NDIS Support Coordination Case Notes: Documenting Referrals, Decisions and Follow-Up

Define Support Coordination and the Record's Purpose

Support coordination case notes should show how work under the participant's engagement supported them to understand and use their plan, consider options, connect with supports, address barriers, and build capacity. They are not a general diary and should include only information necessary for the agreed purpose.

Distinguish this role from a provider's operational coordination of its own rosters, workers, appointments, and service delivery. Where the same organisation performs both functions, separate roles, conflicts, consent, records, and decisions so the source and purpose of each action remain clear.

Start With the Participant's Priorities and Direction

Record the participant's current goal, question, concern, or requested outcome in their own words where useful. Note communication preferences, decision supports, advocates or nominees involved, and how information was made accessible. Do not replace the participant's direction with what a provider considers convenient.

Goals may evolve. Record a change of mind, competing priorities, or a decision to pause without describing the participant as disengaged. Clarify which requested work is within the agreed support-coordination scope.

Document Consent and Information-Sharing Boundaries

Before contacting a provider or sending information, record the purpose, information needed, intended recipient, participant's decision, any limits, and how consent was confirmed under the applicable arrangements. Consent for one referral does not automatically authorise broad or ongoing disclosure to every service.

Use the minimum necessary information and approved secure channels. If another person participates, record their role without assuming they can consent or decide for the participant. Revisit boundaries when the purpose, recipient, information, or participant's preference changes.

Present Options and Track Referrals Transparently

Record the options identified, information sources, relevant availability or access factors, conflicts of interest, and what the participant chose. Avoid wording that implies the coordinator selected or endorsed a provider when the participant made the decision. If no suitable option is available, document search steps and barriers without guaranteeing a future place.

For each referral, record participant authority, information sent, recipient, date, response status, next action, and owner. The allied health referral tracking guide provides a practical closed-loop structure that can be adapted to authorised NDIS referrals.

Attribute Advice and Respect Role Boundaries

Clinical recommendations must be attributed to the qualified practitioner and linked to the source report or communication. A support coordinator does not make clinical decisions unless separately authorised and qualified in a distinct role. The coordinator can document how the participant was supported to understand options and act on authorised recommendations.

Likewise, coordinators do not approve NDIS funding or guarantee that the NDIA, a plan manager, provider, or reviewer will accept a request or produce a particular plan outcome. Record what was submitted, by whom, the participant's decision, and the actual response.

Support Coordination Case Note Checklist

• Date, contact mode, participants, roles, and support-coordination purpose.
• Participant priority, words, preferred outcome, and communication or decision support.
• Consent purpose, recipient, information boundaries, method, and any withdrawal or change.
• Options discussed, information source, availability factors, and conflicts disclosed.
• Participant decision, declined options, questions, and matters deferred.
• Referral recipient, necessary information sent, response, and tracking status.
• Clinical, funding, provider, or other advice accurately attributed to its source.
• Barriers, attempted responses, risks escalated within role, and unresolved issues.
• Actions, owners, participant-agreed follow-up, outcomes, and evidence location.
• Operational provider coordination kept distinct from support-coordination activity.

Example of a De-Identified Support Coordination Note

"Participant E said, 'I want an occupational therapy provider who can visit after work, and I want to choose before anyone sends my reports.' With her consent, we reviewed three directory listings and discussed availability, accessibility, location, and declared organisational relationships. Participant E chose Provider 2 for an initial enquiry only. She authorised sharing her first name, preferred contact method, suburb, and general appointment request; she did not consent to sending the assessment report at this stage. Provider 2 advised that evening appointments were currently unavailable. This response was attributed to the provider and relayed to Participant E. She chose to keep the referral open while another option is checked. Coordinator F owns the second enquiry and will return the actual responses; no funding approval, clinical recommendation, or plan outcome was promised."

Record Barriers, Outcomes and Closed-Loop Follow-Up

Describe barriers specifically, such as unavailable accessible transport, service waitlists, communication failures, regional coverage, participant safety concerns, or a mismatch with requested support. Record what the participant wants done, actions attempted, responses, interim coordination within scope, and remaining risk. Do not frame a system barrier as participant non-compliance.

Connect transitions with NDIS handover documentation and preserve evidence relevant to a participant-led review through the NDIS plan review and progress-note guide. Close a task only when the outcome or current status has been communicated to the participant and responsibility for any next step is clear.

This article provides general documentation education, not funding, clinical, or legal advice. Follow the participant's direction, current NDIS requirements, role scope, consent, and provider procedures.