How to Plan Community Access on the Sunshine Coast
Does your child want to start visiting the library again, try a group activity or feel more comfortable somewhere new? Community access is support that helps people take part in activities in their local community, based on what interests them and what they need to participate.
For some children and teenagers, the first step might be a short visit to the library in Maroochydore at a quiet time. Others might want to see where a class takes place before deciding whether to join. Start by asking the young person what they’d like to do and what would make it easier to give it a go.
What to include in a community access referral
Whether you’re a family member or a support coordinator, describe what the support might look like on an actual outing. This helps the provider understand what the young person wants to do and whether they have a worker with the right experience and availability.
Goals and interests. What would the young person like to do? Is there an activity, place or skill they’d like to explore?
Communication and preferences. How do they make choices, ask for help or signal that they need a break? What helps them feel comfortable?
Support during the outing. Include details relevant to the activity, such as help with mobility, planning the route or managing busy environments.
Routine and logistics. Include the suburb, suitable times, how often support is needed and how transport will be arranged.
NDIS plan details. If you know, explain how the funding is managed and which support category may apply. Ask the provider how to share any personal information they need securely.
For example: “She’d like to start going to the library again. She’d prefer a short visit after school when it’s quieter. She wants to choose a book and practise asking for help at the counter, with her support worker nearby.”
How NDIS support categories fit into the plan
NDIS funding is organised into budgets. Each budget can include support categories with their own rules. Two categories may be relevant to community access, depending on the person’s plan and the support they need.
Core Supports — Assistance with Social and Community Participation. This may fund the support a person needs to take part in an activity, such as having a support worker accompany them on an outing.
Capacity Building — Increased Social and Community Participation. This may fund support to build skills for taking part in the community, such as practising social interactions or learning to join an activity more independently.
The same library visit can involve different kinds of support. One person may need someone alongside them so they can take part. For another person, the visit might be part of a plan to practise a particular skill. Before booking, check what the NDIS plan allows and ask the provider how they’ll charge for the support.
Choosing support for children and teenagers
When you first speak with a provider, ask how they introduce the support worker, what experience their team has with your child’s age group and how they would handle a change of plans during an outing. Agree on how they’ll keep you informed and how the young person can give feedback about their support.
Keep the first outing simple. The young person could choose between two activities, decide how long to stay and agree on a way to ask for a break. Afterwards, ask what they’d like to do again or change. Finding out they’d prefer a quieter time or want to go back to the same place gives you something concrete to plan around.
If your family is looking for community access support for a young person on the Sunshine Coast, tell the Sunshine Family Support team what they’d like to do and what would help them feel comfortable getting started.
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