How to Claim High Intensity Supports in 2025? If you have complex health needs, your daily personal care carries a higher risk than general support. However, many participants struggle to understand if their needs qualify for the higher funding allocated for High Intensity Supports (HIS).
This confusion leads to two major risks:
- Under-Funding: Your plan may not allocate the necessary higher hourly rates, leaving a funding shortfall for High Intensity Supports.
- Unsafe Care: Support workers may lack the specialised training required to manage your clinical tasks, increasing the risk of harm during High Intensity Supports.
Consequently, understanding the difference is the first step in ensuring your care is both safe and fully funded.
Defining the Difference: Standard vs. High Intensity Supports
Under the NDIS, support is categorised by the level of clinical risk and specialised training required:
- Standard Supports: These cover general daily living tasks and personal care that do not require clinical training or significant risk management. For instance, examples include assistance with showering, general meal preparation, shopping, and house chores.
- High Intensity Supports (HIS): These are complex daily personal activities that involve a higher health risk. Furthermore, they must be delivered by a worker who has received specialised training and been assessed as competent by an Appropriately Qualified Health Practitioner (AQHP).
Eligibility Checklist for High Intensity Supports
If your disability-related health support involves any of the following clinical activities, it falls under the High Intensity Supports category and requires specialised funding and training:
- Complex Bowel Care (including non-routine interventions)
- Enteral Feeding and Management (e.g., PEG or nasogastric tubes)
- Severe Dysphagia Management (swallowing difficulties)
- Tracheostomy Care
- Urinary Catheter Management
- Ventilator Management
- Subcutaneous Injections (e.g., insulin administration)
- Complex Wound Management
Therefore, if you require ongoing support with one or more of these activities, the NDIS should designate the higher rate for your funding.
Funding Justification
High Intensity Supports are typically funded under Core Supports – Assistance with Daily Life. However, the NDIS allocates a significantly higher hourly rate for these supports to cover training, supervision, and risk. For general navigation of this budget, read NDIS Core Supports: How to Navigate and Take Charge?
To justify and secure this higher funding in your NDIS plan, you must provide:
- Clinical Reports: Current reports from a Registered Nurse (RN), GP, or Allied Health Professional that explicitly detail your support needs and the associated risks of High Intensity Supports.
- Specific Support Plans: A formal, documented plan (e.g., a Bowel Care Plan or Mealtime Management Plan) developed by a clinical professional that outlines the precise steps and skills required by the support worker for High Intensity Supports.
- Risk Assessment: Evidence showing the risks involved if the task is performed incorrectly and why a standard worker is unqualified to perform High Intensity Supports.
Ultimately, the NDIA will base its funding decision on the nature and extent of the required support and the identified clinical risks associated with High Intensity Supports.
Safety First: Worker Requirements
Due to the higher health risks involved, the NDIS mandates strict standards for the delivery of High Intensity Supports. Consequently, participants must always check their provider’s compliance:
- Training and Competency: An Appropriately Qualified Health Practitioner (AQHP), such as a Registered Nurse, must train your support worker in the specific task (e.g., PEG feeding). Moreover, the AQHP must also assess the worker as competent to perform that task safely. For details on defining roles, refer to Service Agreement: How to Prepare and Stay in Control?
- Clinical Oversight: The provider must ensure clinical supervision is available, which means a health professional actively guides and supports your support team to monitor your changing needs while they deliver High Intensity Supports.
- Individualised Plans: Workers must strictly follow your individualised, up-to-date support plan and emergency protocols for High Intensity Supports.
Therefore, if a provider cannot demonstrate these competency standards, they should not be delivering your High Intensity Supports. If safety issues arise, consult NDIS Complaints and Appeals: How to Handle in 2025 for immediate recourse.
Why Permalink is Your Partner for High Intensity Supports
Navigating the clinical justifications, specialist reports, and safety requirements for High Intensity Supports can be incredibly overwhelming.
Permalink Support Coordination specialises in supporting participants with complex needs. For example, we can help you:
- Gather Evidence: Identify clinical reports needed for higher High Intensity Supports funding eligibility.
- Justify Cost: Submit a robust plan to NDIA ensuring correct Core Supports funding allocation.
- Ensure Safety: Vet providers to confirm workers meet NDIS High Intensity Support skill standards.
Furthermore, learn more about our services today!
You can also follow us on social media for updates, success stories, and more!
📅 Coming Next Week:
In our next blog, we’ll cut through the confusion around Supported Independent Living (SIL) vs. Individual Living Options (ILO). We’ll show you which housing pathway is right for you and how to justify the funding.