Planning
Summary: The Act has provisions which support planning for people with a disability.
The Disability Act (external link) has guiding principles for planning, which include that planning should:
- be individualised
- be directed by the person with a disability
- consider and respect the person's family and other people who are important to the person with a disability
- be underpinned by the right of the person with a disability to have control over their own life.
The Act outlines a process for planning, which includes that:
- A person with a disability (or a person on their behalf) may ask a disability service provider to assist them with planning
- People who receive ongoing disability services must have a support plan
- A support plan must be reviewed at least once every three years, but can be reviewed earlier if requested
- People with an intellectual disability who request a service must be offered assistance with planning.
Now the Act has commenced, any existing plans will continue until they are reviewed. When a person's plan is reviewed, the new planning processes will start.
The policy requirements for planning are outlined in the 
Planning Policy (PDF 155 KB) and this is further supplemented by the Planning Resource Kit and Implementation Guide (PDF 193 KB) which aims to provide a foundation for shared practice among Department of Human Services and Community Service Organisation (CSO) staff.
Information sheet 4 — Planning for people with a disability (PDF 178 KB) contains an overview of planning under the Act and some frequently asked questions.