NDIS I-CAN v6 for Carers and Families

What you need to know to support your loved one through assessment

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and reflects publicly available information about the NDIS I-CAN v6 assessment and carer rights in Australia. It does not constitute professional legal, financial, or disability support advice. For personalised guidance, contact Carers Australia or a local disability advocacy service.

If you care for or live with an NDIS participant, the I-CAN v6 assessment affects you too — not just as a bystander, but as someone whose contribution, observations, and wellbeing are formally relevant to the assessment outcome.

Carers and family members often know the participant better than anyone else. You see the difficult mornings that never make it into clinical reports. You know how long it actually takes to get dressed, what happens when the routine breaks down, and what the participant is like on the days when no professional ever visits. That knowledge is valuable — and the I-CAN v6 process has a formal place for it.

This guide explains your role, how to prepare, what to include in a carer statement, what your rights are as a carer in the NDIS system, and how to look after yourself throughout the process.

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What the Assessment Actually Measures — and How You Fit In

The I-CAN v6 assessment is the NDIS's new standardised approach to measuring a participant's functional capacity and support needs. It covers 12 life domains — Self-Care, Daily Life Activities, Communication, Mobility, Interpersonal Interactions and Relationships, Learning and Education, Employment, Health and Wellbeing, Social and Community Participation, Home and Living, Support Coordination, and Positive Behaviour Support.

The assessment is conducted by an accredited assessor — an occupational therapist, psychologist, physiotherapist, speech pathologist, or social worker — and typically takes 60–90 minutes. The results directly determine the participant's NDIS plan funding. Critically, the assessment is free — funded by the NDIA. For a detailed overview of what the assessment involves, read: What is the NDIS I-CAN v6 Assessment?.

How informal supports are factored in

The I-CAN v6 framework explicitly considers the informal support provided by family members and carers as part of the overall support picture. This means:

• The assessor will consider who currently provides support across each domain, how much, and how often
• If you are providing significant care, this is directly relevant to determining what funded supports are reasonable and necessary
• The sustainability of your caring arrangement is a formal consideration — if your caring role is at risk due to your own health, employment, or capacity, that affects what the NDIA should fund

This is not about penalising carers who provide extensive support. It is about ensuring the funded support package reflects reality — including what would happen if informal support were reduced or unavailable.

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Before the Assessment: How to Prepare as a Carer

Your most valuable contribution happens before the assessment day itself. Here is how to prepare effectively.

Step 1: Document the care you provide

For two to four weeks before the assessment, keep a simple daily log of the support you provide. For each day, note:

• Which tasks you assisted with
• How long each one took
• What you would have done differently if the support was unavailable
• Any incidents, difficult moments, or particularly demanding periods

Real-world documentation with dates is far more credible evidence than a retrospective summary, and it gives you specific, recent examples to draw on when writing your carer statement or speaking with the assessor.

Step 2: Review the 12 I-CAN domains

Familiarise yourself with the 12 domains so you can think about the participant's needs systematically. As you review each one, ask yourself:

• Does the participant need support in this area?
• What does that support look like, day to day?
• What would happen if that support were not available?

For a comprehensive breakdown of each domain, read: The 12 I-CAN domains explained.

Step 3: Write your carer statement

A carer statement is a written document that provides the assessor with your firsthand observations. It is not the same as the participant's own account — it offers a complementary, independent perspective that no clinical report can replicate. See the next section for detailed guidance on what to include.

Step 4: Gather any documentation you hold

You may have documents the treating team does not — hospital discharge letters, school communication, incident reports, or correspondence about the participant's needs. These can be provided to the assessor as additional supporting evidence.

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Writing a Carer Statement — What to Include

A carer statement is one of the most valuable contributions you can make to the I-CAN v6 assessment. Done well, it provides the assessor with a grounded, specific, real-world account of the participant's support needs that no formal clinical report fully captures.

Structure your statement around these five areas:

1. Your relationship and caring role

Begin briefly: who you are, your relationship to the participant, how long you have been providing care, and the general nature of your role (live-in carer, family member providing daily support, weekend support, etc.).

2. The specific activities you assist with — daily and weekly

Be concrete and domain-linked. Rather than writing "I help with everything," describe each area of support:

• "I assist with showering every morning — it takes approximately 40 minutes. [Name] cannot manage the tap, shampoo, or towelling-off independently due to motor difficulties."
• "I prepare all meals. [Name] cannot safely use the stove or microwave unsupervised. I prepare three meals per day, seven days a week."
• "I manage all medications. Without reminders and physical hand-delivery, [Name] does not take them consistently."
• "I accompany [Name] to all medical appointments — they cannot travel independently and become significantly distressed in unfamiliar clinical environments without support."

