‘Requires support’ is the most over-used phrase in NDIS evidence. Knowing the precise NDIS support levels — and using them in your evidence — directly affects funding.
Why Support Level Language Matters
Planners read hundreds of FCA reports. They cannot guess what ‘requires support’ means — a participant who needs verbal prompting for showering has a fundamentally different funding profile from a participant who needs two-person hands-on assistance. Using precise NDIS support level language is one of the single highest-impact things a report writer can do.
The Six Practical Support Levels
- —Independent — no support required
- —Set-up only — environment prepared, participant completes the activity
- —Verbal prompting — reminders, encouragement, step-by-step cueing
- —Supervision — physical presence required for safety, no hands-on assistance
- —Partial physical assistance — hands-on for part of the activity
- —Full physical assistance — the worker performs the activity for the participant
Overnight Support Categories
- —No overnight support — participant safe and independent overnight
- —On-call — worker contactable but not present
- —Sleepover — worker present, sleeping, available if needed
- —Active overnight — worker awake and providing care through the night
- —2:1 active overnight — two workers awake and providing care
Quantifying Support — The Key to Funding
Every recommended support in our FCAs is quantified — frequency (e.g., 4 times daily), duration (e.g., 20 minutes), intensity (e.g., partial physical assistance) and overnight category. This quantification is then rolled up into a costed Roster of Care that planners can approve directly.
Ryan is a qualified physiotherapist with cross-sector clinical experience across acute hospital wards, inpatient rehabilitation and community NDIS practice. He founded FCA Reports Australia to make evidence-based Functional Capacity Assessments faster and more accessible for participants across Australia.
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