How to Find and Choose an NDIS Support Coordinator (2026)

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If you have support coordination funding in your NDIS plan, the next question is how to find an NDIS support coordinator who is right for you. This guide follows the NDIA’s own five steps, adds the questions worth asking before you sign up, and shows the signs that tell you whether a coordinator is working well for you.

You choose your support coordinator, and you can change your support coordinator at any time. You do not have to wait for your plan to end.

How to find an NDIS support coordinator: quick summary

Know what you want: a support coordinator helps you understand and use your plan, connect with providers and build your confidence to manage your supports.
Check your level: there are three levels of support coordination. Your NDIA planner talks to you about which level is right for you.
Research: ask people you trust, search online, and use the NDIS provider finder.
Ask questions: call a coordinator before you sign up. Ask what they charge, whether they work with people with your disability, and who you will actually work with.
Request for service: your NDIA planner can send a request for service to up to four support coordinators, or you can contact your chosen coordinator directly.
Service agreement: it is a good idea to make a service agreement that sets out what will be provided, how, and for how long.
You stay in charge: you can change your support coordinator at any time.

What a support coordinator does

A support coordinator helps you use your plan effectively. According to the NDIA, they can help you understand and use the supports in your plan, choose the right providers for your needs, connect with community and mainstream supports and services, and build your confidence and skills to manage your supports.

A support coordinator is different from a plan manager. A plan manager helps keep track of your funding and pays your providers. A support coordinator helps with your supports. Many people use both. If you are unsure which one you need, read plan management vs support coordination, or what an NDIS support coordinator does.

Step 1: Know what you want from a support coordinator

Before you try to find an NDIS support coordinator, start with your own needs. Think about your goals, what is hard to manage at the moment, and how you like to communicate. It also helps to know which level of support coordination is in your plan.

Level	What it helps with (NDIA wording)
Level 1: support connection	Understand your plan, build on your ability to connect with community and mainstream supports, and increase your confidence to manage your plan.
Level 2: support coordination	Build confidence and skills to direct your life, including maintaining relationships, living more independently and being part of the community.
Level 3: specialist support coordination	A higher level for a more complex situation, making sure you have consistent services during any challenges in your support environment.

Support coordination funding is usually included in plans for a set amount of time, because as you become more confident using your plan you are less likely to need a coordinator. If you think a support coordinator would help, you can ask your NDIA planner to include funding for one. For more detail on each level, see NDIS support coordination levels explained and our Level 3 support coordination guide.

Also think about what matters to you in the person you work with:

experience with your disability, or with situations like yours, such as mental health, autism or the justice system
how you like to communicate: phone, text, email, video or face to face
whether you would like home visits, and which area you live in
cultural, language or communication needs

Step 2: Start with research

The NDIA suggests three ways to build a list of support coordinators to compare.

Ask people you trust

Friends, family, other participants and the providers you already use may be able to recommend someone. When they do, ask what they like about the coordinator, how quickly the coordinator gets back to them, and whether the coordinator has helped them work towards their goals.

Search online

Search for support coordinators near you and check their online reviews. The NDIA suggests researching as many as you can, and writing down their contact details and what you like about each one so you can compare them later.

Use the NDIS provider finder

The NDIS provider finder lets you search for registered support coordinators near you:

Enter your suburb or postcode in the search bar and choose the right suburb from the list.
For Level 1 or Level 2 support coordination, click ‘registration group’ in the sidebar and tick ‘assistance in coordinating or managing life stages / transitions and supports’.
For Level 3 specialist support coordination, click ‘registration group’ and tick ‘support coordination’.

The provider finder is a tool for finding registered providers. Support coordinators can be registered or unregistered, so it will not show every coordinator. Using it is one of the quickest ways to find an NDIS support coordinator who is registered, which matters if your plan is NDIA-managed.

Registered or unregistered: which can you use?

This depends on how your plan is managed, not on the coordinator.

NDIA-managed funding: your providers must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. You cannot use unregistered providers.
Plan-managed funding: you can choose registered or unregistered providers.
Self-managed funding: you can choose registered or unregistered providers.

To check whether a provider is registered, search the NDIS Commission’s register of providers. There is more on what “independent” and “agency” mean, and how they relate to registration, in our guide to independent vs agency support coordinators.

Step 3: Ask questions before you sign up

It is important to have a good working relationship with your support coordinator, so it helps to call them first. The NDIA suggests asking:

How much do they charge?
Do they work with people with your disability?
What outcomes have they achieved for people like you?
Who is the person you will likely speak to or work with?
What is their cancellation policy?

