Before your NDIS plan renewal, it's worth doing a systematic review of the supports you've received in the past year. Not just whether you liked the providers — but whether the support actually moved you toward your goals, whether funding was used appropriately, and whether your needs have changed.

This article gives you a structured approach to reviewing your year, finding gaps, and using the review to strengthen your next plan.

Why reviewing your supports matters

Plan reviews go better when participants come prepared with evidence about how the previous plan worked. NDIA's process is increasingly evidence-based. If you can show what worked, what didn't, and why, you're in a stronger position to ask for what you need.

Reviewing also helps you. Most participants don't pause to think about whether their supports are working as intended. The supports become routine, even when they're not effective. A structured review identifies opportunities for improvement.

Questions to ask yourself

Walk through these questions about the past year:

Goals. Did I make progress toward the goals in my plan? Specifically? What evidence shows progress or lack of it?

Core supports. Did personal care, household support, and community participation deliver what I needed? Were the hours adequate? Were the workers appropriate? Did I run out of any category mid-year?

Capacity Building. Did therapy and capacity building supports build skills I now use? Or did they sit underused? Was the funding right for what I actually needed?

Capital supports. Did equipment and home modifications get funded and delivered? Are they working as intended?

Plan management. Has my plan manager been responsive and accurate? Is the relationship working?

Coordination. Has my support coordinator helped me make sense of my plan? Have they advocated for me when needed?

Provider relationships. Are the providers I'm working with delivering what I need? Are there relationships I want to continue or change?

Goals for next year. What do I want to be different? What do I want to keep? What new goals are emerging?

How to document what's working and what isn't

Create written notes. Don't rely on memory.

For each major support area, write down:

What worked. Specific examples of when supports made a difference. Workers who handled things well. Programs that built real skills. Equipment that improved life.

What didn't work. Where supports fell short. Workers who didn't fit. Programs that didn't deliver. Equipment that's not being used.

What was missing. Things you needed that weren't funded or available. Hours that weren't enough. Programs in your area you couldn't access.

What changed. New circumstances, new diagnoses, new family situations, new goals.

This document becomes your evidence base for the plan review meeting. It also helps you have honest conversations with current providers about whether to continue.

Using your review findings at renewal

In the planning meeting:

Bring your written review. Reference specific examples — "In March, I ran out of personal care funding because I had a particularly bad period of mental health and used more hours that month." Specific evidence supports specific funding requests.

Tie review findings to next-year goals. "Last year I made progress on [specific goal] through [specific support]. For next year, I want to build on that with [next step], which would need [specific funding]."

Address what didn't work. "Speech therapy didn't deliver what we hoped because [reason]. For next year, I'd like to try [alternative]."

Acknowledge changes. "My situation has changed because [event]. This means I now need [different supports]."

The planner's job is to build a plan that fits your situation. Detailed evidence about your situation makes their job easier and your outcomes better.

Specific patterns worth flagging

Some specific things worth raising at review:

If you're consistently running out of one budget category before plan end, that's evidence of underfunding.

If you've had quality issues with providers, document them — even if they were resolved. They affect what you ask for.

If your goals have shifted significantly, the old goals shouldn't carry over without review.

If your informal supports have changed (family member moved, partner became unavailable, parent's health declined), this is critical to flag.

If you've had health changes (new diagnoses, hospitalisations, mental health changes), they affect what you need.

If you've been doing well, that's also worth noting — evidence of progress supports continued capacity-building investment.

Things to do before the review meeting

A practical checklist for the weeks before your review:

Pull your plan management statements (or self-managed records) for the past year.

Get current letters from your treating health professionals if relevant.

Talk to your support coordinator about specific things to bring up.

Review your written self-evaluation document.

Decide what you want for the next plan — specific, prioritised list.

Bring your support person, advocate, or coordinator to the meeting.

Frequently asked questions

Should I do this review even if I'm happy with my plan?

Yes. Plans should be improved each year, not maintained. A review identifies opportunities you might miss otherwise.

How long does this review take?

A few hours over a couple of weeks. You don't need to do it all at once.

Can my support coordinator help with this?

Yes. Helping participants prepare for plan reviews is core coordinator work. They should be doing this with you.

What if my review shows I don't need as much support?

That's worth knowing. Honest plans match real needs. If you genuinely need less, asking for what you actually need is fine.

If you have a plan review coming up and want help structuring your self-evaluation, contact Seareal. Our coordinators do this work regularly across Queensland and can help you walk in prepared.