NDIS social and community participation support helps combat isolation by funding activities that build connections, confidence, and life skills. Funding can cover support worker assistance, activity fees, transport, and skill development, whether through Core or Capacity Building categories. To maximise your funding, choose activities aligned with your goals, work with the right provider, and understand which support category best fits your needs.
For some people with disabilities, being disabled can be isolating. Not only is it difficult to find ‘peers’ who can understand your disability, getting out of the house can be physically difficult in and of itself.
We all benefit from social contact, which is why the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides supports in social and community participation.
In this blog, we will cover the benefits of NDIS supports in social and community participation, tips for making the most of funding and advice on finding the best social support provider.
What is NDIS Social and Community Participation?
NDIS Social and Community Participation is a type of NDIS support that helps people with disabilities to engage in community activities. It provides social and recreational activities to build confidence, skills and connections with others.
This type of NDIS support falls under the banner of Core or Capacity Building supports. It helps people with disabilities attend social activities, join groups, attend classes, volunteer or take a trip. If the activity is reasonable and aligns with your NDIS plan goals, you can do it.
As part of NDIS social and community support, you can access:
- Assistance from a support worker to enable you to travel to and take part in activities like art classes, sports or community events.
- Space to develop social skills and build personal connections.
- Funding for activities like attending a concert or event and joining clubs and groups.
- Support with learning new skills like cooking, money management and using public transport.
NDIS only funds supports that are considered necessary and reasonable to achieve an individual’s NDIS goals. Activities must directly relate to goals around social inclusion, participation and skill-building. Supports can be used for centre-based and community-based activities, which can be one-on-one or in a group.
The Benefits of Social and Community Support
The primary aim of NDIS social and community support is to lessen isolation and aid individuals in living more fulfilling lives by connecting with their communities.
There are a variety of mental health benefits. Engaging with the community can reduce loneliness, anxiety and low mood. NDIS supports can help individuals with disabilities to create bigger social networks, strengthen relationships with friends and family, and provide a sense of being a valued part of the community. These stronger relationships can provide emotional support and a sense of belonging.
By engaging with the community, individuals receiving NDIS funding can build their confidence and self-reliance, ultimately increasing their independence. They can also learn new life skills such as problem solving, teamwork and communication. This, in turn, can lead to further opportunities such as studying, volunteering, employment or new experiences in general.
Ultimately, all of these benefits have a cumulative effect leading to significant boosting of an individual’s quality of life. In addition to feeling like they are making a positive contribution, the individual is given room to pursue their goals and aspirations.
What Can You Use Your Social Support Hours For?
There are several different support items available. These include:
Life Transition Planning
This is to help individuals with disabilities establish regular volunteer support to help with activities like participating socially and attending appointments.
Skills Development and Training
This item can help you build skills and improve your ability to take part in the community independently. This may include training such as social skills classes, help in using public transport and other training to help you engage socially.
Innovative Community Participation
This is a broad and general item that enables people with disabilities to use it for a variety of activities to help them meet their goals. This item is often used to aid mainstream activity providers in accessing additional resources to enable individuals with disabilities participate fully in community, social and recreational activities.
Community Participation Activities
This item can be used to claim reimbursements for tuition fees or activities that build your social skills. It does not have a price limit.
This funding can be used to access:
- Specialised equipment or equipment modification to help you to participate in recreation and social activities.
- Aid to help develop skills to participate in social and recreation activities.
- The services of a support worker to help individuals take part in activities, such as helping to change your outfit or setting you up to join the activity.
- Help to travel to a recreational event when you can’t use public transport.
Tips for Making the Most of Your Funding
There are two NDIS categories that can provide social and community support.
Core supports will help pay for the ongoing support you need in community participation. One example of this might be when you require a support worker to go with you to a community event.
Capacity Building supports are used for activities that have a skill building element. This can help you participate in activities that increase your skills and independence. This will help you develop essential life skills to enable you to participate in similar activities in the future.
Finding The Right Provider for Social Support
Finding the best provider for NDIS social and community supports takes time and research.
Your goal should be to find providers who offer personalised care and services, aligning both with your values and goals. Take a look at the reviews and community feedback around providers. It is important to meet potential providers to evaluate their approach before making any decisions.
To find providers, you can use the official NDIS Provider Finder to seek out registered providers. You can also use search engines like Google to find unregistered and registered providers.
We Provide NDIS-Funded Social and Community Participation in Perth and Melbourne
If you are looking for a support provider that can offer social and community participation support, Good Company Disability Services may be right for you.
Rather than employing a one-size-fits-all approach, we take the time to understand every individual’s interests, goals and challenges. Our person-centred, flexible and creative approach ensures your support is aligned with your NDIS plan goals. We are also supportive of your linguistic, cultural and sensory needs.
Our team provides comprehensive support through our Perth disability services and Melbourne disability services locations, helping participants build meaningful community connections. We also offer mentoring services to help you develop social confidence and skills.
As an unregistered NDIS supports provider, we can be accessed by those who have a self-managed or plan-managed plan.
If you’d like to find out how we can support you, email he***@***************om.au, contact our Perth or Melbourne branch by phone or use the form on our Contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my social support funding for activities with friends who don’t have disabilities?
Yes, absolutely! NDIS social and community participation funding is designed to help you engage in mainstream community activities alongside anyone, including friends and family without disabilities. The goal is inclusion, not segregation. As long as the support is reasonable, necessary, and helps you achieve your NDIS goals, you can use it for inclusive activities.
What’s the difference between Core and Capacity Building support for social activities?
Core supports cover the ongoing assistance you need to participate in activities (like support worker hours to attend events). Capacity Building supports focus on developing your skills so you can become more independent in social situations over time (like social skills training or learning to use public transport). Many participants use both categories depending on their activities and goals.
Can I use NDIS funding to go on holidays or travel?
NDIS funding can support travel-related activities if they align with your plan goals and are considered reasonable and necessary. This might include support worker assistance during a holiday, or Short Term Accommodation (STA/respite). However, NDIS won’t fund the holiday itself (flights, accommodation, tourist activities) as these are everyday living costs. Your funding covers the disability-related support you need while traveling.
External Resource: For detailed information about social and community participation supports, visit the NDIS Support Catalogue.
