Firstly a Delegate is just a different name for an NDIA Planner. An LAC stands for Local Area Coordinator and ECEI stands for Early Childhood Early Intervention.
- Local Area Coordinator (“LAC”)
- NDIS Planner/Delegate (sometimes shortened to just “Planner” – note: not to be confused with a ‘Plan MANAGER’)
- Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Partner
A Planner is employed by the NDIS, whilst an LAC or ECEI works for a company that is sub-contracted to the NDIS. A planner has the authority to approve a plan and it funding, an LAC or ECEI do not.
We wanted to cover these three roles, as each of these are the points (people) for you to communicate with the NDIS. You’ll be assigned one of the three people – either a Planner/Delegate, an LAC, OR an Early Childhood Early Intervention Partner.
Have a read below of their roles, and see which one you should be allocated.
NDIS Planner/Delegate
Are employed by the NDIA and have been delegated authority from the NDIA to make decisions under the NDIS Act. You might be allocated an NDIS Planner / Delegate instead of an LAC, if your case is deemed ‘complex’. If this is the case, then this will be the person who meets with you for planning meetings and has authority to approve your plan.
LAC – Local Area Coordinator
An LAC (Local Area Coordination) is an independent organisation that act on behalf of the NDIA for a particular geographical area. LAC organisations are subcontracted to the NDIA. They are not the NDIS. They are commonly referred to as “partner organisations” and are more a middle-man to the NDIA.
The LAC is a partner of the NDIA and has three key functions:
- Planning (plan reviews) (yes they have to do this, but they can’t tell you what to ask for)
- Plan implementation (rare but some do try when you find a really good one)
- Community linkages (if your lucky)
It is most common for participants 8 years old and above, to meet with an LAC, rather than an NDIS delegate.
LACs should help people with a disability and their families navigate the NDIS, answering questions about plans and supports, and conducting planning meetings.
Please note that LAC’s only collect the evidence you provide. They cannot coach or advocate for the person with the disability or the family on what to submit. LACs do not approve the plans or allocate funding – this is up to the NDIA.
LAC’s must make recommendations from the evidence they collect from the participant, to the NDIA with NDIS legislation in mind. Once your plan is approved by the NDIS your LAC will contact you to discuss your options and help you implement supports and services available to you in your area, while bridging the gap between the NDIS, you and your community.
So, if you have had a discussion with your LAC about a specific support and it wasn’t funded, you can ask them for the reasoning. We also recommend you have a read through the Reasonable & Necessary Criteria on the NDIS website, to understand why it wasn’t funded.
Please note: You can use this search feature on the NDIS website to find who your LAC should be.
Early Childhood Partner
Early childhood early intervention partners work with participants up to the age of 7 years old and are local organisations the NDIA fund to deliver the early childhood early inter-vention approach. Early childhood early intervention partners have teams of professionals with experience and expertise in working with children with developmental delay and disability. The term ‘Early Childhood Early Intervention Partner’ may refer to either the partner organisation or the professionals working within the organisation.
As like an LAC, Early Childhood Early Intervention partner is an independent organisation that act on behalf of the NDIA for a particular geographical area.
Also like LAC’s Early Childhood Early Intervention partners only collect the evidence you provide. They cannot coach or advocate for the person with the disability or the family on what to submit. LACs do not approve the plans or allocate funding – this is up to the NDIA.
