Support Coordination in Western Australia

What support coordination actually covers

A support coordinator helps you turn a plan on paper into services that actually start. They find providers with capacity, make the introductions, sort out service agreements, and step in when something is not working. There are three levels: Support Connection, Support Coordination, and Specialist Support Coordination for more complex situations.

How it's funded

Support coordination sits under Capacity Building, Support Coordination, and it is funded in hours rather than as an open budget. Find out how many hours you have before anything else, because that sets how much contact you can reasonably expect.

What to know in Western Australia

Distance shapes support coordination in WA more than anywhere except the Northern Territory. The gap between what is available in Perth and what is available in the Pilbara, Kimberley or Goldfields is enormous, and remote and very remote pricing loadings apply across much of the state. A coordinator who actually works in your region, rather than one who services it on paper, is worth holding out for.

Choosing between providers

Ask early whether the coordinator's organisation also delivers your other supports. That is not automatically a problem, but a coordinator who refers you to their own employer has an interest in that recommendation, and they should be able to explain how they handle it.

Questions worth asking

• Which level of support coordination am I funded for, and how many hours?
• Does your organisation also deliver supports you might refer me to?
• How often will we actually be in contact?
• Who picks up my file when you are on leave, or if you resign?
• Which providers near me have capacity right now, rather than a waitlist?

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