Support Coordination vs Specialist Support Coordination: What’s the Difference, Really?
If you are new to the NDIS, the terms can feel confusing. People often ask us, “What is the difference between Support Coordination and Specialist Support Coordination? Aren’t they the same thing?”
The truth is, they both help you navigate the NDIS, but the level of support and expertise involved is quite different. Understanding this difference can help you work out what kind of help will suit your needs best.
Support Coordination
Support Coordination is about helping you use your NDIS plan effectively. A Support Coordinator works with you to:
Understand what your plan includes
Link you with local services and providers
Help you build your confidence in managing supports
Problem-solve if services are not working the way you expected
Think of it as guidance and partnership. Support Coordination is designed for people who may not need complex advocacy but who still benefit from having someone to help them connect the dots.
Specialist Support Coordination
Specialist Support Coordination (often shortened to SSC) is a higher level of support. It is usually funded when a person has more complex needs or when there are significant barriers to putting a plan into action.
A Specialist Support Coordinator can:
Help in situations where multiple services need to work together
Assist with complex health or housing issues
Navigate crisis situations or major life transitions
Advocate strongly when systems are not responding the way they should
Specialist Support Coordinators often come from professional backgrounds like social work, psychology, or allied health. This means they have the training and networks to manage more complicated situations.
Which one is right for you?
Your NDIS planner will usually decide if you receive Support Coordination or Specialist Support Coordination based on your circumstances. Some people begin with Support Coordination and later need Specialist Support Coordination, while others start with SSC from the beginning.
The key thing to remember is that both roles are about walking alongside you, not taking over. The focus is always on helping you feel supported, informed, and confident to work towards your goals.
Support Coordination and Specialist Support Coordination are sometimes spoken about as if they are just levels of the same thing, but in real life they can feel very different. One provides steady guidance, the other steps in when things are more complex and challenging.
What both have in common is simple: they exist to make the NDIS easier to understand and more useful for you.
