Quick Summary
Support coordination owners should maintain a viable current service and test future investment against reform uncertainty. The Support Coordination and Connection consultation closed on 2 October 2026. Government has announced a new commissioned SCC service from 1 July 2028, but its final design remains a Government decision. For directors, this calls for a clear view of service margins, payroll runway and acquisition exposure before committing to expansion. This guide sets out a reusable owner checklist, with policy status checked on 5 October 2026.
1. What has changed for a support coordinator business?
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and NDIA are considering consultation feedback to inform advice on the new service. The announced model would replace the way participants currently receive support coordination. The consultation's closure is a planning milestone; it does not itself establish a new payment rate, award a future contract or change today's claiming arrangements.
Separately, the NDIS Commission says mandatory registration reform for support coordination is paused. Its SIL and digital-platform registration changes should not be treated as a support coordination deadline. Under the current NDIA guidance, unregistered support coordinators can serve self-managed or plan-managed participants, while NDIA-managed participants require registered providers. Registered and unregistered providers must still follow the NDIS Code of Conduct.
Maintain a short policy register alongside the business forecast. Record what is confirmed, what is awaiting design, who monitors official updates and which investment decisions depend on those updates. A prospective commissioned-service opportunity should sit in a separate scenario until there is evidence the business can access it.
- Confirmed: consultation closed on 2 October 2026; a commissioned SCC service is announced from 1 July 2028.
- Unresolved: the final service design and the business's future participation or revenue.
- Current operations: check registration eligibility against each participant's funding-management arrangement.
- Owner decision: nominate a reform lead and review assumptions before new leases, hiring commitments or acquisitions.
2. Support coordination margins, NDIS payroll and provider payments
A participant caseload is not a cash-flow forecast. Build revenue from agreed work, appropriate funding, services actually delivered and amounts that can be validly claimed. Reconcile paid coordinator time to eligible billable activity, then to invoices and collections. Treat this as an operating measure, not an instruction to bill every paid hour: administration, supervision, training and other time may be necessary costs without being claimable.
Track the full cost of delivery, including wages, superannuation, leave, supervision, software, insurance and administration. Review participant outcomes and service quality with these figures so a utilisation target does not encourage unnecessary services. Analyse margin by service level and team; a growing caseload can still weaken cash if additional staff start before eligible activity and collections build.
Use a rolling 13-week forecast for NDIS payroll and other committed costs. Separate NDIA, plan-managed and self-managed receipts using the business's observed payment history. Keep unbilled work, submitted invoices, disputed amounts and collected cash distinct. Fast provider payments cannot fix work that has not been documented or an invoice that is disputed.
Illustrative stress test, not a sector benchmark: if weekly committed outgoings are $25,000 and a scenario creates two extra weeks without expected receipts, the incremental gap is $50,000 before considering existing cash, other inflows or available facilities. Apply the delay only to the affected payer stream and check the resulting weekly low point. This is a cash-timing test, not an estimate of profit or a recommended borrowing amount.
- Weekly: review paid hours, eligible billable hours, documentation completion and invoice-release time.
- Monthly: reconcile collections and aged debtors by payer, including disputes and budget-related exceptions.
- Before hiring: cost mobilisation, realistic caseload ramp-up, supervision and cash collection lag.
- Escalation: set a minimum cash threshold based on committed outgoings and actual receipt variability; assign an owner to exceptions.
3. An acquisition and funding checklist for provider owners
When buying or expanding a support coordinator business, distinguish the current operation from a possible future commissioned service. Assess participant choice, staff continuity, referral concentration and the evidence supporting existing revenue. Do not assume that a caseload, registration certificate or current revenue history guarantees access to the future SCC model.
For acquisition diligence, reconcile service records, invoices and bank receipts over a representative period. Review outstanding complaints, conflicts of interest, documentation quality and key-person dependence. Ask what happens to cash and service continuity if a coordinator leaves, participant demand changes or collections slow. Have advisers examine transaction structure and current regulatory requirements before signing.
For lender readiness, prepare current financials, management accounts, debtor ageing, payroll commitments and the 13-week forecast. Explain the amount, purpose and repayment source of any proposed facility. Show current operating cash separately from future-service assumptions. Availability and terms depend on the lender's assessment; NDIS participation does not guarantee approval or repayment.
Match capital planning to the problem identified. A temporary collection gap, recurring operating loss and acquisition purchase price need different responses. Fix service economics where costs exceed sustainable revenue; test any funding proposal against stressed collections and the business's ability to repay. Stage discretionary investment where the case depends on future policy design.
- Evidence pack: service agreements, funding-management mix, claims reconciliation and debtor exceptions, shared through appropriate privacy controls.
- Workforce pack: team capacity, employment costs, coordinator retention and documented handover arrangements.
- Investment pack: current-service base case, downside cash forecast and a separately labelled reform scenario.
- Board action this month: approve investment gates, cash escalation thresholds and the next policy review date.
Owner questions
Does the consultation closure stop current support coordination services? The closure itself does not announce an immediate stop. Continue to follow current service, funding, registration and claiming requirements while monitoring official implementation updates.
Is support coordination subject to the SIL registration deadline? The Commission says support coordination mandatory registration reform is paused. Existing requirements still matter, including registration for serving NDIA-managed participants.
Can future SCC income support a borrowing or purchase decision now? Treat it as an uncertain scenario unless there is specific evidence of access and revenue. Base repayment and acquisition affordability on evidenced operations and test the downside with your advisers.
