Support Coordination has become an important part of the NDIS for many participants, helping people understand their plans, connect with providers, manage challenges and build a support network around their goals.
But the way Support Coordination is delivered is set to change.
The Australian Government has announced plans to replace the current Support Coordination model with a new **Support Coordination and Connection (SCC) service from 1 July 2028**. Under the proposed model, Support Coordination would no longer be funded directly through individual participant plans. Instead, participants would choose from providers that are commissioned and funded by the Government.
There is still plenty to work out. The Government is currently consulting with participants, families, carers, providers and the wider disability community about what the new service should look like.
Why is the NDIS overhauling Support Coordination?
Support Coordination is currently delivered through an open market, where participants with funding in their plans can choose their preferred provider.
The Government has identified concerns around the quality, consistency, safeguarding and cost of intermediary services, including Support Coordination. In April 2026, NDIS Minister Mark Butler announced that the Government wanted to improve the quality of intermediary services and move towards commissioned models for Support Coordination and other areas of the Scheme.
The Government's broader reform agenda is focused on making the NDIS more sustainable while improving quality and protecting participants from poor-quality or inappropriate services.
However, it is important to separate the reason for reform from the eventual outcome. The Government has identified areas it wants to improve, but the final design of the new Support Coordination and Connection service is still being developed through consultation.
The Big Change: How Will Support Coordination Be Funded and Accessed?
The biggest proposed change is how Support Coordination is funded and accessed.
Currently, if Support Coordination is included in a participant's NDIS plan, the participant can choose a Support Coordinator and use their plan funding to pay for that service.
Under the new model proposed for 1 July 2028, Support Coordination would no longer sit as an individual funding allocation in a participant's plan. Instead, the Government would directly commission providers to deliver the new service.
Participants would then choose from the providers available through the commissioned system.
This represents a significant shift from the current model.
The Government says commissioning could help create greater consistency in service quality and strengthen oversight. It may also give the Government greater visibility over how the service operates and who is delivering it.
For participants, however, the important question will be how much choice they will have within the new system and how easily they will be able to find a service that understands their individual circumstances.
Those details have not yet been finalised.
A New Model Could Bring Greater Oversight — But What About Choice?
The proposed changes could bring some potential benefits.
A commissioned model could introduce clearer quality expectations and stronger oversight of providers. The Government is also seeking feedback on how the new service can be designed to respond better to participant needs and improve consistency.
At the same time, there are questions that matter from a participant perspective.
For example, how many providers will be available in each area? Will participants be able to change providers easily? How will people with complex support needs find a provider with the right experience? And how will the new system preserve genuine choice and control?
These are particularly important considerations because Support Coordination is not simply an administrative service for many participants. A Support Coordinator may help someone navigate multiple providers, respond to changes in their circumstances, resolve issues and build a support network that works for them.
The Government's consultation specifically asks for feedback on how demand should be managed, how participants can be supported to transition to the new service, and how quality and safeguarding should work.
A New Landscape for Support Coordinators and Providers
The reform could significantly change the Support Coordination market.
Under the current system, providers operate within an open market and participants generally select the provider they want to work with. Under the proposed commissioned model, providers would instead need to apply to deliver the new service and successful providers would be selected through a commissioning process.
This could create opportunities for providers that can demonstrate strong quality, outcomes and participant-centred practice. It could also mean greater requirements around service delivery, reporting, safeguarding and accountability.
However, there are practical questions for the sector, including how providers will be selected, how funding will be structured, how many organisations will be commissioned and how smaller providers will be able to participate.
These details are still being worked through.
The NDIA is also currently running a Support Coordination pilot as part of its Quality Supports Program, working with selected providers to examine the characteristics and costs of quality Support Coordination.
What Happens Next—and What Stays the Same Until 2028?
Importantly, Support Coordination has not disappeared.
Participants can continue to access Support Coordination under the current arrangements while the new model is developed. The NDIS currently recognises three levels of Support Coordination: support connection, Support Coordination and Specialist Support Coordination. Participants continue to choose their preferred Support Coordinator where Support Coordination is included in their plan.
The next major step is consultation.
The Government's current consultation on the Support Coordination and Connection service opened on 7 September 2026 and closes at on 2 October 2026. It is seeking views from people with disability, participants, families, carers, advocates, workers and providers.
The consultation is looking at areas including:
- what the new service should provide
- how providers should be selected
- quality and safeguarding requirements
- how demand for the service should be managed
- how participants will transition to the new system.
The Government will use feedback from this process to help inform the final design.
What Should Participants and Providers Do Now?
Current arrangements remain in place until July 2028.
It is worth keeping an eye on official NDIS updates and understanding how the reforms develop. Participants should continue to exercise choice over their current providers, while providers should continue focusing on delivering quality, participant-centred support under the existing arrangements.
The proposed reform is a significant change, but the details are not all locked in yet.
The most important questions will be answered through the design and implementation process: how participant choice will work, how providers will be commissioned, how quality will be measured, and how the new service will ensure people with complex needs can access the right support.
Support Coordination plays an important role in helping many people navigate the NDIS. As the system changes, keeping participants at the centre of those decisions will be critical to ensuring the new model works in practice and not just on paper.
