For families and carers

You're holding a lot. Here's where to start.

If you're the parent, partner, sibling or friend making the calls, this page is for you: what exists, what it costs, what the NDIS does and doesn't do for carers, and who to ring - including us.

One call, one business day No plan needed to talk Central Coast, Lake Macquarie & Newcastle

Where are you up to?

Not on the NDIS yetHow applying works, and help in the meantime A plan just arrivedWhat's in it, and which supports we could provide I need a breakRespite and short stays, planned around them Help now, no planSelf-funded practical help at home

The honest version

What the NDIS does - and doesn't - do for carers

It funds the person, not youAn NDIS plan pays for the participant's supports. It doesn't pay carers, and it isn't a carer's budget.
But it can take weight off youSupport workers at home, community participation and respite stays are all funded from the participant's plan - and each one is time you get back.
Respite lives in their planShort-term respite (the NDIS calls it STR) is funded as the participant's support. If it isn't in the plan yet, it can be asked for - our respite guide explains how.
You have a say - with their say-soWith the participant's consent, we'll talk with you as well as them, keep you in the loop, and you can be in every meeting.
Carers have their own serviceCarer Gateway is the Australian Government's service for carers - counselling, peer support, planning and emergency respite - on 1800 422 737. It's separate from the NDIS and free.
No plan is not a dead endSelf-funded practical help exists for the gap while an application is in progress, or for older family members who won't be on the NDIS at all.

Guides for the detail: NDIS respite, explained properly · What support costs · Your rights, and bringing an advocate · Plan reassessments, explained · Choosing an SIL provider

What we can do

Support that gives you your Tuesday back

Daily personal support

Mornings, meals, medication prompts, evenings - done with the person, shaped around how they want their day to run.

At home

Community participation

Outings, small groups, friendships and skills - so getting out isn't always your job.

Out and about

Respite and short stays

A weekend, a week, school holidays - a stay planned around their routines, with staff on site overnight.

A proper break

Help at home

Cleaning, laundry, meals and shopping - involving the person wherever possible.

The house

The next step - a place of their own

Bethel, and Beyond Assisted Living for young adults - talked through slowly, with no pressure and no commitment.

Planning ahead

Self-funded help, no plan

Domestic help, shopping, companionship and transport, arranged privately - for the gap, or for an older parent.

Without the NDIS

How it goes

Three steps, and nothing decided without you both

Say hello
Call, or send the two-step form. Tell us what's going on - as much or as little as you like.
We meet the person
A no-pressure conversation about what matters to them, with you there if they'd like that.
Support in place
If everyone wants to go ahead, we agree the arrangements in writing and introduce the support worker before day one.

If it's urgent

In an emergency call 000. If a carer can't continue and the person needs somewhere to be, Carer Gateway's emergency respite line is 1800 422 737, 24 hours. Then call us - we'll tell you honestly what we can do and how fast.

If you'd rather someone spoke for you

You can bring a friend, an advocate or another family member to any conversation with us. Free, independent advocacy is listed on Your rights.

Common questions

What families ask us first

Can I be paid as a carer through the NDIS?

Not through the participant's NDIS plan - it funds supports delivered to them, and family members generally can't be paid from it. Government carer payments and allowances are a separate system (Services Australia), and Carer Gateway can point you to them.

Will you talk to me, or only to the person I care for?

Both - with their consent. The person we support is the decision-maker for their own life, and we'll keep you involved to the extent they want. In practice, for most families, that means you're in the conversation from the first call.

How quickly could support start?

Honestly: it depends on the support and the days. We reply within one business day and arrange the first conversation around you. Whether support can start straight after depends on availability, which we'll tell you rather than guess.

What if the person doesn't want support?

Then it doesn't start - and that's not a failure. Sometimes a low-key beginning helps: a community outing, a respite weekend, meeting a support worker with no strings. Tell us and we'll suggest what's worked for others.

Do you support families who aren't Christian?

Yes. Our faith shapes how we treat people, not who we support. Nobody is asked about their beliefs, and support is never conditional on them.