Self-directed Management - Services for One (SDM)
You know your needs (or your family member's) better than anyone. Self-directed management means you're the one calling the shots - who joins your team, how they work, what a good day looks like. FIShR sits behind the scenes, handling all the parts that eat up time and energy so you don't have to.
What this actually means
Normally, someone else - a provider - employs your support workers and manages the day-to-day. With self-directed management, that someone is you. You find, choose and lead the people who support you or your family member directly. (The NDIS has a formal name for this: "Services for One.") It's not about doing it all alone, though. FIShR provides everything underneath - the NDIS registration, the compliance, the systems - so you get the control without having to become an expert in NDIS admin overnight.
What you’re in charge of
Who joins your team, and how they work with you
The day-to-day rhythm of support - what happens, when, and how
Building relationships with people who genuinely fit
What FIShR handles for you
NDIS registration and compliance
Admin - paperwork, reporting, record-keeping
Coaching and mentoring, whenever you want a hand
Systems for scheduling, risk assessments and service agreements
Lead your own team
Is this right for you?
SDM - suits participants and families who want a real say over who supports them, have or want the confidence to lead a small team, and would rather have backup on admin than do it all solo.
A note on funding and reasonable & necessary supports
As part of your plan review, the NDIA sets what it considers reasonable and necessary supports for your situation - that's based on your assessed needs, not on how far your funding stretches. Because SDM lets you manage the gap between what a support actually costs and what the NDIS funds per hour, it can be tempting to use that extra room to deliver more hours than were actually approved. We'd encourage caution here: using significantly more hours than assessed as reasonable and necessary can be flagged at your next plan review, and put your funding at risk of being reduced. The safest approach is to deliver support based on your assessed needs, not on how much budget room is available.
FAQ’s
Do I need experience managing people No - most families haven't either but strong interpersonal and communication skills are key in all working relationships.
Am I on my own if something goes wrong No - FIShR carries the governance and compliance responsibility which are guided by a comprehensive set of policies and procedures, NDIS business rules and practice standards.
How much time does this take - This varies greatly and will depend upon your individual circumstances, but our purpose built systems are designed to ease the load. Note : Participants and families who choose this option are not paid for their role in coordinating and delivery of supports.
What are the costs - FIShR's applies a fixed and transparent fee based on service delivery. As the employer, you decide what to pay your team from what's left - it's your call, not a rate someone else sets. See Where Your Funding Goes for a full breakdown of how this compares.
