I recently put up a post on Facebook around the option of setting up a consortium of Independent Support Coolrdinators to try to continue their participation when Navigator's are introduced.
The response has moved this in my priorities. There is obviously a lot of potential in the idea.
For those visiting the site to follow up, I will let you know where I am up to but have recently set up a facebook page for Kingfisher to give us all a chance to keep up to date and contribute to the idea.
I am not operating as a Support Coordinator at the moment, and when I started to investigate my options, I discovered the Navigator concept. Hence my query. That makes me an option to set up the consortium rather than an SC at this stage.
Having said that, let me give you my qualifications in this space:
I am a CPA with experience in management and business ownership. I have owned an Acccounting Software Consultancy and also consulted directly with clients for specific projects.
I also have a Graduate Diploma in Counselling (Honours).
I have been a Partcipant of the NDIS since July 2017. Until July 2025, my experiences with the NDIA have been mainly positive and I have always been able to get the support I needed. That ended in July 2025 when my plan was reviewed after 4 years of simply rolling over funding. I was self managed but am now Plan managed (I was considered to be at risk!) and I have just been through a very successful ART Appeal after a substantial cut to my funding at the same time.
I have always done my plan review preparation myself, handled my ART Appeal and have successfully applied for major home modification - bathroom, home access, and ceiling hoist - along with large AT items.
I have not had a Support Coordinator who helped with this. My experience to date with SC's has been mixed and since my last SC 'left' I have been too busy with the fight to restore my core funding (24/7 plus) to find a new one.
I know I am in a unique position and that most partiicipants need someone with the skills and knowledge I have in order to navigate and handle their NDIS journey. I am concerned for their future with this new Navigator concept. I have also, in past years, been involved with Participaant First working groups and know how NDIA staff at the time were thing about the whole Support Coordinator role.
As an Acccountant who spent 13 years working in the Commonwealth Public Service in Canberra, I also understand the budget pressures they will be undergoing right now.
My personal view is that the Navigator role neeeds to be there for the basics of understanding and managing a Plan, whatever the title. It should be the same as the original LAC/Planner role.
Ideally, a Support Coordinator would then be that added 'personal touch', especially for our more vulnerable participants. For some, that would require a Psychosocial Recovery Coach with specialised skills to handle psychosocial needs, but for those of us with physical needs only, it would mean we could rely on that SC to ensure we are properly supported and kept safe. Whilst that should be available through ourselves or our Plan Nominee, that is not always the case and I think the NDIS owes us all a Duty of Care to ensure a qualified third Party is available to help.
We will never get that with the current Navigator role as I understand it. They will not be walking into our home environments to ensure our safety, to ensure our funds are spent in the best way for us or that our Service Providers are there fo s US, not themselves.
My view in essence:
Delegates and Planners are there to assess our needs and provide the funding to meet those needs.
Navigators should be the ones who tell us how to manage those funds and help guide us to Providers
Support Coordinators (and Psychosocial coaches) then oversee our support on a personalised level to ensure we are getting the help we need and are kept safe. Tey would work closely eith us and our Plan Nominees.
Fund Managers pay the bills and oversee the financial compliance reqeuirements.