9 minute read
DisABILITY FEATURE
disABILITY feature Getting the most out of the NDIS with Maple Plan
BY better understanding the individual needs of its clients, registered plan manager Maple Plan helps NDIS participants get the most out of their plan and ensure they are accessing the supports needed.
Maple Plan has been offering its award-nominated, independent and nationwide services across Australia for the past four years, and recently opened offices in Hobart and Brisbane to further develop the local services available to those communities.
Maple Plan is committed to providing accessibility options for all Australians on the NDIS, and can help with more than 20 spoken languages and access to external translation services.
Maple Plan media officer Edan Sinclair said the company’s tailored system means its participants’ NDIS claims, payments and reimbursements go through as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“We receive the invoices from providers and then claim them through the NDIS, ensuring all requirements are met for the payments to go through,” he said.
“We are the grease on the wheels, essentially, making sure the providers are getting paid and the participants are getting the support they need.
“We do the work and make sure everything runs smoothly for our participants.”
Maple Plan business development and engagement manager Bernadette Crisp said Maple Plan’s emphasis on empowering its participants is what makes it unique.
“Some people like a lot of hands-on help and guidance; some people prefer to leave the management in the capable hands of their experienced plan managers,” she said.
“We focus on capacitybuilding when managing plans, so our participants have peace of mind when claiming.
“We want to help people build their level of independence and financial management skills.
“We’re constantly empowering our participants to understand the intricacies of the NDIS, so they can work with us and their providers to get the best outcomes and make the most of their plan funding.”
Maple Plan can take care of all NDIS invoices, claims and payments. It allows participants to track their NDIS funding, with automatic statements and activity reports providing an easy-to-follow breakdown of spending.
Spending can be managed effortlessly using the Maple Plan Gateway, an online portal that gives participants direct control over the management of their funds.
“Our online dashboard is highly customisable to the needs of the participant - we can make it as intensive as they require or as simple as they want,” Edan said. “We can make it as easy or involved as they like, with the choice of automatic approvals or manual authorisations – we are able to put the choice in the hands of the participant.”
Maple Plan has earned a positive reputation in the industry over the past few years, and was named as a finalist for Most Outstanding Plan Manager at the 2021 Australian Disability Awards.
“We’re a very personalised service. Each of our participants has a dedicated plan manager, and we build that relationship,” Edan said.
“When a participant first registers with us we spend a lot of time getting to know them. We get to understand their needs and help them through the whole process.
We are there for a lot of their journey through the NDIS.”
With no out-of-pocket cost or impact on participants’ funding, Maple Plan provides an accessible and exceptional choice in Plan Management.
If you have any questions about Maple Plan or their services, please don’t hesitate to contact them on (03) 6169 9585 or visit www.mapleplan. com.au
Maple Plan’s independent plan management takes the stress out of your NDIS funding
Discover the Maple Plan Advantage.
Most outstanding Plan Management Company (Australian Disability Service Awards 2022 Finalist) 1 Top 8 NDIS Plan Managers in Australia 2 Independent Plan Management Services Dedicated and experienced Plan Managers Linguistically diverse Team Fast Payments
1 Australian Disability Service Awards Most Outstanding Plan Management Company Finalist 2 Largest plan managers, Q1 2021-22, payments split by registered and unregistered providers, and plan management | September 2021 NDIS Quarterly Report to disability ministers
At Maple Plan, we take pride in being able to offer independent, outstanding plan management services. Our team is highly experienced in navigating the NDIS journey, and take the time to understand each client’s needs. We focus on providing personalised solutions for both participants and providers. Giving confidence, peace of mind and time back to focus on what really matters, their support and their core roles.
For more information about our special brand of service, contact us today
Speak to us
(03) 6169 9585
More information
mapleplan.com.au
ParaQuad Tasmania - focused on ability
FOR more than 30 years ParaQuad Tasmania has been serving people with spinal cord injury and physical disability, offering many programs and services state-wide and mostly free of charge.
ParaQuad’s Wheelie Safe Tips & Trick program is just one example. Introduced in 2021 and supported by the MAIB Injury Management Prevention Foundation, Wheelie Safe brings people together to increase the health and wellbeing of those who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, specialists in access and road safety, people with lived experience and providers of speciality healthcare products all share information, tips and tricks.
The sessions are free and open to anyone who uses a mobility device, their family, carers and other people who work with them.
Propel Peer Coaching offers advice and a friendly ear to people with spinal cord injury and their families.
Traumatic injury is confronting for all involved. Our Peer Coaches can offer suggestions on activities to get involved in, provide referrals to a range of local services, and give handy hints about where to go and who to seek out for support.
ParaQuad’s disability sports programs are growing too, with Wheelchair Rugby hitting the court in southern Tasmania.
