What happens after we make a decision about a child representative?

We'll notify you in writing when we make a decision about a child representative. We may make a decision to change a child representative, or we may decide not to change a child representative. The child representative will then be able to do things and make decisions about the NDIS on the child’s behalf. This includes helping to create a child’s plan. The exception would be if we decide the child is able to represent themselves.

How does a child representative help us to create a child’s plan?

As a child representative, you can do anything a participant can do under the NDIS Act. This includes working with us to create the child's NDIS plan. Everyone has different goals, living situations and circumstances. Where possible, you'll include the child in planning discussions or talk to them about their plan and supports to find out what they would like.

You'll be responsible for working with us to create the child's plan. This includes:

  • Answering, or helping the child to answer, questions about the child’s life, care arrangements, people who are important to them, and their disability.
  • Preparing a statement of goals and aspirations on the child's behalf or helping them to prepare one. This means working out what goals the child would like to pursue and what they would like to be able to do. 
  • Talking to us about what NDIS, community and mainstream supports the child participant might need to help them to pursue their goals.
  • Talking to us about how the funding in the child's plan is managed.

Learn more about your plan and creating your plan.

The different ways funding can be managed are:

  • Self-managed, where the funds are paid directly to you and you make sure funds are used to purchase NDIS supports. You'll be responsible for keeping all the records and managing the NDIS funding in the child's plan.
  • Plan-managed, where the plan is managed by a plan manager who will pay for NDIS support on your behalf.
  • Agency-managed, where the NDIA will pay registered providers on your behalf, to provide NDIS supports.

A child representative can request how they would like the funding to be managed.

For example, the child representative can make a request to self-manage some or all of the funding for NDIS supports under the child’s plan. In most cases, the Agency will approve this request.  

However, we'll not approve the request if the child representative is currently bankrupt. Or, if their management of the funding will present an unreasonable risk to the child participant.  

When making this decision we must think about:

  • whether the child representative can manage finances
  • whether there's reason to believe that the child participant’s representative might not spend NDIS funding according to the child’s plan
  • whether, and to what extent, any risks are reduced by any safeguards or strategies we could put in place through the child’s plan.

Learn more about how we decide how funding in a plan is managed.

If a child representative is self-managing funding in a child's plan, they'll need to nominate one bank account into which all self-managed NDIS funding is paid.

You may combine different types of plan management. For example, some funding for NDIS supports can be self-managed, and others managed by a plan manager or agency managed. 

You can discuss with us which ones apply to the child participant you're representing.

You're also responsible for requesting a plan change. This could be if there are changes in the child's life or their supports needs change before it’s time to reassess their plan. We may also need to check with you on how the plan is working for the child and make sure the NDIS supports are still the right ones. 

Learn more about plan changes.

This page current as of
12 November 2024
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