NDIS Community Participation Services
Care Assure provides NDIS social and community participation support across South Australia and Tasmania. Our support workers help participants take part in social, recreational, and community activities, building confidence, skills, and lasting connections.
What is NDIS Social and Community Participation?
Social and community participation is an NDIS-funded support that helps participants take part in community activities. It covers the support worker time and assistance you need to get out, join in, and build a life beyond the home.
The NDIS funds it under the Core Supports budget, in the Assistance with Social and Community Participation category. It is one of the most flexible supports in a plan, because it can be used for almost any community activity that helps you pursue your goals, from a weekly social group to learning a new skill.
There are two funding levels. Standard social and community participation covers everyday activities with support from a support worker. Increased social and community participation involves more skill-focused or developmental activities, often led by higher-skilled workers, aimed at building capacity over time.
What Community Participation Support Includes at Care Assure
What your support looks like depends on your goals and the funding in your plan. At Care Assure, community participation support covers a wide range of activities across SA and Tasmania.
- Getting to and taking part in social groups and community events
- Recreational and leisure activities, from sport to arts and hobbies
- Building daily living and social skills in real community settings
- Accessing local facilities: libraries, gyms, pools, and community centres
- Volunteering, work experience, and educational activities
- Building confidence to travel and use public transport
- One-to-one support or small group activities, depending on your preference
Support can be one-to-one or in a small group, during the day, evening, or on weekends, tailored to what you want to do and the goals in your plan.
Examples of Increased Social and Community Participation
Increased social and community participation is the developmental, skill-building level of support. It helps if you want concrete examples of how the funding can be used.
- Joining a community sports team or fitness program with support to build independence
- Taking a course or class to learn a new skill, with a support worker alongside
- Attending a social or peer group to build friendships and confidence
- Learning to plan and take an outing independently, step by step
- Building the travel skills to attend activities without one-to-one support over time
The goal of increased participation is capacity: not just doing the activity, but building the skills and confidence to do more of it independently.
How Community Participation Is Funded
Community participation is funded under Core Supports, which is the most flexible part of your NDIS plan. Understanding the line item helps you use the funding well.
The support sits in the Assistance with Social and Community Participation category. Because it is Core Supports, funding is generally flexible: you can adjust how much you use week to week, within your plan. Increased social and community participation is a separate, capacity-building line item aimed at developmental activities with higher-skilled support.
If community participation is not yet in your plan, or you want to increase it, a support coordinator or plan review can help. Care Assure can also arrange community participation alongside Supported Independent Living for participants who want both.
How to Start Community Participation with Care Assure
Starting community participation takes a few simple steps, from checking your funding to your first activity. Care Assure guides you through each one.
Confirm your NDIS plan includes Assistance with Social and Community Participation under Core Supports. Your plan manager or support coordinator can check.
Call (08) 7071 9276, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm. Tell us what you want to do and what you want to build toward.
We match you with support workers and shape a plan around your goals, preferences, and schedule.
Begin your activities, one-to-one or in a small group, and adjust as your confidence and goals grow.
Explore More Care Assure Services
Community participation often works best alongside other supports. Explore the rest of what Care Assure provides across SA and Tasmania.
- Supported Independent Living (SIL): Daily support to help you live independently across SA and Tasmania.
- In-Home Care: Personalised NDIS support in your own home, with trained workers.
- Respite Care: Short and medium-term accommodation gives participants a supported break.
Standard vs Innovative Community Participation
The NDIS funds two approaches to community participation. Which suits you depends on your goals and how you like to build skills.
- Standard Community Participation: Support worker assistance to take part in existing community activities and settings: groups, facilities, events, and outings. The focus is on access and inclusion in your community as it is.
- Innovative Community Participation: A more flexible, goal-led approach that uses creative or non-traditional activities to build skills and connections. It suits participants who want a tailored path rather than a standard group program. Care Assure can shape innovative supports around your specific goals.
Community Participation Across SA and Tasmania
Care Assure provides community participation support in the areas we serve across South Australia and Tasmania. Choose your location for local support.
Adelaide
Community participation support across our largest service area, Greater Adelaide.
What NDIS Participants Say About Care Assure
Care Assure’s Supported Independent Living program has given me a newfound sense of independence. Their team is so supportive and accommodating, ensuring my needs are met every step of the way. I finally feel empowered to lead my life on my terms!
Why Choose Care Assure for Community Participation
Community participation only works when it is built around the person, not a fixed timetable. Here is what sets Care Assure apart across SA and Tasmania.
- Goal-led, not program-led: Support shaped around what you want to do and the goals in your plan, not a fixed group schedule.
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- One-to-one or small group: Whichever suits you, in the daytime, evening, or on weekends.
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- Skill-building focus: For increased participation, we work toward the confidence and skills to do more independently over time.
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- Support workers who know you: Consistent workers who understand your goals, not a rotating roster of strangers.
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- Joined up with your other supports: Community participation can sit alongside your SIL or in-home support, coordinated by one provider.
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- NDIS and NIISQ registered since 2019: Award-winning provider you can rely on.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is NDIS social and community participation?
It is NDIS-funded support that helps participants take part in social, recreational, and community activities. It covers the support worker time and assistance you need to get out and join in, funded under Core Supports in the Assistance with Social and Community Participation category.
- What is the difference between standard and increased social and community participation?
Standard participation covers everyday community activities with support worker assistance. Increased social and community participation is a capacity-building line item for more developmental, skill-focused activities, often with a higher-skilled worker, aimed at building independence over time.
- What activities can community participation funding be used for?
Almost any community activity that helps you pursue your goals: social groups, sports and recreation, classes and courses, volunteering, using local facilities, and building travel and social skills. Care Assure shapes the activities around what you want to do.
- Is community participation Core or Capacity Building funding?
Standard social and community participation is funded under Core Supports, which is flexible. Increased social and community participation is a separate capacity-building line item. Your plan manager can confirm what is in your plan.
- Where does Care Assure provide community participation?
Across South Australia and Tasmania, including Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Mount Barker, Port Augusta, Whyalla, and Hobart. Call (08) 7071 9276 to discuss support in your area.
