Person—individualised disability funding indicator, code N

Guide for use:

Individualised funding packages are a portable package of funds allocated for or tied to a particular person that facilitates control and choice over how the person meets their disability support needs.

The way individual funding is organised can vary in relation to who holds the funds, which parts are portable and what disability supports can be purchased from which parts of the market, that is, from approved service providers or the open market.

There is wide variation in individualised funding models; however, common characteristics include:

• allocation of an individual budget based on assessed need
• development of a personal plan specifying goals and needs
• portability and choice in how funds are spent.

Funds can be held by the person or their family, a facilitator/intermediary or service providers.

Individualised funding packages are also known as:

• Individual Support Packages
• Programs with individualised support
• Individualised support arrangements
• Self-directed funding
• Self-managed funding.

Individualised funding packages do not include:

• block funding
• funding that is allocated to an individual for a one-off purchase .

Each jurisdiction has its own policies, programs and approaches for individualised funding—all with subtle differences in terminology and approach.

In general, differences between jurisdictions refer to differences in:

• who holds and manages the funding
• who directs how the funding is to be used
• which parts of the funding are portable
• which disability support types it can be spent on from which parts of the market.

Context:

Individualised funding is one of a range of ways to effect a person-centred approach.

A person centred approach requires the flexible use of resources to achieve what is important to the person. It requires services to work, adjust and provide to the person what they want in life, rather than the person being expected to fit into an existing service.