Increased Social and Community Participation: Everything you need to know
Increased Social and Community Participation funding is all about helping you get out into the community and build skills and confidence to enjoy a more connected, independent life. It can be found under Capacity Building in your NDIS plan.
To help you work out whether this funding is a good fit for you, in this article we explore:
- What Increased Social and Community Participation is
- How it helps you achieve your goals
- Examples of supports funded in this category
- Who’s eligible for funding
- How to get it included in your NDIS plan
What is Increased Social and Community Participation?
If you’re an NDIS participant and you want to become more community focused and socially active, you should probably consider getting Increased Social and Community Participation funding included in your NDIS plan. It’s a Capacity Building support category that helps you take part in skills-based learning and develop independence in accessing the community.
Supports can be provided in your home or out in the community, one-on-one or in a small group - whatever feels most comfortable and helpful for you. How Increased Social and Community Participation helps you achieve your goals
This support category is about helping you feel more confident, capable and socially connected. The kinds of supports it funds aim to help you build everyday skills, try new experiences and gain more independence in your life.
Maybe you’d like to make new friends, become more social, or learn to use public transport safely to get about independently? It can also support you to manage busy places like shopping centres if they feel overwhelming, or help you through big transitions, like moving from primary school to high school.
Examples of supports funded by Increased Social & Community Participation
Skill-building supports
- Cooking and meal-prep programs
- Budgeting, shopping or money-handling training
- Travel training (learning to use public transport independently)
- Computer classes and digital learning
Community participation programs
- Art classes, music groups and recreational programs
- Sports programs or fitness classes
- Supported community activities
- Group-based learning programs
Life skills and personal development
- Social skills coaching
- Confidence-building programs
- Workshops (for example, to improve wellbeing, or prep for employment)
- Capacity-building camps and group outings/activities
Supports to help you access these activities
- A support worker who assists you during these programs
- Transport to and from activities (capacity-building-related transport)
Who’s eligible for Increased Social & Community Participation?
Your eligibility for Increased Social and Community Participation funding comes down to the goals in your NDIS plan. The NDIS wants to see that the supports you’re requesting are to these goals and that supports will genuinely help you make progress.
Some typical goals funded under this category might include:
- Wanting to improve independence by learning everyday life skills
- Building communication skills to feel more comfortable talking with others
- Increasing community access by getting out more and trying new activities
- Growing confidence in social situations
- Boosting employment readiness by learning skills that help with study, work or volunteering
The difference between Assistance with Social, Economic & Community Participation and Increased Social & Community Participation
Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation is funded under Core supports, and exists to help you engage with your supports. This may include funding a support worker to help you attend community events, or support to engage in a skill-building program. Think of this category as funding supports you need right now.
Increased Social and Community Participation, on the other hand, is funded under Capacity Building. It's focused on helping you develop the skills you need to take part more independently in the future.
How to get Increased Social & Community Participation in your NDIS plan
Because the NDIS allocates funding based on what you need to meet your NDIS goals, it’s a good idea to establish strong goals, supportive evidence, and a clear explanation of how the activities will help you become more independent.
Here are 4 steps to get this funding included in your NDIS plan:
1. Set clear goals that relate to:
- Learning new skills
- Becoming more independent
- Being more active in your community
- Making new social connections
- Preparing for study or employment
2. Gather supporting evidence, including:
- Allied health reports (OT, psychologist, speech therapist)
- Support worker notes
- Progress reports
- Letters outlining why these supports will help you grow
3. Discuss it at your planning or plan review meeting, explaining
- What skills you want to build
- What activities you want to join
- How support will help you reach your goals
- Any barriers you currently face
4. Provide clear examples, like:
- I want to learn to travel independently
- I’d like support to join group activities to build social confidence
- I want to attend skill-building programs to support me with daily living
Who are Plan Partners?
Navigating the NDIS on your own can feel overwhelming at times. That’s where Plan Partners comes in. As one of Australia’s leading plan managers, we take the stress out of your NDIS experience by handling your invoices, keeping your records safe, and helping you get the most from your funding.
With our guidance, you’ll understand the funding categories in your NDIS plan, what supports you can use, and how any new NDIS changes may impact you.