Support Needs Assessments in the NDIS

Everything you need to know and how to get ready

Let us cut through the noise. The NDIS is moving away from heavy reliance on external reports and toward a standardised Support Needs Assessment that will shape your plan budget. This is not a small tweak. It is a foundational change to how the Agency decides what is reasonable and necessary for you.

The NDIA has announced it will use the I CAN version 6 tool, developed with the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Disability Studies. The aim is simple to say and complex to deliver. More consistency. Less paperwork burden on participants. Plans that reflect real support needs rather than a pile of disconnected reports.

See NDIA updates on the new assessment approach and tool choice here: NDIS news items on developing a new Support Needs Assessment and the new tool announcement. Also see Team DSC’s explainer on needs assessments and framework plans for a sector view.

As someone who has been on both sides of the fence, as a carer and a former provider, I want you to understand what is changing, when it is happening, where the risks are, and what to do now so you are ready.

What is a Support Needs Assessment

A Support Needs Assessment is a structured way to understand the level and type of assistance a person needs to live, participate and reach goals. It is not just a list of what you cannot do. It looks at what supports you need in the context of your life and environment.

How this differs from the current experience.

• Today. Many participants chase multiple allied health and medical reports to justify supports. The focus often falls on deficits and functional capacity.

• Tomorrow. An accredited assessor will use a standard tool, I CAN v6, along with a guided interview and questionnaires about your personal and environmental context. The idea is to generate a fair and consistent picture of your support needs that links more directly to budget setting.

The NDIA says this approach should reduce the burden on people to source endless external reports and create fairer budgets in plans.

How the I CAN v6 tool fits in

I CAN v6 has been refined in Australia for more than twenty years and aligns with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Expect the assessment to combine the tool with semi structured interviews and questions about your daily life, environment and support network.

For more complex situations, the NDIA has flagged targeted assessments in addition to the standard tool. That matters for fluctuating or rare conditions, psychosocial disability, and multi system presentations where a one size instrument can miss nuance.

Early media reports have described interviews of up to around three hours for many adults, often technology supported and conducted by trained assessors. Advocates are watching closely to ensure the process stays person centred, not a box ticking exercise.

Timeline. When does it start and how the transition will work

This change will roll in over time, not overnight. Here is the simple version.

• Tool choice and public confirmation. Announced September 2025.

• Initial introduction of needs assessments within the new planning framework. NDIA guidance points to mid 2026 for meaningful uptake.

• Transition to full adoption. The NDIA has indicated this could take up to five years for all participants to move across, tied to plan reassessments and cohort staging.

• Framework plans. Commentary suggests the first framework style plans begin entering the system during 2025, then scale through 2026 and beyond.

Translation. Most people will meet the new approach at their next reassessment, but not everyone will move at once. Expect an overlap period where parts of the old and new models co exist.

What actually changes for participants and providers

From functional capacity to support needs
Instead of focusing only on what you can or cannot do, the assessment looks at the supports required to live your daily life and pursue goals. Think support intensity, frequency, supervision, environmental barriers and enablers.

From ad hoc evidence to a standard tool
A single tool applied by trained assessors should create more consistency. External reports may still matter for context, but the tool becomes the main decision point.

From retrospective justification to proactive planning
The assessment shapes your budget up front, rather than you buying supports and then defending them later.

How to prepare. A plain language checklist

You do not need to wait for an invite to get ready. Start now.

1. Map your current supports
List every support you use. Type, hours, frequency, costs, who provides it, and what outcome it helps you achieve. Keep receipts and schedules. Record travel time, cancellations, and out of pocket costs.

2. Describe your environment
Note features of your home, transport, work or study setting, community access, and technology that either increase or reduce the support you need. Think stairs, bathroom access, kitchen layout, public transport access, noise triggers, safety risks.

3. Articulate support intensity
Move beyond “I need help.” Estimate hours, supervision levels, frequency, time of day, and whether one or two staff are required. Write examples of what happens if support is not present.

4. Consolidate your history
Keep key reports that explain your condition, baseline and changes. You will not need a stack of new reports just to say the same thing, but you should know your story and be able to present it clearly.

5. Bring your people
Family, carers, support workers and allied health can provide observations that make your support picture clearer. Ask them to note concrete examples and the time involved.

6. Track impact
Note what happens to your safety, health, participation or work or study when supports are reduced. This matters for fair budget setting.

7. Stay engaged
Follow NDIA updates on the new tool, assessor training and participant resources. Participate in consultations where possible. The more lived experience informs the process, the better it will serve you.

Risks and honest concerns you should know

I will always celebrate improvements that reduce burden and improve fairness. I will also tell you the truth about the risks so you can prepare well.

Depersonalisation risk
Standard tools can flatten nuance. The fix is good training, strong interviewing and a process that invites your story, not just scores.

Transparency on budget translation
People need to understand how assessment findings convert to dollars in a plan. If that link feels hidden, trust will suffer.

Edge cases and complexity
Rare conditions, fluctuating needs and multi system situations must have room for professional judgement and targeted assessments.

Quality and consistency of assessors
If training or calibration is weak, outcomes will vary. Ask about assessor qualifications and how consistency is monitored.

Transition pain
Early rollouts often have teething problems. You may see a mix of old and new processes for a while. Keep records, ask questions, and use review rights if outcomes do not reflect your support reality.

Two simple scenarios to make it real

Jane. Daily living and mobility
Jane needs help to shower, dress and prepare meals. Under the new model, her assessor maps support hours for personal care and domestic tasks, then considers environmental changes such as rails, bathroom modifications and kitchen layout. Her plan budget links to that support intensity, with flexibility in how she purchases the mix.

Mark. Psychosocial disability and fluctuation
Mark’s needs change with stress and crisis periods. The assessment builds a baseline support profile and uses targeted questions to capture spikes, triggers, backup plans and the need for flexible crisis hours. Rather than relying on repeating clinical reports, the plan reflects a practical support rhythm across good and tough weeks.

What providers should do now

• Learn the language of support needs and train your teams to document support intensity, outcomes and environment.

• Build processes that capture the evidence participants will need in their interview, such as accurate rosters, daily notes and incident trends.

• Prepare simple participant handouts that explain the change without fear and outline how to prepare.

• Plan for the shift in referral conversations. Referrers will ask about your ability to translate real world support into clear needs language.

What this means for families

Families are tired of paying for duplicate assessments and chasing signatures. If implemented well, this new approach should reduce that burden and create more predictable outcomes. The key is preparation and participation. Know your support story. Bring examples. Be clear on the help you need in your real life, not just on paper.

My take as a carer and former provider

A fair, standard method that starts with real support needs is a good idea. The success will come down to execution. Training. Transparency. Respect for lived experience. And guardrails for complex situations so people are not reduced to a number.

Your job now is not to stress. It is to prepare. Do the simple things well. Map supports. Track time. Describe your environment and support intensity. Keep your people close. Stay engaged with updates.

That is how you protect your outcomes in a changing system.

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