These questions are also worth asking, because the answers show how the coordinator works day to day:

How will we communicate, and how often? Look for flexibility, and clear expectations about how you will stay in touch.
What do you know about services near me? A coordinator with local knowledge can suggest providers, community options and alternatives when there are waiting lists.
What happens if something goes wrong, or you are away? Ask who steps in when your coordinator is unavailable.
How will you help me work towards my goals? Ask how they break goals into steps and check on progress.
Do you provide other supports, and how do you handle that? If the provider also offers other NDIS supports, ask how they make sure you still get a genuine choice of providers.

Listen for clear, plain answers. A good coordinator asks about your situation instead of making assumptions, listens more than they talk, and never pressures you to sign up on the spot. Only choose a coordinator you feel confident meets your needs.

Step 4: Set up a request for service

Once you have chosen, you can ask your NDIA planner to send your chosen support coordinator a request for service through the my NDIS provider portal. The NDIA can send a request for service to up to four support coordinators. You can also contact your chosen coordinator directly to confirm they are available to work with you.

Step 5: Make a service agreement

When you have found the right support coordinator, it is a good idea to make a service agreement. It makes clear what you have both agreed to, for example the services to be provided, how they will be provided, and how long the coordinator will work with you. Check how much notice you need to give if you want to end it.

Signs your support coordinator is a good fit

They keep in touch, are easy to contact, and explain things clearly.
They act on your concerns and take your feedback seriously.
You can see progress on the goals that matter to you.
You understand your plan better over time and feel more in control of it.
They give you more than one provider option where they can, and respect your decisions.

Warning signs to watch for

They are hard to reach or slow to reply.
They only act when you chase them.
They push their own ideas and ignore your goals.
They steer you towards particular providers without explaining the alternatives.
You still do not understand your plan after working with them for a while.

If something is not working, start with an honest conversation, write down your concerns, and speak to the provider’s management if needed. If it still is not right, you can change. Read when to switch your NDIS support coordinator for the signs and the steps.

How to get the most from support coordination

Be clear about your goals and share them early.
Stay involved: ask questions about your plan, services and funding.
Give feedback on what is working and what is not.
Keep records of important conversations and decisions.
Prepare for your first meeting: see our guide to your first support coordination meeting.

How to check the facts yourself

The NDIA explains every step in this guide on its website. Search ndis.gov.au for “How to find a support coordinator” for the five steps and the provider finder instructions, and “What is a support coordinator” for the three levels. For which providers you can use, read the NDIA pages on NDIA-managed, plan-managed and self-managed funding. To check a provider’s registration, use the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s register of providers.

Support coordination is also changing. The NDIA has announced a commissioned support coordination and connection service from 1 July 2028, and consulted on its design in September 2026. Until then, you choose and fund your support coordinator in the same way as now.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find a support coordinator near me?

Ask people you trust for recommendations, search online for support coordinators near you, and use the NDIS provider finder, which lets you search registered support coordinators by suburb or postcode and by the level of support coordination in your plan.

Can I choose my own support coordinator?

Yes. The NDIA says you choose your support coordinator, and you can change your support coordinator at any time.

Can I change my support coordinator during my plan?

Yes. You do not have to wait for your current plan to end. Check your service agreement for how much notice you need to give, and you can add, change or remove providers by talking to your my NDIS contact or calling the NDIS on 1800 800 110.

Do I have to use a registered support coordinator?

Only if your support coordination funding is NDIA-managed. If your funding is plan-managed or self-managed, you can choose a registered or unregistered support coordinator.

How do I get support coordination funding in my plan?

You can ask your NDIA planner to include funding for support coordination if you think it would help. Your planner will talk to you about which level is right for you.

What questions should I ask a support coordinator?

The NDIA suggests asking what they charge, whether they work with people with your disability, what outcomes they have achieved for people like you, who you will work with, and what their cancellation policy is. It is also worth asking how often you will communicate and who steps in when they are away.

What is a request for service?

It is a request your NDIA planner sends through the my NDIS provider portal, asking a support coordinator to work with you. The NDIA can send a request for service to up to four support coordinators.

Do I need a service agreement with my support coordinator?

The NDIA says it is a good idea. A service agreement sets out the services, how they will be provided and how long the coordinator will work with you, so you both know what has been agreed.

What is the difference between a support coordinator and a plan manager?

A plan manager helps keep track of your funding and pays your providers. A support coordinator helps you understand and use your supports. You can use both.

How Centre of Hope can help

Centre of Hope is a registered NDIS provider delivering NDIS support coordination and Level 3 specialist support coordination across Sydney and New South Wales. We also offer other NDIS services, so when we suggest a provider we tell you plainly if it is one of our own services, talk through the alternatives, and leave the decision with you. If you are comparing coordinators, call us on 0432 250 900 for a free, no-pressure chat, and ask us every question on this page.