Guides & resources
The NDIS, explained simply
Plain-English answers to the questions participants, families and support coordinators ask us every week — written by the clinicians who do this work across Newcastle, the Hunter and Central Coast.
NDIS basics
Understanding your NDIS plan: Core, Capacity Building & Capital budgets
Every NDIS plan splits funding into Core, Capacity Building and Capital — and the rules about what's flexible differ for each. Here's the working knowledge you need.
Read the guideHow to choose an NDIS provider: questions worth asking
There's no single 'best' NDIS provider — only the right fit for your needs, goals and location. Here's how to compare providers and the questions worth asking before you sign anything.
Read the guideWhat happens after you enquire with Care Alliance?
Sent an enquiry or referral and wondering what's next? Here's the step-by-step of how intake works at Care Alliance — from first contact to your first support.
Read the guideCan I choose my own NDIS support workers?
Yes, you can. What changes is how you do the choosing and who handles the work behind it. Here are the three common routes and what to ask on each.
Read the guideWhat is Assistance with Daily Life under the NDIS?
It is the part of your Core Supports budget that pays for help with everyday tasks. Here's what it covers, what it doesn't, and how it differs from Improved Daily Living.
Read the guideAuslan interpreter or a support worker who signs — which do you need?
They are two different jobs, and they are not substitutes for each other. Here is what each one is for, when you need which, and why the answer is often both.
Read the guideWhat is tactile Auslan?
Auslan received through touch rather than sight, used by people who are deafblind. Here is how it works, who it is for, and why it is so hard to find in disability support.
Read the guideHome & living
What is Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
SIL is NDIS funding for help with daily tasks where you live — often with 24/7 support in a shared home. Here's what it covers, what it doesn't, and how to access it.
Read the guideSIL vs ILO vs STA: NDIS home & living supports compared
SIL, ILO, STA, MTA, SDA — the NDIS home-and-living alphabet, decoded. What each support funds, who it suits, and how they combine in a plan.
Read the guideNDIS respite & Short Term Accommodation (STA) explained
Respite gives participants a supported change of scene and gives family carers a real break. Here's how STA funding works and how to use it well.
Read the guideTherapy & clinical supports
NDIS psychology explained: what it covers and how to access it
Psychology under the NDIS is different from a Medicare mental health plan. Here's what NDIS-funded psychology covers, who it helps and how to access it.
Read the guideWhat is positive behaviour support? A plain-English guide
PBS starts from a simple idea: behaviour is communication. Here's what behaviour support practitioners do, what a behaviour support plan contains, and what good looks like.
Read the guideWhat is a behaviour support plan? How to read yours
If someone you support has a behaviour support plan, you're expected to follow it — so it helps to know what's actually in one, and what a good one looks like.
Read the guideBehaviour support or psychology — which do I need?
They overlap, they're funded differently, and plenty of people are told to get one when they needed the other. Here's how to work out which you're actually after.
Read the guideWhat is a functional capacity assessment (FCA)?
The FCA is the report that does the heavy lifting in NDIS decisions — SIL, home mods, plan reassessments. Here's what it measures, who writes it and how to prepare.
Read the guideWhat does an NDIS occupational therapist do?
OTs are the NDIS's problem-solvers for daily life — skills, equipment, home modifications and the assessments big decisions rely on. Here's what they actually do.
Read the guideWhat is NDIS community nursing?
Clinical care delivered where you live, by a registered nurse. Here is what community nursing covers, who it is for, and how it gets funded in an NDIS plan.
Read the guideHigh intensity supports explained: what they are and who can deliver them
PEG feeding, complex bowel care, tracheostomy, seizure management — the supports that carry real clinical risk. Here is who can deliver them, and what proper oversight looks like.
Read the guideComing home from hospital with an NDIS plan
Discharge is where complex care most often comes unstuck. Here is who does what, what needs to be ready before the bed is given up, and how to keep it moving.
Read the guideCan't find what you're looking for? Our intake team answers NDIS questions every day — call 1300 206 309 or get in touch, no strings attached.
Seen our vans around town? That's us.
Questions your plan can't answer?
Call, email or send an online referral — our team will talk you through your options with no obligation.
