Delivering person-centred support is at the core of every quality NDIS provider’s commitment. Central to this is the care plan, a vital document that not only meets compliance requirements but also acts as a practical roadmap to achieving meaningful outcomes for participants.
In the complex landscape of disability support, having a well-crafted Individual Support Plan ensures everyone involved, participants, families, support coordinators, and allied health professionals, shares a clear understanding of goals, needs, and strategies. Yet, many providers find developing and managing a Support Plan challenging without the right tools and processes in place.
Read on to discover everything you need to know about care plans: what they are, why they matter, who should be involved and how modern software solutions like MYP can help streamline care planning to support better, more personalised outcomes.
What is a care plan?
A care plan is a personalised document that outlines a participant’s goals, needs, supports and the strategies to achieve them. It serves as a comprehensive guide tailored to each individual’s unique circumstances, preferences and aspirations, ensuring their journey through the NDIS is focused, coordinated and meaningful.
Care plans are also a key legal requirement for NDIS providers. Under the NDIS Practice Standards, providers must develop and maintain care plans that support safe, respectful and person-centred care while meeting regulatory expectations.
Crucially, care plans support collaboration between participants, their families or carers, support coordinators and allied health professionals. They empower participants to exercise choice and control over their supports, keeping their voices central throughout planning and delivery.
Key components of a comprehensive care plan
An effective care plan captures all necessary details to guide consistent, safe and person-centred support. It should be clear enough for any team member to follow, while flexible enough to adapt to changing needs. The following elements form the foundation of a compliant care plan.
Participant information
This section provides essential background details, such as the participant’s NDIS number, contact information, medical history and any relevant diagnoses. It should also note preferred communication methods and any accessibility or cultural considerations, ensuring supports are tailored from the outset.
Goals and objectives
Clear, co-developed goals give the care plan its direction. Goals should be aligned with the participant’s NDIS plan to ensure the right supports and funding are in place. These may be short-term (weeks or months) or long-term (a year or more) and should always be shaped in collaboration with the participant.
Objectives break each goal into smaller, actionable steps and should follow the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. For example, if the goal is to improve mobility, an objective might be: Walk independently to the local shop within six months using a prescribed mobility aid and weekly physiotherapy. This approach makes progress easier to track, celebrate and review.
Supports and interventions
Here, providers outline the supports and services required to meet the participant’s goals, ranging from personal care and therapy to assistive technology. It should also specify the frequency, duration and responsible parties for each service.
Individualised support strategies
This section describes the customised approaches and techniques used to deliver supports in a way that respects the participant’s strengths, preferences and daily routines. For example, incorporating specific therapy methods, preferred activity times or sensory needs.
Emergency and risk management
Every care plan should outline what to do in the event of an emergency or health concern. This includes key contacts, escalation protocols, medication information and any identified risks with corresponding mitigation strategies.
Communication and collaboration plan
To ensure everyone stays informed, the care plan should include how and when updates will be shared between the participant, their family or carers and all relevant providers. This might involve regular meetings, progress reports or use of secure communication tools.
Who should be involved in developing a care plan?
Effective care planning is a collaborative process involving diverse perspectives to reflect the participant’s needs and goals. This includes:
- Participants, family or carers: Central to the plan, participants’ voices guide decisions, with family or carers offering insights into daily routines and preferences.
- Support coordinators: They translate the NDIS plan into actionable steps, connect participants with services, coordinate providers and oversee implementation.
- Allied health professionals: Specialists like physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists contribute expertise that shapes goals and interventions.
- NDIS planners or Local Area Coordinators (LACs): They develop the overall NDIS plan and may assist providers by clarifying funding eligibility and plan alignment.
The role of support coordinators
Support coordinators play a pivotal role in turning a participant’s care plan from a document into real-world action. They act as a central point of coordination, ensuring all providers and stakeholders are working towards the same goals.
Their responsibilities often include helping participants identify the right mix of supports, engaging suitable service providers and overseeing the delivery of services outlined in the care plan. They also monitor progress, address any issues or changes in circumstances and help update the plan when required.
Importantly, support coordinators empower participants to build their capacity and confidence in managing their supports over time. By fostering strong communication between all parties, they help ensure that the care plan remains relevant, effective and truly person-centred.
Reviewing and updating care plans
A care plan is not a “set and forget” document, it’s a living tool that should evolve alongside the participant’s needs, goals and circumstances. Regular reviews ensure the plan remains accurate, relevant and aligned with both the participant’s NDIS plan and their current stage of life.
At a minimum, care plans should be reviewed annually. However, an update is also essential after significant life events, changes in health, the achievement of key goals or when a participant’s priorities shift.
Regularly updating care plans offers multiple benefits: supports remain closely matched to current needs, service delivery stays efficient, compliance with NDIS Practice Standards is maintained and participants are more likely to achieve positive, meaningful outcomes.
How MYP software supports better care planning
Keeping care plans accurate, accessible and up to date can be challenging without the right system. MYP’s purpose-built NDIS software simplifies care planning, helping providers focus on delivering exceptional support.
With MYP, you can:
- Use structured templates to ensure thorough, consistent care plans aligned with NDIS Practice Standards.
- Track participant goals and progress in real time, with alerts prompting timely reviews.
- Store care plans securely in a central location accessible to authorised staff and stakeholders from any device.
- Enable real-time collaboration among support coordinators, allied health professionals and team members.
- Access full version-control records for support plans, capturing every change with timestamps and user details to provide a complete history and clear compliance evidence during audits.
Beyond care planning, MYP offers a full suite of NDIS management tools, including scheduling, rostering, invoicing, payroll and compliance management, that streamline your organisation’s operations. This integrated platform reduces administrative burden and lets your team focus on delivering high-quality care.
Streamline your care planning with MYP
Care plans are the foundation for meaningful, person-centred support under the NDIS. Developed collaboratively and reviewed regularly, they keep participants’ supports relevant, coordinated and effective.
Now is the time to review your care planning processes and identify opportunities to improve. The right tools can streamline workflows and enhance the quality of care you deliver.
MYP’s purpose-built software removes complexity from care planning with structured templates, real-time goal tracking, secure storage and audit-ready reporting, all in one platform. Request a demo today to see how MYP can help you simplify care planning, boost efficiency and deliver better outcomes for your participants.