This exciting sport is not for the faint hearted! But it opens a new opportunity for wheelchair users and their family and friends to be active and, for some, to pursue a pathway to playing representative sport.
ParaQuad Tasmania is excited to have introduced Frame Running to the state earlier this year. Since then, we have received two generous donations of $5000, enabling us to buy two brand new frame runners. Stay tuned for dates for more Come and Try sessions.
Accessible accommodation is another service offered by ParaQuad Tasmania.
The freshly updated Glenn Moore Units are located right next to the ParaQuad office in Glenorchy - perfect for a weekend away, or to stay while attending appointments.
The two-bedroom units are spacious and light-filled, with overhead ceiling hoists and open plan bathrooms. There’s on-site parking and close proximity to shops, restaurants and services.
PQ Tasmania Healthcare Supplies is NDIS registered and stocks a comprehensive range of continence, wound care and personal healthcare products. Items are delivered to your door, around Tasmania.
For information about these and the many other services offered by ParaQuad Tasmania, call (03) 6278 8816, email admin@paraquadtas.org. au or visit www.paraquadtas. org.au or www.pqhealthcare. com.au
ParaQuad Tasmania has been serving people with spinal cord injury and physical disability for more than 30 years
Serving Tasmanians with Spinal Cord Injury for more than 30 years.
How can we support you?
Glenn Moore Units accessible accommodation Wheelchair Sports around Tasmania
PQ Tasmania Healthcare Supplies
ParaQuad Tasmania’s team also offers
• Wheelie Safe Tips & Tricks • Propel Peer Coaching • NDIS Consumables Management
For information on our services
Call 6278 8816 Visit www.paraquadtas.org.au
www.pqhealthcare.com.au
NDIS Daily Living and Community Participation Support
Are you looking for services to support you to live your life the way you choose?
Anglicare Tasmania has a state-wide team of friendly and passionate disability support professionals. They will work with you to do the things you love while maintaining your independence and achieving your life goals. Looking for Supported Independent Living (SIL) accommodation options? We may have a vacancy in your area. To speak to us about our Support Services and SIL Vacancies contact us at ndis@anglicare-tas.org.au or 1800 243 232
Britney and Ruby at their home, holding a photo from one of their recent experiences together
Providing homes, not houses
AS one of Tasmania’s largest providers of NDIS supported accommodation, OnTrack Tasmania prides itself on providing the highest quality homes, which are fully furnished and include modern convivences like NBN, Netflix and gaming consoles.
“But that is the easy bit,” OnTrack Tasmania Supported Independent Living manager Raf Patterson said.
“The hard work starts with matching a participant with the right location, right support workers and the right housemate.”
That hard work has paid off for Ruby, 24, and Britney, 18, who now live together in a beautiful, sun-filled home in a central Hobart suburb, supported by OnTrack Tasmania.
When Ruby and Britney talk about their experiences living together, the conversation is filled with cheers and laughter.
As two young women who are making their own path in life, Ruby and Britney are thriving on the newfound sense of independence that OnTrack’s support provides them.
Ruby said the pair’s favourite things to do at home are “be silly and play Uno”. But they also enjoy going on outings. together, including recently attending Party in the Apocalypse music festival in Hobart.
Ruby and Britney also enjoy going to the gym together, joined by their Support Worker.
When Britney was asked what sort of exercises she does at the gym, she replied “getting stuck on the bike!”, which led to more contagious giggles.
It’s obvious that Ruby and Britney are not just housemates. They’re the best of friends, making memories together from a home that is filled with life and laughter.
OnTrack Tasmania operates more than 30 supported accommodation properties in southern Tasmania, all of which are close to shops and public transport.
To find out more about OnTrack’s range of services, phone 1800 ONTRACK (1800 668 722) or go to ontracktasmania.com.au
NDIS Support Coordination
Are you funded by NDIS for Level 2 Support Coordination?
Anglicare has a state-wide team of professional and friendly NDIS Support Coordinators. They are passionate about assisting each client to choose and manage support services to achieve their individual needs and goals. Our Support Coordinators are independent and Let’s talk NDIS will help you choose from the wide range of services provided in Tasmania that best suits you. Contact us to talk more about our team of NDIS Support Coordinators at ndis@anglicare-tas.org.au or 1800 243 232
OnTrack Tasmania are an NDIS service provider helping people with disabilities across the greater Hobart area.
Our accommodation services include: • Supported Independent Living and
Short Term Accommodation • All fully furnished properties • A variety of central and desirable locations • NBN internet, Netflix and gaming consoles • All maintained to the very highest standards
At OnTrack Tasmania we pride ourselves on being participant focused, quick to act and offering activities that you want to do! Get in touch today to learn how we can help you.