3. Time investment and physical impact on you

Describe, honestly, how much time you spend on caring activities per day or week. Include any physical demands — lifting, transfers, overnight care — and any impact on your own health. This is not complaining. It is information the assessor genuinely needs to assess what funded supports are necessary.

4. Emotional and employment impacts

Note any effects on your employment (reduced hours, career changes, inability to return to work), your social life, your own mental and physical health, and your other relationships. The Carer Recognition Act 2010 (Cwlth) recognises that carers' wellbeing is relevant to planning — and the NDIS framework is required to take sustainability into account.

5. Sustainability assessment — this is critical

Honestly describe whether the current caring arrangement is sustainable, and if not, why not. If you are approaching burnout, have health challenges of your own, have other significant responsibilities, or can foresee needing to reduce your caring role, say so clearly. This is essential information for an assessor trying to determine what funded supports are genuinely reasonable and necessary.

Example: "I am currently providing approximately six hours of care per day in addition to working part-time. My GP has advised me to reduce my caring load due to back injuries sustained during transfers. I do not believe the current arrangement is sustainable beyond the next six to twelve months without additional funded in-home support."

Format guidance: A carer statement does not need to be long or formal. Clear dot points are entirely acceptable. It should be dated, signed, and include your contact details in case the assessor has follow-up questions. One to two A4 pages is sufficient.

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On the Day: Supporting Without Overshadowing

If you attend the assessment as a support person, your role is to support — not to speak on behalf of the participant.

What this looks like in practice:

• Arrive with the participant and ensure they feel settled before the assessment begins
• Allow the participant to answer each question first, without prompting or finishing their sentences
• Add context when the assessor invites your input, or when you observe that important information is at risk of being omitted
• Avoid correcting the participant in ways that undermine their confidence or authority
• If the participant becomes distressed, ask the assessor for a short break

Knowing when to add context

There is an important distinction between speaking for the participant and adding to what they have said. Speaking for removes their agency and can compromise the assessor's ability to hear the participant's own voice. Adding context — after they have spoken, when invited — provides supplementary information that strengthens the picture.

For example: after the participant describes their showering routine, if they have not mentioned that they had a fall earlier in the year, you might gently add: "Can I mention that [Name] had a fall in the bathroom in February that they may not have brought up?"

If the participant becomes distressed

Being asked to describe their limitations repeatedly can be emotionally difficult for some participants. If the participant becomes upset:

• Stay calm and reassuring — your presence is itself a stabiliser
• Ask the assessor for a short break
• Remind the participant that they can refer to their written preparation document
• If necessary, ask whether the remaining assessment can be completed on another day

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What Assessors Look for From Carers

Understanding what assessors find most useful helps you calibrate what to include in your statement and how to frame it.

Assessors find most valuable:

• Specific, concrete examples — "She has fallen in the bathroom twice this year" is more useful than "she has balance problems"
• Frequency and duration — "I spend approximately three hours each morning on personal care" is more useful than "I help a lot with care"
• What happens without support — "When I am unavailable, he does not eat, shower, or take medications" is critical information that transforms the assessment's understanding of need
• Consistent information — carer accounts that are consistent with the participant's own account and with clinical documentation carry the most weight
• Honest sustainability assessment — assessors want to know whether the current informal support arrangement is likely to continue; honest information here directly serves the participant's interests

What weakens carer input:

• Vague generalities without specific supporting examples
• Information that appears to conflict with clinical documentation without explanation
• Apparent exaggeration that cannot be connected to observable daily evidence

The goal is the same consistency and specificity that makes the participant's own descriptions effective. For detailed guidance on what strong descriptions look like across each domain, see: How to describe your support needs in plain language. For guidance on how a support coordinator can help prepare for the assessment, see: How support coordinators can help clients prepare for I-CAN v6.

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After the Assessment: Your Rights and Next Steps

Understanding the outcome

After the assessor submits their report, the NDIA prepares a new or revised plan for the participant. Whether you are directly informed of the outcome depends on your formal involvement in the participant's plan — for example, whether you are registered as a nominee or authorised representative.

If the outcome does not reflect the participant's genuine needs

The participant has the right to:

1. Request an internal NDIA review — within 3 months of receiving the decision
2. Apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) if the internal review outcome is also unsatisfactory

As a carer, you can assist by compiling evidence, documenting what was and was not captured in the assessment, and connecting the participant with a disability advocacy service. The preparation documentation developed before the assessment — carer statements, gathered reports, daily logs — is directly useful evidence in a review.

