What is Plan Management?

Plan Management is support to manage the funding in your NDIS plan. Having your funds plan managed means that you have the flexibility to use both registered and unregistered providers, without having to deal with all the claiming and processing of invoices.

Our key roles include:

• Processing provider invoices
• Lodging claims through the NDIS portal
• Resolving any queries with providers on your behalf
• Helping you to manage your NDIS funding

How can I have plan management?

At your planning meeting you can tell the NDIS Planner that you would like a plan manager to support you.

The NDIS will include funding in your plan to pay for your plan manager. This is separate from your other services and supports in your budget and falls under the support category “Improved Life Choices.”

By seeking Plan Management support, your other support funds are not reduced – it is provided on top of your other funding requirements.

Why Centacare?

At Centacare, we take a personal approach with our NDIS Plan Management services. Once you are engaged with us, you will be assigned one of our Plan management officers as your primary contact, with the knowledge that there is a full team in the background to assist at any time. We have offices located in Adelaide Metro and in the Northern Suburbs for those who want to interact with a real person.

Centacare uses a program called Careview, which has a corresponding app called “Careview Advantage”. The programs allow you to:

• Access real-time budget balances for each of your support categories
• Approve your provider invoices
• View a monthly summary of your spending via either the app or a monthly statement sent via email/post (your preference)

A primary focus for any plan manager is to ensure that you get the most out of your funds by effectively managing the budget. At Centacare, we start off each new support plan with a discussion about how you want to spend the funding, so that we can help you work out a budget for each of your supports – making sure there are no financial surprises at the end.

If you are interested in engaging Centacare for your plan management needs, you can either contact us on 08 8228 8940 to speak with one of our experienced team members, or register your interest online below.

Register your interest online

Centacare now has two vacancies in supported accommodation for people living with disability who are NDIS eligible.

This is a rare opportunity to set up home and make new friends in a supportive activity-focussed environment.

Our vacancies are located within properties in Whyalla and Elizabeth East. You can view them on The Housing Hub – a new way for people with disability to find suitable housing.

The Housing Hub advertises vacancies for apartments and houses that are owned by housing providers. It also has a library of useful information about housing options and planning your move.

To view Centacare’s vacancies, click the links below:

• Elizabeth East – Open plan home with large well maintained secure yard and fully furnished shared areas.
• Whyalla – Two bedroom duplex home with connecting internal door (four bedrooms total). Multiple shared living areas and a large well maintained secure yard.

Centacare staff provide consistent support to individuals with daily living and personal care, ensuring all individuals’ needs are met.

Staff are respectful of individuals’ homes, ensuring duty-of-care and dignity is maintained for all residents.

Tailored support to suit individual needs and goals includes:

• Personal care
• Daily living tasks – meals, laundry and cleaning
• Support to access the community
• Home and garden maintenance
• Finances and budgeting
• Health care management and support
• Contact with family and friends

If you would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact Lauren LoBasso, or one of our friendly Client Services Team on 8215 6818.

Centacare’s much loved Kolbe Cottage has reopened after a six-month state-of-the-art renovation.

Known for its home-like environment, Kolbe has been providing support for children with intellectual disabilities for more than 34 years.

A housewarming party for families, friends and staff last week marked the start of a new era at the 1930s Plympton site.

It has been transformed with an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, sensory room, office space, and new bedroom and bathroom facilities for clients and staff.

A playground, to be built in the coming months, will complete the project.

Kolbe offers overnight stays and day respite on weekends and during school holidays for children aged 5 to 18 years.

The redevelopment will enable Centacare’s respite and day options program, Centanet, to operate concurrently on-site for the first time.

Centanet supports young people to engage in a range of group-based community and recreational activities, with an emphasis on having fun with friends.

Lyn Lenthall has worked at Kolbe for the past 20 years and says clients are already embracing their new “home”.

“I had a participant with me today and it was almost like he knew he was home; he was happy to wander. Other clients I know are excited. They will all love it. It’s just beautifully laid out.”

Catholic Charities, builder Jim Rinaldi, and Centacare’s Kokoda Challenge 2017 team contributed to the redevelopment.  The team leaves for Papua New Guinea on Friday, led by Assistant Director Bernie Victory who is returning to Kokoda for a 13^th time.

“For 20 years staff have talked about how it would be good to have improved facilities but without changing the lovely cottage-like atmosphere Kolbe is known for, and I think we’ve achieved that,” Bernie says.

Lachlan Purves (pictured), Executive Manager, Disability Services, hopes Kolbe’s renovation will open up new opportunities: “Kolbe Cottage has a well-earned and widely held reputation for the high standard of service that has been provided over many years. The renovation to the property itself now brings the site up to the same standard.

“We expect the renovated site will facilitate opportunity to expand on our services, and the number of individuals we can offer our services to.”

For more information about NDIS supports provided at Kolbe Cottage, phone our Disability Services team on 82156818 or email disability@centacare.org.au