Building With Strength

18/06/2026

🌱 Thriving Kids: A Shift Towards Earlier Support

For years, many families have felt that they needed a diagnosis, lengthy assessments, or an NDIS application before they could access meaningful support for their child.

The emerging Thriving Kids approach aims to change that conversation.

The focus is moving towards identifying developmental concerns earlier and connecting children and families with support before challenges become more significant. Rather than waiting for a formal diagnosis, the emphasis is on recognising developmental differences and responding sooner. (Health, Disability and Ageing Dept.⁠)

What I find most interesting is the recognition that supporting a child isn’t just about therapy sessions. It’s also about empowering parents, building confidence, providing practical information, and creating easier pathways to help when concerns first arise. (Health, Disability and Ageing Dept.⁠)

For families, early support can mean:
✅ Less time navigating complex systems
✅ Earlier access to advice and guidance
✅ Greater confidence in supporting their child
✅ Better connections with community, health and education services

For providers, it reinforces something many of us have known for years: the earlier we identify concerns and support families, the better the outcomes can be.

As the Thriving Kids model continues to develop, there will undoubtedly be questions about how it will work in practice. But the principle of earlier identification and earlier support is one that most families would welcome. (Team DSC⁠)

What are your thoughts? Would easier access to early support have made a difference for the families you work with?

17/06/2026

Trusting your professional judgement isn’t always easy… but it’s essential 💭

In the NDIS space, there’s a lot of noise—opinions, pressure, different expectations, and sometimes conflicting advice.

But at the end of the day, your judgement matters 👇

✨ Because it’s built on:
• Your experience 📚
• Your knowledge of the system 🧠
• Your understanding of the participant 🎯
• What you’ve seen work (and not work) over time 👀

It doesn’t mean you won’t ask questions or collaborate—because you should 🤝
But it does mean backing yourself when something doesn’t feel right.

We often see providers second-guessing themselves… even when they’re absolutely on the right track.

That hesitation can delay decisions, slow progress, or lead to supports that don’t quite fit.

At Building With Strength, we encourage providers to trust their judgement—while staying open, reflective, and participant-focused 💙

Because good outcomes don’t come from guessing… they come from informed, confident decisions.

16/06/2026

NDIS Social & Recreation Supports – What’s Changed?

One of the most common misconceptions about the NDIS is that it funds activities like gym memberships, sports fees, concert tickets, art classes or social outings.

The updated NDIS Social and Recreation Support guideline makes it clear that the NDIS generally funds the disability-related support a participant needs to access these activities – not the activity itself.

For example:
✅ The NDIS may fund a support worker to assist someone to attend a pottery class, sports activity or community event because of their disability.

❌ The NDIS will not generally fund the class fee, membership, registration costs, entrance tickets or standard equipment that everyone is expected to pay for.

The focus is on helping participants:
• Build independence
• Develop skills and confidence
• Increase community participation
• Form social connections
• Work towards the goals in their NDIS plan

The guideline also reinforces the importance of community inclusion and reasonable adjustments, recognising that many barriers should be addressed by community organisations, sporting clubs and businesses, rather than through NDIS funding alone.

When discussing social and recreation supports with participants, it’s important to ask:
“Is the NDIS funding the activity, or the disability-related support needed to access the activity?”

Understanding that distinction can make all the difference when planning supports and setting realistic expectations.

16/06/2026

🚨 Standardised FCA Coming Up? Be Prepared

Preparing for a Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA) can feel overwhelming, especially with the increasing focus on standardised assessments within the NDIS.

If you’re an NDIS participant, family member, nominee, support coordinator, advocate, or provider supporting someone through the process, this webinar is well worth attending.

🌟 Join Wendy Rose for a practical online session covering:
✔️ What a standardised FCA is
✔️ How to prepare before the assessment
✔️ Information and evidence that may be helpful
✔️ Common mistakes to avoid
✔️ Tips to help you feel more confident and prepared

A well-prepared FCA can help ensure a participant’s functional capacity, support needs, and everyday challenges are accurately understood and documented.

Knowledge is power, and understanding the process can make a real difference.

🎟️ Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/mvc-ndis-participant-standardised-fca-how-to-prepare-tickets-1991960741199?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

Thank you to Wendy Rose for sharing her knowledge and helping participants navigate this important part of their NDIS journey. Standardised FCAs are becoming increasingly important in the NDIS landscape, making education and preparation more valuable than ever.

15/06/2026

📋 How to Read Your Plan Like a Pro

When you receive your NDIS plan, it’s easy to jump straight to the total funding amount.

But there’s so much more to your plan than the numbers.

Understanding how to read your plan properly can help you:

✅ Know what each funding category is for
✅ Understand any funding periods or spending limits
✅ Identify what supports have been approved
✅ Avoid running out of funding too early
✅ Make informed decisions throughout the life of your plan

Many participants focus on the total budget but miss important details hidden within the plan, such as funding allocations, stated supports, reassessment dates and how different budgets can be used.

The better you understand your plan, the more confident you’ll feel when making decisions about your supports and services.

