Level 2 Support Coordination isn’t just about calling providers or organising your plan. It’s meant to build your skills — so you can take more control, make informed choices, and feel confident navigating the NDIS over time.

But many people don’t realise they’re getting surface-level coordination with little to no capacity building. If all your coordinator does is book appointments, they’re not doing the full job. Here’s how to tell the difference — and what you should expect.

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What is capacity building in support coordination?

Capacity building is about giving you tools, knowledge, and strategies to grow your independence and decision-making. It’s not something separate from coordination — it’s baked into how Level 2 support should work. You’re not just paying someone to “do it for you.” You’re investing in someone who should help you do it yourself over time, at your pace.

That includes things like:

• Understanding your plan and what each budget means
  
  
• Learning how to contact and engage providers yourself
  
  
• Building skills to manage your funding or self-advocate
  
  
• Knowing how to prepare for reviews or change of circumstances
  
  
• Problem-solving when services don’t go to plan
  
  
• Learning what supports work best for you
  
  

If that’s not happening, you’re not getting the full value.

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Signs your support coordinator is just doing admin

If your coordinator is only:

• Booking providers on your behalf
  
  
• Forwarding emails or making phone calls
  
  
• Not explaining the plan in detail
  
  
• Not checking in about your confidence or goals
  
  
• Avoiding tricky conversations about capacity or decision-making
  
  

…it may be time to ask: Am I just being managed, or am I being supported to grow?

For example, at United Foundation, we had a participant with a psychosocial disability who had always relied on others to manage her appointments. Rather than just take over, our coordinator worked alongside her to break tasks down, use phone scripts, and eventually helped her build the confidence to call her support worker directly. That’s capacity building.

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Why capacity building matters long term

The NDIS isn’t designed to keep people in support coordination forever. Ideally, over time, you become more capable of managing your own supports — or at least understanding them well enough to be in control. That doesn’t mean being left on your own. It means being part of the decision-making.

If your coordinator isn’t helping you build that understanding, you’re likely to stay stuck — always needing someone else to interpret your plan or fight your battles. That can lead to missed funding opportunities, gaps in support, and more stress in the long run.

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Questions to ask your coordinator

If you’re unsure whether your support coordinator is doing capacity building with you, ask:

• “Can you explain what each budget in my plan is for?”
  
  
• “What are you doing to help me build confidence or skills?”
  
  
• “How can I be more involved in choosing or managing my supports?”
  
  
• “What can I do if something goes wrong with a provider?”
  
  
• “How are we preparing for my next plan review together?”
  
  

These aren’t trick questions — they’re part of the job. Your coordinator should be encouraging these conversations.

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When you need more than basic coordination

Some people have more complex situations — mental health challenges, trauma history, past service breakdowns, housing instability. In those cases, you may still need someone to “hold more” of the plan for a while. But even then, capacity building is still possible. It just needs to be done gently, with patience and understanding.

At United Foundation, we work with people at different stages of readiness. Some are ready to take on more, some aren’t there yet — and that’s okay. We don’t force it. But we do take time to build trust and slowly introduce opportunities to learn and grow, whether it’s around technology, communicating with providers, or even understanding NDIS language.

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What good capacity building looks like

It’s not a one-size-fits-all checklist. But here are a few examples of what it might look like in practice:

• Helping you write a list of questions before meeting a new provider
  
  
• Setting up a simple budget tracker together for core supports
  
  
• Showing you how to read your NDIS plan and explaining the different categories
  
  
• Coaching you through how to write an email or make a call
  
  
• Helping you reflect on whether your supports are actually helping your goals
  
  
• Involving you in service agreements or bookings, not just doing it behind the scenes
  
  

It’s slow and steady — but it adds up. Over months, the changes can be big.

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How United Foundation approaches Level 2 Support Coordination

Our approach is person-led, not coordinator-led. We don’t just take over and assume you can’t do something. We listen to what you’re comfortable with, build around your strengths, and support you to build skills gradually. For some, that might mean learning to coordinate their plan entirely on their own one day. For others, it might simply mean understanding what’s happening and being part of every decision.

We’ve supported young adults moving out of home, older participants returning to the workforce, and people rebuilding confidence after years of poor support. Capacity building looks different in each case — but the goal is always the same: to put you in the driver’s seat.

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We're here to help

If your support coordination isn’t helping you grow — it’s not doing enough. Level 2 isn’t just about admin and logistics. It’s about building your confidence, control, and clarity. Don’t settle for less.

Need support that helps you build long-term skills? Reach out to United Foundation. We’re here to help you move forward — not stay stuck.

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