NDIS & the Gig Buddies project
What is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a new way of providing support for Australians with disability, as well as to their families and carers. The scheme takes a lifetime approach to ensuring that Australians with disability will have the necessary support they need to live an ordinary life.
How does Gig Buddies work with the NDIS?
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There are two main parts to the Gig Buddies project;
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1. Buddying
Building a one-on-one friendship between a participant and volunteer,
and
2. Events/Socials
Group social events run by the Gig Buddies team.
For the Gig Buddies team to facilitate these buddy matches and organise our regular events, we charge a mandatory monthly NDIS charge. We refer to this as an administrative charge.
Here is a breakdown of what the monthly administrative charge goes towards:
• Recruiting & training of the Volunteer, including reference & screening checks
• Interviewing the Participant & significant others in their lives
• Facilitating the initial meeting between the Participant & the Volunteer
• Supporting the Participant & their Volunteer on their first outing (if needed)
• Ongoing mentoring & support for the Participant & their Volunteer
• Regular communication with Participants both in and outside of working hours
• Facilitating a rematch for a Participant if the need arises
• Organising and facilitating group online and face-to-face social events for all Participants
• Sourcing venues, building relationships with sporting clubs & entertainment locations
• Liaising with disability organisations, local councils & advocate groups
How much is it?
ACL Disability Services and the Gig Buddies project set their charges in line with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2024 – 2025 released July 01, 2024. This price is subject to review and takes into consideration price increases set by the NDIA.
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Participants choose from either:
Category 1 - Capacity Building
OR
Category 2 - Core Supports
ACL Disability Services charges a fixed amount that is invoiced every month. This amount will be outlined in the Service Agreement that you sign when you join Gig Buddies.
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We send invoices monthly and in arrears. We send your first invoice one month after you join the project, which covers that month period that has passed. We then send an invoice every month following that (for as long as you are involved with the project).
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It’s important to note that because the amount is the same every month, it has no direct relation to actual hours spent with a volunteer or at facilitated group social events.
for example:
Participant #1 catches up with their volunteer once a month and go to a sporting match or a music gig.
Participant #2 goes to three Gig Buddies group events and catches up with their volunteer for a meal or an activity every month.
Participant #3 has a coffee with their volunteer and they usually go to see a theatre show or a movie together every month.
The monthly administration charge is the same for all 3 participants.
Inclusion in the Gig Buddies project can be funded through either Core Support or Capacity Building from a participant’s NDIS plan.
Please scroll down to see the details and prices for each category.
NDIS Categories
participants choose one of the two categories below
Category 1.
Capacity Building
Increased Social & Community Participation (Support Category 3.09)
Life transition planning including mentoring peer support & individual skill development.
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Support Item Ref No. 09_006_0106_6_3 (see current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2024 - 2025 - July 1, 2024)
Establishing volunteer assistance within the Participant’s home or community to develop skills - for instance, taking part in social activities & maintaining contact with others.
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Cost per month (*3 hours): $231.00
*Based on 3 x hourly price of $77.00 per hour
*The 3 hour per month administration fee is to provide services to all participants and to support the administration and continuation of the project. It has no direct relation to actual hours spent with a volunteer or at facilitated group social events.
*Fee remains the same for the duration of your service agreement.
or
Category 2.
Core Supports
Assistance with Social & Community Participation (Support Category 1.04)
Provision of supports to enable the Participant to engage in community/social & or recreational activities within the community.
Support Item Ref No. 04_104_0125_6_1
(see current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2024 - 2025 - July 1, 2024)
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Provision of support to enable a participant to engage in community, social and/or recreational activities.
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Cost per month (*3 hours): $202.68
*Based on 3 x hourly price of $67.56 per hour
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*The 3 hour per month administration fee is to provide services to all participants and to support the administration and continuation of the project. It has no direct relation to actual hours spent with a volunteer or at facilitated group social events.
*Fee remains the same for the duration of your service agreement.
Is it value for money?
The administration charge facilitates ACL Disability Services and the Gig Buddies team to run the not-for-profit project. Staff pair-up and support volunteer and participant gig buddy pairings. They also provide participants access to the many Gig Buddies team-facilitated group social events.
As well as meeting up with their volunteer buddy at least once a month for 1:1 catch ups, participants are encouraged to engage with the project’s group social events, to ensure that they get as much out of the project as they can.
The Gig Buddies team organise various group social events each month. All group social events are open to signed-up participants (i.e. participants who have a service agreement in place) and active volunteers. Group social events are mostly free* to attend.
*admission tickets, food, drink and transport costs are not included.
It’s also important to note that the Gig Buddies social events are open to participants, regardless of if they are currently paired with a volunteer or not. Paired-up participants can attend Gig Buddies social events with or without their volunteer.
What are the benefits?
ACL Disability Services and the Gig Buddies project provide ongoing support to all participants, facilitating mainstream social opportunities to enable an experience beyond the limitations of a disability specific event.
The Gig Buddies project is designed to empower our participants to build social skills through connecting with fellow participants and volunteers, as well as promoting autonomy, independence and encouraging them to express their individuality.
Our social events are facilitated by Gig Buddies staff with the aim of being an inclusive and welcoming space for our community – making a point to hold a variety of events at different venues around Sydney and the Central Coast to promote social inclusion and integration within their local area.
Taking into consideration mutual interests, age, gender and location, great care is taken to match suitable volunteers with participants for long-term friendship, confidence building and mentoring.
Staff also provide ongoing support and mentorship to our participants and volunteers, including help with organisational skills, social skills, and communication skills. Our aim is to ultimately enable our participants to build up their confidence to make new friends, extend their social circles and hopefully maintain long-standing friendships.
The benefits are very unique to each participant.
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Q. Can I use Gig Buddies instead of getting a 1:1 support worker?
A. Gig Buddies is not a substitute for paid 1:1 support, but rather a personally tailored opportunity to make genuine, long-term friendships.
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Service Agreement
ACL Disability Services will provide the Participant with a service agreement after establishing which category of the two listed above the support to be provided falls under, as well as obtaining the following additional information:
NDIS Plan Number
Plan start date
Plan end date
Plan managed by:
- NDIS (Agency Managed)
- Self Managed
- Self Managed with Financial Intermediary
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Click for NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits
(link to NDIS website)
What does Gig Buddies monthly charge go towards?
Please note:
• Finding a suitable volunteer can take some time (location, interests, age and gender are determining factors).
• Gig Buddies cannot guarantee to find a volunteer buddy for all participants.
• Once a pairing is made, the volunteer training and buddy pairing process can take some time.
• NDIS plans differ from client to client and some information above may or may not be applicable depending on individual circumstances.
• All information was correct at time of publishing.
• If you do not currently have NDIS funding available for Gig Buddies, please contact Gig Buddies on 02 9419 6951 or info@gigbuddiessydney.org
• The 3 hour per month administration fee is to provide the above services to all participants and to support the administration and continuation of the project. It has no direct relation to actual hours spent with a volunteer.
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission Registration ID: 4-3LLK-1912
if you are happy with the above information and would like to be a Gig Buddy participant, click the link below