At Building With Strength, we help participants break down their plans into plain English, understand what the funding actually means, and create practical strategies to make their funding last.

Have you ever looked at your plan and thought, “What does all of this actually mean?”

14/06/2026

💙 Monday Motivation: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Not Giving Up

Perseverance doesn’t always look dramatic.
Sometimes it isn’t bold or brave or inspiring.

Sometimes, it’s simply refusing to stop.

Showing up again.
Taking one more breath.
Choosing to continue — even when progress feels slow or invisible.

Not giving up is powerful.
Even when it’s quiet.
Even when no one else sees it.

If today feels hard, remember this:
staying in the game is strength.

12/06/2026

Imagine being admitted to a NSW hospital and unexpectedly getting your period, only to discover that menstrual products are not readily available when you need them.

Access to pads and tampons should be treated the same way we treat access to toilet paper, soap and other basic hygiene essentials. Yet many patients in NSW hospitals still face barriers accessing these products during their stay.

A huge thank you to Sam Bruce for sharing her story and advocating for change, and to Abigail Boyd for championing the My Monthly Matters campaign.

This is a simple, practical and dignified reform that would make a real difference for countless patients across NSW.

If you believe menstrual products should be available in NSW hospitals when patients need them, please consider signing the petition and sharing it with your networks.

Dignity shouldn’t be optional when receiving healthcare.

https://www.abigailboyd.org/campaign_mymonthlymatters?fbclid=IwdGRjcASYlO1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe0DPfoKXjokl7G_b8H5pdXb26YTFXmCeZ6Csy1t_Mci4mw1gxhSUX8HuLsGM_aem_XtCRxSgXpwu3nYL9Huhpjw

11/06/2026

🚨 The future of Support Coordination is back in the spotlight as NDIS reforms continue to evolve.

While many expected major changes following Minister Mark Butler’s National Press Club address earlier this year, the recently introduced NDIS legislation did not directly reform Support Coordination. Instead, an accompanying memorandum outlined several possible future directions.

Currently:

📊 46% of NDIS participants receive Support Coordination (around 354,000 people)

📊 10,903 active Support Coordination providers operate nationally

📊 43.87% are registered providers (4,783)

📊 56.13% are unregistered providers (6,120)

The government’s preferred option would move Support Coordination away from individual participant budgets and towards a government-commissioned service model.

If implemented, this would be one of the biggest changes to Support Coordination since the NDIS began.

Some important questions remain:

❓ Will participants still have choice and control over who supports them?

❓ Who will determine a participant’s level of need?

❓ What happens to sole traders and smaller providers?

❓ Could Support Coordination and Local Area Coordination be merged?

❓ Will these changes improve participant outcomes?

No decisions have been made yet, and consultation is expected before any reforms proceed.

For many participants, Support Coordinators play a critical role in navigating the NDIS, connecting services, building capacity and responding during times of crisis. Whatever changes come next, participant outcomes, choice and continuity of support must remain at the centre of the conversation.

What are your thoughts on the future of Support Coordination?

10/06/2026

Building referral relationships isn’t about collecting business cards… it’s about building trust 🤝

In the NDIS space, strong referral networks don’t come from quick introductions — they come from genuine connection and consistency over time 💙

✨ What real referral relationships look like:
• Taking the time to understand what others actually do 👀
• Referring based on fit, not convenience 🎯
• Following up and staying connected 📞
• Communicating openly and respectfully 🧠
• Supporting each other — not just when it benefits you 🙌

Because participants aren’t just “referrals” — they’re people who need the right support.

And that only happens when providers know, trust, and respect each other.

At Building With Strength, we focus on building relationships that last — not just quick exchanges.

The strongest networks aren’t the biggest… they’re the most genuine 🌱

10/06/2026

As Support Coordinators, we regularly support people through some of the most challenging periods of their lives. While we’re not mental health professionals, having the skills to recognise when someone may be struggling and knowing how to respond appropriately can make a real difference.

That’s why I wanted to share this excellent opportunity from Sarah Holmes and Kanda.

The Mental Health First Aid Training has been specifically designed for NSW Support Coordinators and provides practical, evidence-based skills to help you recognise signs of mental health challenges, respond appropriately, and connect people with the right supports when needed. Mental Health First Aid training is nationally recognised and focuses on building confidence in identifying mental health concerns, responding to crises, and supporting people until professional help is available.

In a role where we often navigate complex situations involving mental health, psychosocial disability, crisis management, and service coordination, this knowledge is invaluable.

If you’re looking to strengthen your skills and increase your confidence when supporting participants experiencing mental health challenges, I encourage you to take a look.

For more information and registration details:
Kanda Mental Health First Aid Training https://info.kandacare.com.au/kanda-mental-health-first-aid-training?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Thank you to Sarah Holmes and the team at Kanda for investing in the professional development of Support Coordinators.

This nationally recognised training provides practical skills to help identify, understand and respond to people experiencing mental health challenges - knowledge that is becoming increasingly valuable across the NDIS and community services sectors.