Melissa shares how NDIS Plan Management makes her life easier

“My Windermere Plan Manager is my angel. It’s so beneficial to be able to speak with someone I can trust and is so knowledgeable.”

When Melissa Benson turned to Windermere for NDIS support, she had no hesitation in signing up for NDIS Plan Management. For her, it was an obvious choice. As someone who is completely blind and has Type 1 diabetes, Melissa is faced with many challenges in life but is a strong advocate for herself and relies on NDIS services to live everyday life.

Why choose NDIS Plan Management?

When Melissa received her NDIS plan in 2018, enlisting the services of an NDIS Plan Manager was simply the next step.

“To me, the question was, why wouldn’t I choose NDIS plan management? I see no benefit in self-managing and having to deal with the paperwork and making payments to my service providers,” she says.

Through a family association, Melissa had knowledge of Windermere Child & Family Services and had trust and confidence in the not for profit’s services.

As a registered NDIS provider, Windermere has over 30 years of experience in disability services and provides a range of NDIS services including Windermere Plan Management which is delivered across Victoria.

Melissa’s Plan Manager, Alanka, ensures invoices are paid correctly and on time, keeps track of her NDIS funding, provides monthly statements and a range of other financial administration.

“All that is time consuming. That’s precious time that I could be doing something else. I am happy to leave it up to my Plan Manager, who is fantastic,” says Melissa.

While her Windermere Plan Manager takes the worry out of managing her NDIS plan, ensuring she gets the most out of her NDIS funds, choice and control remain with Melissa.

“I can still choose my own support workers, check my plan and see where my NDIS funding is going. In that respect I see no difference to self managing and what’s more, NDIS adds funds to pay for Plan Management so that someone else can take care of it for you.”

A dedicated NDIS Plan Manager for personalised support

When Melissa signed up for Windermere Plan Management, she also received a dedicated plan manager as her main point of contact. As a result, Melissa can rely on consistent support through a plan manager who understands her ongoing needs.

“I am more than capable of speaking for myself to communicate my needs, but I value the support I get so much.

"My Windermere Plan Manager is my support network and that’s an important aspect of my life,” she says.

As is the practice with Windermere Plan Management, Melissa’s Plan Manager periodically checks in with her and maintains and open line of communication. It means that Melissa can easily reach out to her Plan Manager in times of need.

“Between emails and phone calls, it’s never been a problem to contact Windermere and sort anything out. I can work out problems, even minor ones, just by speaking with my Plan Manager,” says Melissa.

Trusted expertise and knowledge to rely on

Another benefit that Melissa values is the knowledge and expertise her Plan Manager shares. It means being able to take the right approach to resolve issues, understand her plan and know what is reasonable and necessary under the NDIS guidelines.

Melissa ran into roadblocks and lapses in communication when applying for funding for a pair of contact lenses for her eyes. As her eyes had developed scar tissue following multiple surgeries, the lenses would bring relief from drying.

“I turned to my Plan Manager for help and she advised that I reach out to the next level up in the chain of command and explain my concerns, which helped move things along. It’s always good to have someone back me up,” says Melissa.

After consistently advocating for herself, Melissa now has the lenses she needs to protect her eyes.

In 2021, Melissa was unaware of the extent of her funding due to changes in the way NDIS funds disability related health supports. After a check in with her Plan Manager, she was excited to discover that there were more ways she could use her funding to achieve her goals and live a better life.

“A Plan Manager is someone who knows the boundaries, the rules and regulations inside and out. Participants like me or anyone self managing only deal with the one NDIS plan and can easily make a mistake or misinterpret information. It’s not always straightforward,” says Melissa.

She notes that in contrast, her Plan Manager has exposure to a large volume of cases and gains a wealth of knowledge.

“She can draw from that knowledge and expertise and give me the best course of action. That’s the person I would trust,” says Melissa.

This trust enables Melissa reach out for support at different stages of her NDIS journey. Recently, in preparation for a kidney transplant she reached out to her Plan Manager to understand what is reasonable and necessary and work out availability of funds. It ensured she had the right supports in place for her recovery. 

“My Windermere Plan Manager is my angel. She’s able to explain everything inside and out, top to bottom. There’s absolutely no benefit to managing my own plan. In fact, there’s one less benefit, I won’t get to know an amazing person like her!” she says.

Looking for an NDIS Plan Management provider that understands your needs? Visit our website for more information or click here to sign up or call 1300 946 337.