What is Assistance with Social and Community Participation Funding?

In this article, we’ll learn about the benefits of socialising and how the NDIS can support your social and community goals. We’ll also provide you with some ideas on how you could use your social and community participation funding.  

What is social and community participation funding?

Assistance with social and community participation is a support category that’s part of your Core supports. This funding is designed to support you to engage with your community and take part in social or recreational activities. While you’ll need to pay for the costs of the activity itself, the NDIS can cover the costs associated with the support you need to participate. For example, your funding could cover the costs of a support worker to get you to and from the activity or an Auslan interpreter to support with communication during the activity.

The scope of this category is really broad, meaning there are plenty of ways you can use the funding to support you to be active in the community. You could see your favourite band with a group of friends, learn to paint at an art class or even go camping at the beach. The opportunities are endless as long as the activities relate to your NDIS plan goals and meet the NDIS reasonable and necessary criteria.

How can I use my social and community participation funding?

When using this funding, it’s crucial you focus on activities that relate to your NDIS plan goals. For example, if one of your goals is to improve your social skills you may want to choose activities that are set in a group environment - for example, a cooking class. This way you get to work on your social skills, learn new skills and potentially make new friends too. 

Subject to your individual interests and goals, below are some activity ideas to get you started:

• Learning new skills in a cooking or art class
• Going to your local community events such as Christmas carols or markets
• Spending time with your friends at music or art events
• Volunteering at your local community centre 
• Spending some time away from home at a camp with your local peers
• Joining your local sports club to play soccer or netball.

What are the benefits of social and community activities?

The key benefit of being social is the positive impact it can have on your mental and emotional wellbeing. Regular socialising can create a strong sense of belonging and connectedness that comes with being a part of a social circle. Spending time with like minded people and doing things you enjoy can also grow your feeling of happiness, reduce stress and boost your confidence and self-esteem. 

But the benefits go far beyond our mental health. Being active in the community can also be a fun way of learning new skills, exploring new places and growing your independence when out and about.