If you have a support coordinator helping you navigate the NDIS, you've probably noticed just how much they do — help you understand your plan, connect you to providers, coordinate therapies, and prepare for assessments. That role is about to be redesigned.
The Australian Government has opened a consultation on a brand-new NDIS Support Coordination and Connection Service, set to replace the current support coordination model from 1 July 2028. And critically, the consultation window closes in just a few weeks — 11:59 pm AEST, 2 October 2026.
This matters enormously for anyone preparing for or navigating the I-CAN v6 assessment. Here's what you need to know.
What Is Being Consulted On?
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and the NDIA have released early design ideas for the new service and are seeking community feedback on four key questions:
- What the service should do — What tasks and responsibilities should a support coordination and connection service cover? What do participants most need help with?
- Quality and safeguarding arrangements — What standards, oversight and protections should apply to ensure participants receive safe, consistent support?
- How services could be delivered — Should the service be delivered through commissioned providers? How should it be structured to be genuinely responsive to participant needs?
- Supporting participants to understand, access and coordinate supports — What does a good navigation service look like? What gaps in the current system need to be addressed?
The government has acknowledged that while support coordinators currently play a "valuable role" in helping participants, there are significant opportunities to improve consistency, quality, safeguarding, and clarity about roles. Put simply: not all participants experience the same quality of support coordination, and the current system has real gaps.
Why This Matters for I-CAN v6 Participants
Support coordination is not just about provider linkage — it is central to how participants navigate complex processes like the I-CAN v6 assessment. A skilled support coordinator can:
- Help you understand which I-CAN domains apply to your situation
- Connect you with allied health professionals who can write supporting evidence
- Assist you in organising your documentation before an assessment
- Advocate on your behalf if a decision feels wrong
- Coordinate multiple providers who may all contribute evidence to your plan
For participants who lack formal diagnosis documentation, speak English as a second language, live in regional or remote areas, or are navigating the system for the first time, a well-resourced support coordination service can be the difference between a plan that reflects real needs and one that doesn't.
The shift from I-CAN v6 rolling out from April 2027 onwards means the new commissioned support coordination service will effectively be the navigation layer sitting alongside the new assessment framework. How well-designed that service is will directly affect how well participants are supported through I-CAN v6 assessments.
That's why your voice in this consultation matters now.
What Are the Concerns?
Not everyone is reassured by the proposed changes. The key concerns raised by the disability community include:
The transition gap. The new commissioned service launches 1 July 2028 — but I-CAN v6 assessments begin rolling out from April 2027. For over a year, participants will be navigating a new assessment framework without the benefit of the redesigned support coordination service.
Commissioning vs. individual choice. Under the current model, participants can choose their own support coordinator. A commissioned model may limit this flexibility. The disability community has consistently advocated for choice and control to remain at the centre of any new design.
Who gets access. Under the current system, not all participants receive support coordination funding in their plans — many self-manage without coordination support. How will the new service ensure equitable access, particularly for people who have historically been left out?
Provider readiness. Small allied health practices and local providers are already under pressure from NDIS reforms. Any new commissioning model needs to ensure these providers are not locked out in favour of larger corporate operators.
What the Government Says
The government has framed the consultation as a genuine co-design opportunity. Feedback collected through the process will inform advice to government, which will then decide the final service design.
The proposed service is not intended to reduce support — it is intended to make support more consistent and accountable. In areas where the current system has produced variable outcomes (particularly for participants in regional and remote areas, or those with complex needs), a commissioned model with clear quality standards could represent a genuine improvement.
Whether it does will depend heavily on what the community tells the government before 2 October.
How to Have Your Say
The consultation is open to everyone — you do not need to be an NDIS participant to contribute. Families, carers, advocates, providers, and anyone with views about how support coordination should work are welcome.
To participate:
- Visit the Consultation Hub at consultations.health.gov.au
- Read the consultation paper (plain English and Easy Read versions available)
- Complete the online survey or submit a written response
- Deadline: 11:59 pm AEST, 2 October 2026
If you would like support writing your submission, disability advocacy organisations including Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) and People with Disability Australia (PWDA) can assist.
How This Connects to Preparing for I-CAN v6
While the new support coordination service is still two years away, the I-CAN v6 assessment rollout begins from April 2027 — much sooner. In the meantime, the most powerful thing you can do to protect your NDIS plan is to build a thorough, evidence-based record of your support needs now.
A well-documented picture of your daily support needs across the 12 I-CAN v6 domains means that — regardless of who is navigating the system with you — the evidence speaks for itself.
That's exactly what ICANReady is designed to help you do: articulate your functional support needs in the language the I-CAN v6 framework uses, across all 12 domains, in a format that is ready for assessment.
Timeline at a Glance
| Date | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 2 October 2026 | Support Coordination consultation closes |
| 1 October 2026 | Community participation and capacity building funding cuts take effect |
| April 2027 | I-CAN v6 new planning framework begins rolling out (participants aged 16+) |
| 1 July 2028 | New NDIS Support Coordination and Connection Service launches |
| January 2028 | New eligibility criteria for new applicants begin |
The window to shape what the new support coordination service looks like is short. If you have views about what good support navigation looks like — especially in the context of the I-CAN v6 assessment — now is the time to be heard.
Consultation closes 11:59 pm AEST, 2 October 2026. Submit via the NDIS Consultation Hub.
Frequently asked questions
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