NDIS Is Asking for Feedback on the Future of Support Coordination: Here's How to Have Your Say

If you've worked with a support coordinator, you'll know how much of a difference the right one can make. They're often the person who helps you make sense of a new plan, connects you with providers, and steps in when things get complicated.

Now, the Australian Government is asking people who actually use and deliver these services to help shape what support coordination could look like in the future.

As part of broader NDIS reforms, the government is consulting on a new Support Coordination and Connection (SCC) service. The proposed service is expected to begin on 1 July 2028, but its final design hasn't been decided yet. The current consultation is open until 2 October 2026.

What's Changing With NDIS Support Coordination?

From 1 July 2028, a new commissioned NDIS support coordination and connection service will replace the way support coordination currently works. This is a genuine redesign of how participants get help understanding, accessing, and coordinating their supports.

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and the National Disability Insurance Agency have already put together some early ideas about what this new service could look like. But nothing is finalised yet, which is exactly why they're asking for feedback now, while the design is still taking shape.

Why Is the NDIS Changing Support Coordination?

Support coordinators do genuinely valuable work. They help people navigate a system that can feel overwhelming, especially for anyone newly on a plan or managing a complex set of needs. But the government has identified a few areas where the current setup could work better, including:

• Consistency in the quality of support coordination from one provider to the next
• Clearer safeguarding arrangements to protect participants
• More clarity around where a support coordinator's role begins and ends compared to other providers involved in someone's care

If you've ever felt unsure about who to call for what, whether that's your support coordinator, your plan manager, or a specific service provider, you've probably experienced exactly the kind of overlap this reform is trying to sort out.

What Will Change for NDIS Participants?

The important thing to understand is that support coordination is planned to move from being individually funded through a participant's NDIS plan to a commissioned service.

From 1 July 2028, the NDIA plans to appoint providers directly to deliver the new Support Coordination and Connection service. Participants will no longer use funding in their individual NDIS plans to pay for support coordination under the new model. The government says participants will be supported to transition to the new service.

How Support Coordination Could Change From 1 July 2028

The proposed changes would significantly alter how support coordination is funded and delivered through the NDIS. Rather than continuing to fund support coordination directly through individual participant plans, the NDIA proposes to commission providers to deliver a new support coordination service.

For participants, the important point is that the change isn't happening immediately. Current support coordination arrangements remain in place for now, with transition arrangements planned ahead of the proposed 1 July 2028 start date. Here's how the current system compares with what's being proposed.

What Is the Government Asking for Feedback On?

The consultation is asking for input across these main areas:

• What the service should actually do. This covers the day to day role of a support coordinator and what participants should be able to expect from them.
• Quality and safeguarding. This is about making sure participants are protected and that there's a consistent standard of care, regardless of which provider someone works with.
• How the service could be delivered. This looks at the practical side of things, like how support coordination could be structured and rolled out from 2028 onwards.
• Helping participants understand, access, and coordinate their supports. At its core, this is about whether the new service actually makes life easier for the people using it, which is really the whole point of the reform.

Why Your Input Matters Here

Feedback from this consultation goes directly into the advice given to government before a final decision is made on how the service will work. That means the people who use support coordination, and the people who provide it, have a genuine chance to shape something before it's set in stone.

This matters particularly if you're a participant or carer who has dealt with the frustrating side of support coordination, like inconsistent quality between providers, or confusion about who's responsible for what. It also matters if you're a support coordinator or provider who has firsthand insight into what's working well and what could be improved.

Who Should Take Part

The government has been clear that this consultation is open to a broad range of people, including:

• People with disability
• Families, carers, and kin
• Advocates
• Providers
• Anyone else connected to the disability community with a stake in how this service works

If you fall into any of these groups, and particularly if you've had direct experience with support coordination, your perspective is exactly what this process is designed to capture.

What Should You Include in Your Feedback?

You don't need to be a policy expert to contribute. If you've used support coordination, think about your own experience and consider:

• What does your support coordinator do that genuinely helps?
• Where have you experienced delays, confusion or inconsistent service?
• Have you ever been unsure whether to contact your support coordinator, provider or another person?
• What would make support coordination easier to access?
• What safeguards or quality standards do you think are important?
• What would make transitioning to a new service easier for participants?

When Does the Consultation Close?

This consultation is still in the early stages, with the new service not set to begin until 1 July 2028. That gives a reasonable window for genuine input to shape the final design, rather than feedback being sought after the key decisions have already been made.

If you'd like to take part, it's worth keeping an eye on the NDIS and Department of Health, Disability and Ageing websites for details on how to submit feedback, along with any upcoming consultation sessions or forums.

What Happens to Support Coordination Before 2028?

Reforms like this can feel a long way off when the changes won't take effect for a couple of years, but the groundwork being laid now is exactly what will shape the day to day experience of support coordination down the track. If you've got something to say about what's working, what isn't, or what would genuinely help, this is the moment to say it.

For families and support coordinators working through the current system in the meantime, our team at Platinum Health Supply is always happy to help you find your footing while these changes take shape.