to hire a professional organiser your plan might include goals about:
Organisation
Clutter
Home maintenance
Daily/weekly routines
Managing your to-do lists
You may have goals to learn new skills to keep your home and life organised, to manage stress and make it easier to work, study or socialise.
How are your plan funds managed? The type of financial management of your plan can effect which service providers you can access.
There are three type of financial management for NDIS plan funds.
Agency Managed participants are required to use registered service providers and the agency can assist to find a registered service provider. Many organisers choose not to register due to the administrative requirements.
Plan Managed participants may use any business or service and are not limited to registered providers. However there defined line items for invoicing of different types of supports and caps on the hourly rate for each line item. Plan managers must adhere to these requirements. Unfortunately at this time there is no specific line item for decluttering or organisational supports. Often Professional Organisers are asked to use line items designed for cleaners or generalist support workers. These line items rarely fit the specialised nature of the supports provided or cover the hourly rate for an organising professional.
Self Managed participants are free to choose to use any business and may pay above the recommended hourly rates, however they are responsible for managing their own budget and being accountable for how funds are spent.
Some participants choose a combination of these options for different parts of their plan. If in doubt about how it might work for you get in touch.
Do you have enough funds in the relevant support category?
Organisers often identify Capacity Building as the best fit for the work they do; with a focus on learning and personal growth. Capacity Building Supports can generally only be provided by people with certain qualifications. Many organisers do not hold these qualifications.
Using the Core Supports budget may also be an option but the recommended price limits may not cover the hourly fee for organising.
It is important to work with the organiser and your other service providers to find an option that suits you best.
Does Professional Organising meet the Reasonable and Necessary requirements?
If your plan includes goals about getting your home and life organised or decluttering then it’s reasonable to get a service that specialises in helping you do that. If you need help to do these things due to your disability or don’t have other people who can help you, then it is necessary.
If you need more information about how Professional Organising meets these requirements please get in touch.
What’s next?
If these goals are not in your current plan but you find that clutter and disorganisation are persistent problems, consider if they could be included in your next plan. You may wish to consider obtaining reports from professionals like an Occupational Therapist to support your request for this type of services.
Just as each participant and plan is different, so is the path they take to accessing the services of a professional organiser.
When it comes to the NDIS professional organising services are outside the box but are definitely worth investigating if you, or someone you know, has goals to get their home and lives organised!
Please note - The NDIS is complex and changing frequently. If you think this article has an error or needs updating please contact us.
First published April 2020, revised February 2023