Step 1 — Your enquiry or referral
You can reach us three ways: the online referral form (which goes straight to our intake team), a call to 1300 206 309, or an email to info@carealliance.com.au. Anyone can make the enquiry — you, a family member or carer, a support coordinator, or another professional, with your knowledge and consent.
The details that help us respond usefully: who the support is for, roughly what kind of support you're looking for, your suburb or area, and how your NDIS plan is managed (agency-managed, plan-managed or self-managed) if you know it. Don't worry if you don't have everything — the intake team will fill the gaps with you.
Step 2 — The intake conversation
Our intake team will contact you to talk through what you're looking for, answer questions, and check the practical basics: whether we deliver the service you need, whether we cover your area, and how the support could be funded. This is a two-way conversation — it's as much about you deciding whether we sound right as it is about us understanding your needs.
If we're not the right fit — because of the service you need, your location, or our capacity at the time — we'll say so plainly rather than sign you up to something that won't serve you well.
Step 3 — A free meet-and-greet
Before anything is signed, we offer a free meet-and-greet — at our Charlestown clinic, in your home, or somewhere in the community that suits you. You can bring anyone you like: family, a carer, your support coordinator. It's a chance to meet the people who'd be involved in your supports, ask anything at all, and get a feel for how we work.
There's no obligation at the end of it. If you'd like to think it over, compare other providers, or ask more questions, that's exactly what the meeting is for — our guide to choosing an NDIS provider has a full list of questions worth asking us and anyone else.
Step 4 — Service agreement and getting started
If you decide to go ahead, we prepare a service agreement — the standard NDIS document that sets out the supports, how often they happen, the pricing, and how either of us can change or end the arrangement. Read it at your own pace and ask about anything unclear before signing; you can also have a family member, advocate or support coordinator look it over.
From there, your supports are scheduled and introduced at whatever pace suits you. If your needs change later, you tell us and the supports change — that's what the review conversations are for. And if something isn't working, you can raise it directly with your contact person or through our feedback and complaints form at any time.
Common questions
Do I need a referral from a doctor to start?
No referral from a doctor is needed to enquire with us — you, a family member or a support coordinator can contact us directly. Some funding pathways outside the NDIS (like Medicare-funded psychology sessions) have their own referral rules, and the intake team will explain those if they apply to you.
Does enquiring commit me to anything?
No. An enquiry starts a conversation, and the meet-and-greet is free with no obligation. Nothing is locked in until you've read and signed a service agreement — and even then, agreements include a notice period so you can end them if things change.
What information should I have ready?
Helpful but not essential: who the support is for, the kind of support you're after, your area, and how your NDIS plan is managed. If you have NDIS plan goals handy they help us understand what matters to you — but the intake team will work with whatever you have.
Can a support coordinator make the referral for me?
Yes — support coordinators refer participants to us regularly through the same referral form or by phone, with your knowledge and consent. We'll keep them in the loop to whatever extent you want.
This guide is general information about the NDIS, not advice about your individual situation, and scheme rules change over time. For decisions about your plan, check the current guidance at ndis.gov.au or talk to your support coordinator, planner — or call us on 1300 206 309.