Your rights as a carer

Under the Carer Recognition Act 2010 (Cwlth), carers have the right to be recognised and respected in the caring relationship, to be involved in decisions that affect the caring arrangement, and to access information and support. In the NDIS context, this means:

• You can request involvement in planning meetings
• You can provide input to the assessor
• Your observations are formally relevant to the planning process
• You can seek independent support from Carers Australia (1800 422 737) or a local disability advocacy organisation

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Your Own Wellbeing: Carer Supports in the NDIS

The NDIS funds supports for participants — not directly for carers. However, several NDIS-funded supports directly reduce the demands on informal carers.

Short-Term Accommodation (Respite)

NDIS-funded short-term accommodation allows the participant to stay elsewhere temporarily, giving the carer a genuine break. This can be funded under the Core Supports budget where it meets the reasonable and necessary criteria under the NDIS Act 2013.

In-Home Support

Funded support workers who provide personal care and daily living support reduce the burden on informal carers. If you are currently providing care that would otherwise require formal funding, this should be documented in your carer statement and raised explicitly during the assessment.

Support Coordination

If the participant has Support Coordination funding (Level 1, 2, or 3), their coordinator can assist with planning, navigating services, and connecting to appropriate supports — relieving some of the coordination burden from carers. Specialist Support Coordination (Level 3) is available for participants with complex needs requiring a higher level of support.

Carer Gateway

The Australian Government's Carer Gateway (1800 422 737 or carergateway.gov.au) provides free services directly for carers, separate from the NDIS:

• Personalised carer support planning
• Coaching and peer support
• Emergency respite
• Counselling and mental health support
• Practical assistance navigating services

Carer Gateway is available to all carers, regardless of whether the person they support is an NDIS participant.

For carers who are struggling: Your own needs matter — and acknowledging them is not a failure. Accessing carer support is what makes a sustainable caring arrangement possible long-term. If you are burnt out, physically injured, or approaching the limits of what you can sustain, seeking help now is the right decision — for yourself and for the person you care for.

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Prepare Together with ICANReady

The I-CAN v6 assessment is a shared challenge — and preparation should be a shared process too.

ICANReady is a document preparation tool built specifically for NDIS participants and carers preparing for the I-CAN v6 assessment. It guides you through all 12 I-CAN domains in plain language and generates a structured preparation document you can bring to your assessment — available at launch for AUD $29.

Join the ICANReady waitlist — it's free →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I attend the I-CAN v6 assessment with my family member?

Yes — you can attend as a support person. The assessor may also ask for your observations separately during or after the assessment. Your presence can provide comfort to the participant and valuable real-world context to the assessor. Allow the participant to answer questions first, and add information when invited.

What if my family member doesn't want me at the assessment?

Respect their decision — autonomy is a fundamental NDIS principle. You can still contribute meaningfully by providing a written carer statement before the assessment, which the participant can hand to the assessor. The assessor may also contact you separately. Even if you do not attend, your written observations can make a significant difference to the assessment outcome.

Will the assessment consider how my caring role affects me?

Yes — informal support provided by carers is explicitly factored into the I-CAN v6 assessment process. The sustainability of the caring arrangement is relevant to determining what funded supports are reasonable and necessary. If your caring role is unsustainable, or is affecting your health, employment, or ability to continue, this information should be included in your carer statement and raised on the day.

What should I include in a carer statement for the I-CAN assessment?

Your statement should include: the specific daily activities you assist with and how long each takes, the frequency and duration of your overall caring role, any physical or emotional impacts on your own health and wellbeing, the effects on your employment or other commitments, and an honest assessment of whether the current arrangement is sustainable. Specific, concrete, domain-linked examples are significantly more useful to an assessor than general summaries.

What rights do I have as a carer in the NDIS process?

Under the Carer Recognition Act 2010 (Cwlth), carers have the right to be recognised and respected in the caring role, to be involved in decisions that affect the caring relationship, and to access information and support. In the NDIS context, you can request involvement in planning meetings, provide input to the assessor, and seek support from Carers Australia (1800 422 737) or a local disability advocacy organisation at any stage of the process.

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Sources: Carer Recognition Act 2010 (Cwlth), Carers Australia, Carer Gateway, NDIS website — Support needs assessment, NDIS Review Final Report 2023 — Working Together to Deliver the NDIS