Frequently Asked Questions
If your question isn’t answered here, please call us on 1300 507 994 or email contact@experiencelife.com.au.
Getting started
- Which suburbs does Experience Life cover?
- Experience Life services 7 local Government Areas: the Eastern Metro, South Metro and South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and the Bass Coast. That includes the Dandenong Ranges - Cockatoo, Emerald, Belgrave, Upwey and Monbulk - and the South East through Berwick, Pakenham, Officer and Narre Warren. Depending on a participant’s individual needs and support requirements, we are able to work outside of this area.
- How do I arrange support for someone I know?
- Call 1300 507 994 or email contact@experiencelife.com.au. We will start with a conversation and ask you what is needed and whether we are the right fit for the person you are enquiring on behalf of. We will work with you to go through their goals, and support requirements. This may include the practical details - which worker, what days, what the support involves.
- Do I need an NDIS plan before I contact you?
- No. You’re welcome to contact us before your NDIS plan is in place to learn more about the supports available. While we cannot provide NDIS-funded supports without funding, we can discuss what support could look like and help you plan your next steps.
- Who can make a referral?
- Anyone can make a referral, including the person seeking support, a family member, guardian, support coordinator, local area coordinator, plan manager or allied health professional. If you are making a referral on someone else’s behalf, we ask that they know about and agree to the referral, or that you are authorised to act on their behalf.
- How quickly can support start?
- This depends on the type of support you need and worker availability in your area. When we speak with you, we’ll provide an honest timeframe rather than promise a start date we may not be able to meet.
Paying for support
- How do I pay for support?
- It depends how your NDIS plan is managed. If you are self-managed, we invoice you directly. If you are plan-managed, we invoice your plan manager. If the NDIA manages your funding, we claim through the NDIS portal. If you are not sure which applies to you, please speak to us so we can help you identify how your plan is managed.
- What do your services cost?
- Our pricing sits within the limits published in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Those limits are maximums set by the NDIA, not fixed prices. We will give you the specific rates for the supports you are considering, prior to onboarding. You can also read the NDIA pricing arrangements at ndis.gov.au.
- Is there a fee to talk to you?
- No. There is no cost to make an enquiry, ask questions or submit a referral. We do not charge onboarding or establishment fees under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Before support begins, you can also meet a potential support worker through a free, one-off meet and greet to get to know each other and see if they are the right fit.
Our staff
- Are your support workers screened?
- Yes. Every support worker holds a current NDIS Worker Screening Check before they work with anyone. We also verify qualifications and check references as part of recruitment.
- What training do your staff have?
- Support workers receive induction training and ongoing development while they work with us. Where someone we support has specialised needs, the workers supporting them receive training specific to that participant’s needs before they start.
- Will the same person come each time?
- That is what we aim for, and we plan our rosters with consistency in mind. We understand that familiar support workers can make a real difference to how comfortable and effective your support feels. Leave, illness and roster changes can happen. When they do, we will communicate with you and discuss alternative arrangements rather than send an unfamiliar support worker without notice.
- Is Experience Life a registered NDIS provider?
- Yes. Experience Life is registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and is independently audited against the NDIS Practice Standards. We are also an ACNC-registered charity and have supported Victorians living with disability since 2006. ABN 12 687 887 276.
How we work
- What does one-on-one support mean?
- One-on-one support, delivered in the comfort of your own home and your community. Support can include personal care, medication assistance, attending appointments, building everyday skills, and getting out into the community to enjoy the people, places and activities that make your life meaningful. Household tasks and meal preparation are provided as part of Supported Independent Living and shared living supports. We work hard to provide consistency, the same familiar faces to build relationships each week. This helps build trust, comfort and genuine connections for both the person receiving support and their support networks.
- Can my support change if my needs change?
- Yes. We understand that your needs and circumstances may change over time, and your support should change with them. Talk to us, and we’ll work with you to adjust your supports within your available funding.
- What if something goes wrong?
- Please tell us. You can call 1300 507 994 or email contact@experiencelife.com.au. We take all concerns and complaints seriously, and speaking up will never affect the support you or your support networks. You can also contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission directly on 1800 035 544, without speaking to us first.
- How is personal information handled?
- We handle personal and health information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988, the Australian Privacy Principles and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). Our Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and protect it, who we may share it with, and how you can request access to or correction of your information.
Still have questions? Get in touch, learn more about the supports we provide, or visit our NDIS FAQs for general information about how the NDIS works.
Experience Life has supported Victorians living with disability for 20 years. ACNC-registered charity · ABN 12 687 887 276 · NDIS Provider Number 4050008791.