LAC, NDIS Planner/Delegate vs Early Childhood Partner… who does what?
DATE POSTED: 15 DECEMBER 2022
In the wonderful (and not at all confusing….😳) world of the NDIS, there are so many different people with different titles, who have do different things to help you on the NDIS journey.
Whilst we couldn’t possibly list ALL the people who help you on your journey in this article, (head to our ‘Useful Terminology’ page if you’d like to learn more about other roles and what they do), we wanted to cover these people/roles in particular:
Local Area Coordinator (“LAC”)
NDIS Planner/Delegate (sometimes shortened to just “Planner” - note: not to be confused with a ‘Plan MANAGER’)
Early Childhood Partner
We wanted to cover these three roles, as each of these are the points (people) for you to communicate with the NDIS. You’ll be assigned one of the three people - either an LAC, Planner/Delegate OR an Early Childhood Partner.
Have a read below of their roles, and see which one you should be allocated.
LAC - Local Area Coordinator
An LAC (Local Area Coordination) is an independent organisation that act on behalf of the NDIA for a particular geographical area. LAC organisations are subcontracted to the NDIA. They are not the NDIS. They are commonly referred to as “partner organisations” and are more a middle-man to the NDIA.
The LAC is a partner of the NDIA and has three key functions:
Planning (plan reviews) (yes they have to do this, but they can’t tell you what to ask for)
Plan implementation (rare but some do try when you find a really good one)
Community linkages (if your lucky)
It is most common for participants to meet with an LAC, rather than an NDIS delegate.
LACs should help people with a disability and their families navigate the NDIS, answering questions about plans and supports, and conducting planning meetings.
Please note that LAC’s only collect the evidence you provide. They cannot coach or advocate for the person with the disability or the family on what to submit. LACs don’t approve the plans or allocate funding – this is up to the NDIA.
So, if you have had a discussion with your LAC about a specific support and it wasn’t funded, you can ask them for the reasoning. We also recommend you have a read through the Reasonable & Necessary Criteria on the NDIS website, to understand why it wasn’t funded.
Please note: You can use this search feature on the NDIS website to find who your LAC should be.
NDIS Planner/Delegate
An NDIA staff member with delegated authority from the NDIA to make decisions under the NDIS Act. You might be allocated an NDIS Planner/Delegate instead of an LAC, if your case is deemed 'complex’. If this is the case, then this will be the person who meets with you for planning meetings etc.
Early Childhood Partner
Early childhood partners are local organisations we fund to deliver the early childhood approach. Early childhood partners have teams of professionals with experience and expertise in working with children with developmental delay and disability. The term ‘Early Childhood Partner’ may refer to either the partner organisation or the professionals working within the organisation.
Want to get your head around more NDIS Lingo? You’ll love our NDIS Essentials online course - it’s a parent’s guide to understanding the basics of the scheme. Watch the video modules, at any time that suits you! Check it out here.
