Plan reassessments are won and lost on preparation. A participant who walks into a plan reassessment with the right evidence pack and a clear goals statement usually walks out with the plan they need.
What Has Changed Under PACE
Since the rollout of PACE, NDIS plan reassessments rely more heavily on the written evidence pack and less on face-to-face conversation with the participant. The practical implication: documents have become more important, and the assigned planner often has less time to engage personally with the participant. Preparation has become more critical, not less.
The 12-Month Timeline
Plan reassessments are easier when planned 12 months in advance. The first 6 months are about implementing the current plan well; the next 4 months are about gathering current evidence (FCA, allied health reports, provider reports); the final 2 months are about consolidating the evidence pack and rehearsing the participant's goals and lived-experience statements.
The Evidence Pack
A defensible evidence pack typically includes: a current Functional Capacity Assessment (less than 12 months old), specialist medical reports confirming diagnosis and prognosis, allied health reports from the last 12 months, Behaviour Support Plan and incident data where applicable, hospital discharge summaries from any recent admissions, Support Coordinator plan utilisation summary, and a goals statement from the participant or nominee.
The Goals Statement
Strong plan reassessments include a clear participant goals statement — three to five goals that the participant genuinely cares about, written in their voice, with explicit links to recommended supports. The goals do not need to be lofty. 'Keep my current house safe and habitable' is a valid goal. 'Get to my niece's wedding without falling' is a valid goal.
Provider Reports
Provider reports — particularly from current SIL providers, day program providers and schools — should describe what they actually observe day-to-day, not what they hope the participant will do. The most useful provider reports describe specific incidents, specific support intensities, and specific patterns the planner could not otherwise know.
Coordinating With Your Support Coordinator
Strong Coordinators drive plan reassessment preparation. The Coordinator should be assembling the evidence pack at least 8 weeks before the reassessment date, identifying gaps, and commissioning any missing documents. If your Coordinator is not doing this, raise it — or consider whether you have the right Coordinator.
Common Pitfalls
The five most common pitfalls in plan reassessment preparation are: leaving the FCA too late and submitting an old one; not addressing change of circumstances explicitly; assuming the planner will read every page in the evidence pack (they may not); failing to articulate goals in the participant's own voice; and missing the opportunity to address informal-support sustainability.
What Happens If the Outcome Is Disappointing
If the plan reassessment outcome is materially worse than expected, internal review options exist. Internal review must be requested within 90 days. A defensible internal review typically requires additional or updated evidence — which is why having a current, high-quality FCA at the time of submission matters even more for participants likely to need to escalate.
Where Our Service Fits
FCA Reports Australia issues plan-reassessment-ready FCAs within 7 business days of the final interview. Most participants commissioning an FCA for a plan reassessment do so 8–12 weeks before the reassessment date, leaving time for the Coordinator to integrate the report into the broader evidence pack. Learn more about our FCA service.
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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