How the NDIS Is Changing Lives, And Where Allied Health Fits In

Written by Bloom Healthcare

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NDIS

When the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was introduced, it was more than a new funding model. It was a shift in thinking.

The NDIS marked a major change in how Australia supports disabled people, moving away from institutional care towards community-based, person-centred support that aims to improve outcomes for disabled people across the country.

Instead of “fitting into” what a service system offered, people with disability were given the language of choice, control and goals. Support was no longer just about keeping people safe. It became about helping people live the kind of life they actually wanted.

At Bloom Healthcare, we see the impact of the NDIS every day. We meet children who are finally accessing early intervention, adults who are stepping back into community life after years of withdrawal, and families who feel heard and supported after years of feeling like they had to fight.

This article is about that shift. What the NDIS is really doing well, where allied health fits in, and how teams like Bloom can help turn a plan on paper into real change in someone’s life.

Introduction to the NDIS

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a landmark program established by the Australian Government to transform the way people with disability receive support. Designed to provide funding for a broad range of reasonable and necessary supports, the NDIS empowers individuals under 65 with significant and permanent disabilities to access the services they need to live more independently and participate fully in their communities. This includes access to allied health services, home modifications, assistive technology, and other essential supports that enhance quality of life.

Since its inception, the NDIS has continued to evolve, with the Australian Government investing in reforms to improve its quality and efficiency. In 2024, significant funding, around A$500 million, has been allocated to regulatory improvements, pricing reforms, and strengthening local service connections. The scheme is governed by the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 and administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which operates under the Department of Health, Disability, and Ageing. By focusing on individual needs and goals, the NDIS aims to deliver high-quality support and better outcomes for people with disability across Australia.

From “Services Available” To “What Matters To You?”

Before the NDIS, support often depended on where you lived, who you knew, and what was available in your local area. Funding was tied to programs, not people.

The NDIS flipped that model. It asked a different set of questions.

What do you want to be able to do?
Where do you want to live, learn and participate?
What gets in the way now, and what would make a difference?

NDIS supports are designed to be flexible and tailored to each participant’s goals, ensuring that assistance is matched to individual needs and aspirations.

Those questions are not just bureaucratic. They set the tone for every allied health conversation that follows.

When our team meets a participant, we are not just thinking, “What service can we deliver?” We are thinking:

How does this person want to live?
What does a good day look like for them?
What skills, supports or changes would help them get there?

Participants also have the right to request changes or reviews if their NDIS supports do not align with their needs.

The therapy follows the goals, not the other way around.

The Central Role Of Allied Health In The NDIS

The NDIS is not just about dollars. It is about what those dollars make possible. That is where allied health comes in.

Allied health professionals provide specialised support to patients with a wide range of needs, including those with mental health conditions and other illnesses. Allied health providers often serve as a bridge between a participant’s goals and their day-to-day reality. Through assessment, therapy and collaboration, disciplines like occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology, exercise physiology, dietetics and Positive Behaviour Support help people:

Build skills
Reduce barriers
Stay healthy
Connect with their communities

At Bloom Healthcare, that might look like:

An occupational therapist helping a teen learn the skills to manage school, social life and early independence Occupational Therapy
A physiotherapist working with a person after a spinal cord injury to rebuild strength and mobility Physiotherapy
A speech pathologist supporting a non-speaking child to use AAC so they can finally share their thoughts Speech Pathology
A psychologist helping an autistic adult explore identity, anxiety and resilience, highlighting the importance of mental health support within the NDIS Psychology and Counselling
A dietitian working with a participant to manage tube feeding, mealtime stress or complex nutrition needs Dietitian Services
An exercise physiologist helping someone with chronic pain or fatigue find safe, sustainable ways to move again Exercise Physiology
A Positive Behaviour Support practitioner working with families and support workers to understand challenging behaviour and create safer, more supportive environments Positive Behaviour Support

Each of these supports lives inside an NDIS category, but more importantly, each one lives inside a person’s story.

