So, you’ve worked tirelessly as a Support Coordinator for other people for a number of years and now you feel it’s time to branch out on your own.
Where do you start? How do you access your participants? What practices do you need to adopt to enable you to build a successful Support Coordination business?
Here are some tips that I learned along my journey to starting my own Specialist Support Coordination business:
- Create a vision that represents you and is relatable to your participants
- Get connected and stay connected
- Identify your mentor
- Get the best support coordination software available*
- Constantly update your skills and knowledge base
- Take the time to build enduring relationships with the people who count the most
*Support Coordination Software is the only software on the market that is made by Support Coordinators for Support Coordinators.
Create a vision that represents you and is relatable to your participants
Create a vision that really speaks to who you are and why you decided to become a support coordinator. You don’t have to spell out your entire history in a long-winded essay – but how can you succinctly sum up your passion for the role, and in particular working with people with a disability.
Here are some questions that can help you to think about what to say:
- What matters most to you as a support coordinator?
- What are your core values?
- What got you into this space to start with? What sets you apart from the others?
- What is it about the job that you love doing every single day?
If this is a true representation of you and epitomises your passion for the role, it will resonate with others and will be your first step towards establishing your own successful support coordination practice.
Create a website and/or a social media page that you can use to interact with prospective participants. Make sure your mission statement is front and centre of your home page. You can also use your page to write posts and blogs that provide examples of how you have put your values to work previously and how you plan to work with any new referrals you receive.
Highlight your strengths and any niche areas you specialise in.
You will need to create a set of policies and procedures that match your vision and demonstrate your person centred, strengths-based approach to your work.
For a purpose-built solution that supports your vision, consider implementing an affordable software for NDIS sole traders. Using specialised software can help streamline your operations, making it easier to focus on delivering exceptional support coordination services.
Engage with the NDIS Community and Stay Connected
Get connected and stay engaged
Become actively involved in all things support coordination and NDIS. Go to forums, expos and interagency events. Sign up for your local communities of practice and become an active member of the group.
Join all of the Support Coordinator and NDIS provider groups on your chosen social media platforms and have meaningful engagement on these sites.
Make a point of engaging with participant and carer groups too, so you are always aware of the challenges and triumphs experienced by people with a disability in your area, and in Australia.
If your involvement in these platforms is to let people know you’ve started your business and are looking for referrals, let them know your areas of expertise and a little bit about yourself. Again, keep it brief, and whilst you want to tell everyone about your strengths, make sure you only make promises you’re able to keep.
Plan to always remain connected to these groups throughout your working life. Whilst the actual groups may change, you should dedicate at least 2.5 hours a week to networking and relationship building with others in the sector. Obviously when you start your business and you’re in the process of building a sustainable caseload, you will be spending the majority of your time in this space.
When you have established your business and you’ve learnt a thing or two about running a support coordination business, make some time to give back to your colleagues.
There will always be someone who will benefit from your knowledge, and the sector needs its leaders to continue to contribute to the growth and sustainability of a vibrant sector to ensure the ongoing success of the NDIS.
Identify your mentor
Find someone you intrinsically trust, who is passionate about all things support coordination, and who can teach you how to attain and maintain best practice. This person should have extensive experience in the disability service sector and be prepared to take the time to give you guidance as well as the courage to provide frank and honest feedback.
Look for both a professional practice mentor as well as a business mentor. When you start out, you will need more of their time than once you’re established; however, you should plan to have regular to semi regular formal contact with your mentors for your first few years of business at the very least. Think of it as another form of professional development, but you will probably find it to be your most valuable source of education.
Get the best software available*
Support Coordination Software by Sonic Software, is the only software that is owned and operated by practicing support coordinators. We’ve kept the software to just support coordination features, so we can continuously focus on the things that are most important to you.
This software will save you time and money that other software providers can’t, because all of the systems you need to operate your support coordination business are included in the all-encompassing system – no hidden extra costs for advanced features.
For a detailed look at how software can improve your practice, check out our article on real-time budget tracking solutions for NDIS support coordinators.
Constantly update your skills and knowledge base
So, you’ve got your mentor, signed up for regular updates from the NDIS and a select group of industry experts, trialled Support Coordination Software, you’re attending all of your networking events and you’re interacting regularly on your chosen social media platforms… you’re almost ready to go.
Are you a member of either the intermediaries peak body (Disability Intermediaries Australia – DIA) or the NDIS provider peak body (National Disability Services – NDS)? If not, I would recommend joining at least one. If you’re really scratching for pennies and unable to afford a subscription to either organisation, make it your mission to follow them on social media and check out their updates on a fortnightly basis.
When was the last time you attended formal training? You can check out the professional development courses or sign up for 1:1 coaching at Support Coordination Academy. Alternatively, you could attend a seminar about a specific disability type or condition that is delivered by industry experts.
Did you know that Support Coordination Software also offer business coaching as a part of their products?
Whatever type of formal training you choose, aim to attend at least two days per year of professional development training, and spend at least 2.5 hours per week networking.
Take the time to build enduring relationships
Whilst this may be the last item on the list, it is by no means the least important. You simply cannot run a successful business if you do not nurture your professional relationships.
These relationships include the obvious relationships with your participants and their stakeholder groups but extend also to your fellow Support Coordination providers and other clinicians who work in the field.
When you think about what your relationship with your participants will look like, remember your role includes the provision of capacity building supports. The key to this is understanding almost intuitively when to step up and when to step back.
If you’re not sure about this – check out the Confidence Tool in Support Coordination Software.
This will assist you to accurately assess not only the participant’s confidence to manage their own plan, but it will also identify what areas of support the participant needs. For example, your participant may be fine with connecting with their core support providers, but really struggle understanding what this positive behaviour support plan thing means, and what are the implications of having restrictive supports?
The Confidence Tool is also a valuable resource to have when it comes to evidencing your need to continue to provide support coordination services to your participant after the next plan reassessment.
Your relationship with other Support Coordinators is possibly the least understood, and the most essential ingredient to building a successful business. In some industries these collaborative relationships are not as typical; however, in support coordination the entire sector would collapse if support coordinators acted competitively towards each other.
Not only is this collegiate approach critical to the long-term success of the NDIS, you will find that referrals will come your way if you interact professionally and positively with your colleagues. You may also find yourself in a position where you need the assistance of one of your colleagues if you have a full caseload, or if a participant requires some expertise that you don’t possess.
If you take a proactive part in building a vibrant Support Coordination sector you will be contributing to a healthier over-all NDIS sector as well as enhancing your own business prospects.
Written by Shaughn O’Donoghue
Shaughn is the director of a boutique Specialist Support Coordination business called Sunshine Specialist Supports which is based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He has a team of 8 specialist support coordinators who provide services to over 200 participants from Brisbane North to Mackay.
Shaughn is also the founding director of Support Coordination Software and is the senior trainer at the Support Coordination Academy. He is passionate about getting the best out of everyone he works with and loves nothing more than achieving the impossible whilst working alongside his protégés and his participants.