We’ll talk to you about your goals in your planning conversation with us. Goals are important because they are your personal desires about what you’d like to do. 

Your goals are not directly linked to your NDIS funding. Your NDIS funding is aimed to provide you with the supports you need for your disability. These supports may assist you to increase your independence and pursue your goals. You can also be supported through informal supports like family, friends, and by mainstream or other community services. 

Setting a goal in your plan doesn’t mean we must give you funding to pursue it. Setting more and bigger goals doesn’t mean we will give you more and bigger funded supports.

Setting a goal about a detailed type or amount of support you might want doesn’t mean we have an obligation to fund that support or in that amount.

The supports we fund should help you overcome any disability-specific barriers that may be stopping you from pursuing your goals.

We will consider whether your funded supports enable you to pursue your goals and aspirations when we decide to approve your plan. 

You can read our Booklet 2 - Creating your NDIS plan, which has space to record your goals and some ideas about setting goals. You can also talk to us about your goals from previous plans. 

You can get help from others to set your goals. This includes friends, family, service providers, plan developers or Local Area Coordinators.

What are goals?

Goals are things you want to pursue. You might need support from the NDIS and other supports and services to help you pursue them. 

Your goals might include:

  • building your skills and doing more things yourself
  • working or studying now or in the future
  • doing social and recreation activities now or in the future
  • building friendships or connecting with your family. 

Why are goals important?

Your goals are an important part of developing your plan. 

They help us to get to know you and the things that are important in your life. We will talk to you about your daily life, where you live and who you live with. We’ll ask you what you want to do in the future and who supports you. Goals can also:

  • help you think about what your strengths are and how you can use them 
  • give you motivation to try different things and build your independence
  • be something to work towards where you can measure your progress.

How far you pursue your goals is up to you. You might want to try a small step. Or you might want to aim for big changes and work towards something really challenging. Both are OK.

You can get help from others to identify and prepare your goals.  But when we record your goals in your plan they will be written in your own words. We can help you to choose the right words for your goals if you ask us.   For example, if your disability means you have difficulty describing your goals. 

This page current as of
1 November 2022
Indicates required field
Was this page useful?*
Why?
Why not?