Allied health professionals work collaboratively to treat various illnesses and provide specialised support tailored to each patient’s needs, ensuring evidence-based care for a diverse range of health conditions.

Capacity Building, Not Just Coping

One of the most powerful ideas in the NDIS is capacity building.

Instead of funding only “care”, the scheme also funds supports that help people build skills to do more for themselves in ways that make sense for them. Capacity building supports are available for participants of all ages, from early childhood to adulthood. That does not mean pushing independence at all costs. It means asking, “What would you like to be able to do that you cannot do easily now?” and working from there.

For example:

A child with autism might build capacity in emotional regulation and communication through psychology, OT and speech therapy.
An adult with a neurological condition might build capacity in safe transfers, energy management and community access through physio and OT.
A person with psychosocial disability might build capacity in routines, self-care, and physical health through psychology, exercise physiology and dietetics.
A participant might build employment capacity by developing work skills, preparing for job opportunities, or accessing employment-related support services.

At Bloom Healthcare, our clinicians are always looking for opportunities to build capacity in everyday life. That might be as simple as:

Turning a home visit into a practice opportunity for meal preparation
Linking a physio walking program with real community destinations
Helping a participant rehearse how to self-advocate at their next planning meeting

Capacity building is not abstract. It is what happens when therapy and daily life are connected.

Multidisciplinary Support, One Team

Many NDIS participants have more than one diagnosis or needs that cross over several domains. Multidisciplinary teams work across a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and community environments, to support participants. It is common to see someone who:

Has both a physical disability and a developmental or cognitive condition
Lives with chronic pain and anxiety at the same time
Has feeding and swallowing needs alongside sensory or behavioural difficulties

If each of these needs is treated in isolation, it can be exhausting for participants and families. It also risks fragmented care.

Bloom’s model is intentionally multidisciplinary. Our clinicians hold different positions within the allied health team, and they do not work in silos. A typical week might involve:

An OT and speech pathologist co-designing strategies for a child with both sensory and communication challenges
A dietitian and psychologist collaborating around binge eating or avoidant eating linked to trauma or anxiety
A PBS practitioner and OT working together on behaviour that is triggered by sensory overload in specific environments

This does two things. It gives participants a more joined-up experience and provides richer, more accurate information for NDIS reviews and future planning.

Allied Health Workforce Development

The allied health workforce is at the heart of the NDIS, providing specialised support to participants with diverse needs. Allied health professionals, including occupational therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists, speech pathologists, and dietitians, work alongside other health professionals to deliver high-quality, person-centred services. Their expertise is essential in helping NDIS participants achieve their goals, improve their health, and enhance their daily lives.

Recognising the critical role of allied health professions, the Australian Government has established a relevant national accreditation body to ensure that allied health professionals meet rigorous standards of practice. This commitment to quality is matched by ongoing efforts to grow and develop the allied health workforce, as demand for NDIS services continues to rise. Workforce planning projects are underway to identify future opportunities and priorities, ensuring the allied health workforce is equipped to meet participants’ evolving needs. For example, targeted initiatives are focused on supporting the development of new roles, expanding training opportunities, and fostering collaboration across the health workforce. By investing in the growth and quality of allied health, the Government is helping to secure better outcomes for NDIS participants now and into the future.

Aged Care and Disability Support

Aged care and disability support are deeply interconnected, especially as more Australians live longer with complex health needs. The NDIS plays a vital role in supporting older Australians with disabilities, providing funding for home modifications, assistive technology, and a range of services that help people remain independent in their own homes. These supports are designed to help NDIS participants maintain their quality of life and continue to engage with their communities as they age.

However, there are ongoing challenges in ensuring that these services are accessible and affordable for everyone, particularly for those living in rural and remote areas. The Coalition Government has introduced a series of reforms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the NDIS, including the rollout of independent assessments. These assessments are intended to provide a more consistent and accurate understanding of each participant’s needs, helping to determine eligibility and guide the development of individual NDIS plans.

