Setting Goals for Your NDIS Plan
Goals are a core part of developing an NDIS plan. The NDIA discusses goals with participants during the planning conversation because goals describe what a person wants to do or work towards in their life. Goals help the NDIA understand what matters to you and how supports might help build independence and participation.
Goal setting works best when it’s treated as a planning tool, not as a promise of funding. Goals can guide discussions about disability-related barriers and the kinds of supports that might reduce those barriers, but the NDIA still applies funding rules and criteria when deciding what supports to include.
To read more about the funding rules and criteria outlined by the NDIA, see Purple Leopard’s previous blog post about the Principles the NDIA Follows When Creating Plans.
What are Goals?
Goals are the things you want to pursue. They can be short-term or long-term, small steps or big changes, and they can relate to different areas of life. The NDIA often provide examples which commonly include:
Building skills and doing more independently
Working or studying now or in future
Social and recreation activities
Building friendships or connecting with family
These goals can be supported by a mix of NDIS funded supports (where eligible and where criteria are met), informal supports (family, friends, community networks), and mainstream/community services that are available to the general public.
Why are Goals Important?
Goals are important because they:
Help the NDIA understand what is important in your life, including daily circumstances and what the participant wants for their future
Help you identify strengths and areas where supports could build capacity
Provide something to work towards and measure over time
The NDIA emphasises that how far you, as a participant, pursues your goals is your choice. Some people prefer small, manageable steps. Others set larger, long-term aspirations. Both approaches are valid, and plans can evolve over time.
Recording Goals
According to the NDIA, goals are recorded in the Participant Statement section of your plan. You can include as many goals as you would like, but the NDIS plan must include at least one goal. Without a goal recorded, the NDIA can’t finalise and approve the plan.
Goals are written in your own words, and you can get help to identify and prepare goals. The NDIA can also help with wording if you want support expressing your goals. For example, if your disability makes it difficult to describe goals clearly.
Goals VS Funding
A common misunderstanding is that goals directly determine funding. There is a clear distinction between goals and funding: goals are your personal desires and aspirations, while funded supports must relate to disability support needs and meet the NDIS funding criteria (including reasonable and necessary requirements).
How funded supports relate to goals
While goals don’t guarantee funding, goals are still relevant in planning. The NDIA considers whether funded supports enable you to pursue goals and aspirations when approving a plan.
Goals describe “where you want to go”
Disability support needs describe “what’s getting in the way because of disability”
Funded supports (where approved) are intended to reduce disability-related barriers, building independence and participation
NDIA planning resources also emphasise that supports should complement informal supports and mainstream/community services. For example, a participant might be working towards a goal supported partly by family, partly by mainstream services, and partly by NDIS-funded disability supports.
You are also welcome to discuss your goals from previous plans. This can be useful for:
Tracking what has changed
Clarifying what has been achieved
Refining goals based on new priorities or changing needs
Goal Setting Assistance
The NDIA recognises that you can receive help and assistance from others to identify and prepare your goals, including:
Friends and family
Service providers
Plan developers
Local Area Coordinators (LACs)
Support coordinators (where funded)
It’s essential that support people can help you think through options and wording, but important to remember that goals are recorded in your own words and should reflect what you actually want.
Goal Setting Tips
Goal setting doesn’t need to be complicated, but it helps if goals are clear enough that they can guide conversations about disability-related barriers and supports. It is commonly suggested that you consider:
What do you want to do more of (or start doing) in daily life?
What disability-related barriers make that difficult right now?
What would “progress” look like over the next plan period?
What supports already exist (family, friends, school, work, community services, etc.) and where are the gaps?
Is the goal framed in a way that reflects your priorities, rather than only listing a product or provider?
Further NDIA planning information indicate that the NDIA will ask questions about how a person is going in different life areas to help develop a plan with the right supports. Thinking through these different areas before the planning conversation can make goal discussions more efficient.
Goals are a required part of every NDIS plan and are recorded in the Participant Statement to reflect what you want to work towards. At the same time, goals don’t automatically determine your funding. The NDIA approves funded supports based on disability support needs and the NDIS funding criteria, with mainstream and informal supports also considered. Preparing goals in a clear, personal way can make planning conversations more focused and help you track your progress over time.
Get the Support You Need with Purple Leopard Plan Management
At Purple Leopard, we’re here to help participants to navigate the complexities of the NDIS. Contact us today to learn how we can support you in getting the most out of your NDIS plan!
For more information on your NDIS Access Request visit: ndis.gov.au
Or Call the NDIS
For Participants: 1800 800 110
For Providers: 1300 311 675