Despite these efforts, the NDIS continues to face pressures from a growing participant base and increasing demand for services. The Australian Government is actively working to address these challenges by developing a new NDIS plan and streamlining assessment processes, with the goal of creating a more sustainable and equitable funding model. As the system evolves, ongoing development and innovation will be essential to ensure that all participants, regardless of age or location, can access the support they need.

NDIS Plans Are Only Powerful If They Are Used Well

A good NDIS plan on paper is a starting point, not an outcome.

What makes the difference is how that plan is translated into supports that make sense in the participant’s life. Families and participants often tell us:

“We did not know allied health could help with this.”
“We were not sure which budget to use.”
“We had supports written in the plan, but no one to help us link it all together.”

This is where high-quality providers can and should step up. NDIS providers play a crucial role in helping participants navigate their plans, manage funding, and access the supports and services they need.

At Bloom Healthcare, we invest time in:

Explaining which supports sit under Improved Daily Living, Improved Health and Wellbeing or Improved Relationships
Providing clear, goal-linked reports that speak the NDIS language without losing the person in the process
Identifying where a small amount of the right therapy can unlock a lot of capacity, rather than just filling hours

Participants should be aware of any fees they may need to pay for allied health services, and can contact their provider for clarification about costs, payment options, and available subsidies.

We see NDIS funding as a tool. Helpful, but only if used with intention, a clear understanding of what matters to the person and their network, and a reliable contact point for participants to get support and information.

Choice, Control And The Reality For Families

The language of “choice and control” is powerful, but it can also feel heavy when families are tired or overwhelmed.

Real choice requires:

Clear information
Trusted advice
Time to consider options

A parent of a newly diagnosed child, or an adult who has finally received an autism or ADHD diagnosis, may not feel ready to “design their own supports”. They may first need space to process, ask questions and understand what is possible. Understanding who is eligible for different supports and who has the authority to make funding and service decisions is an important part of navigating the NDIS.

Good providers respect that. At Bloom, that might look like:

Starting with a conversation, not a service agreement
Offering explanations in plain language, not jargon
Being honest about what we can do, and when someone might be better served by a different type of service
Checking in regularly about whether supports still align with the person’s goals

The NDIS framework gives people the right to choose. Thoughtful allied health support helps people feel confident using the right.

The NDIS Is Not Perfect. But It Is Transformative.

It is important to acknowledge that the NDIS is not without challenges. The rapid growth of the NDIS has raised concerns among stakeholders about the scheme’s long-term sustainability and participants’ wellbeing. Participants and providers alike face:

Long wait times
Complexity in processes
Changes in policies and pricing
Variability in planner and assessor understanding

And yet, despite that, the NDIS has enabled thousands of people to access supports that were once out of reach.

We see:

Children who would previously have “fallen through the cracks” now accessing early and intensive therapy.
Adults in their 40s, 50s and 60s receiving diagnosis and support for the first time in their lives.
People leaving the hospital with spinal cord injuries or complex conditions, and actually having funding for community-based rehab and home modifications.
Families feel less alone because they have a team to call when things are hard.

Recent news and developments in the NDIS highlight how government, advocacy groups, and service providers are contributing to ongoing reforms and improvements in the scheme.

The scheme is still evolving. Over the past decade, the NDIS has undergone significant changes. But its core idea, that people with disability should have access to funding that reflects their needs, is one worth defending and improving.

How Bloom Healthcare Fits Into The Bigger Picture

Bloom Healthcare exists in that space where policy meets real life.

We do not control NDIS legislation or planning outcomes. What we can control is how we show up for participants and families.

That means:

Providing evidence-based, person-centred allied health, while adhering to a professional code of conduct established by our national professional organisation to ensure high standards and ethical practice.
Bloom Healthcare prioritises safety in all services, following best practices for diagnosis and treatment to protect and support participants.
Being mindful stewards of NDIS funding, linking what we do clearly to participant goals, and playing a key role in determining support needs through comprehensive assessment.
Prioritising communication, collaboration and transparency
Remembering that behind every referral is a person who wants a better life, not just more services.

For reputable news and analysis on NDIS reforms, Guardian Australia is a trusted source.

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