Creating a NDIS Client Engagement with HICAPS

This article provides step-by-step guidance for creating a new client engagement in Funding when HICAPS is enabled on your MYP platform. It emphasises the importance of syncing service bookings and plan dates via PRODA through HICAPS for accurate records and compliance.

Step-by-Step Workflow

Initiating a New Engagement

Navigate to ‘Manage Funding Clients’ and select ‘Create new engagement’.

Best Practice:Check if the client already exists in the system using the search bar. If the client does not appear, return to CRMto create the client and their associated contacts. This ensures consistency across the platform and pre-populates client information into Funding.

Entering Representative Information

Indicate if the client has a representative.
- If yes:
  - Select ‘Use existing contact’ and search for the representative.
  - Specify the ‘Relationship to client’ from the dropdown menu.
  - Confirm whether the communication address matches the client’s address. If not, provide the representative’s address.

Representative information is essential for ensuring accurate invoicing and effective communication. When a representative is designated, all invoices and correspondence that would typically be directed to the client or participant will instead be sent to the representative. This is particularly beneficial for clients who rely on a representative to manage their affairs. Additionally, any documents requiring signatures, such as service agreements, will also be routed to the representative.

Administering Support Coordination

Indicate if the client’s plan includes support coordination.
- If yes:
  - Select ‘Use existing contact’ and search for the support coordinator.

Setting Plan Style and Dates

Choose the plan management style:
- Agency, Self-managed, or Plan-managed.
- For plan-managed clients, enter the plan manager’s details or create a new contact.
  - Note: When selecting a Plan Manager, the system ensures only relevant options appear in the drop-down menu for efficiency.
  - If the Plan Manager is not visible, check Funding Settings under Client Engagements > Relationship Type to Search For. If set to ‘All,’ all clients will appear. Best practice is to set the relationship type to Plan Manager and ensure this is configured in the client’s organisation panel.
  - This ensures only organisations designated as Plan Managers are displayed, streamlining the process and improving efficiency, especially for larger organisations managing extensive lists.
Enter the plan’s start and end dates.
Specify booking start and end dates.

Additional Note:If there’s no active plan, selecting ‘No active plan’ enables invoicing but flags entries in red for easy identification. This feature is particularly useful for onboarding clients transitioning mid-plan.

Assigning Responsibility for Non-NDIS Fees

Indicate who will manage non-NDIS fees:
- Client, Representative, or Other.
- If selecting ‘Other’, search for and add the relevant contact.

Administering Schedule of Support

Adding Line Items

Select ‘Add schedule’ and then ‘Add item’.
Choose the relevant price book, then search for and add support items.
Complete the following fields:
- Description of support items.
- Cost centre (if applicable).
- Ratio to define the level of support (e.g., 1:1, 1:2).
- Rate and unit of measurement.
- Frequency and number of units.

Note: If the desired line item does not appear in the drop-down menu, navigate to CRM> Customisation > Price Books to confirm that it has been added to the appropriate price book.

Flexible Funding

Add items categorised as Core, Capital, or Capacity Building.
Specify budgets for each category.

Commentary:Flexible funding allows providers to offer clients adaptable services while maintaining clear budgetary boundaries. This feature is particularly helpful for participants with varying needs.

Managing Schedules

Copy schedules using ‘Copy schedule’.
Use templates via ‘Create from template’.
Archive or remove schedules as necessary.

Note:

Only one Schedule of Support can be active at any given time.
Archiving allows historical schedules to remain accessible for audits without cluttering active schedules.
Templates speed up the process for similar client needs.

Administering Service Agreements

Generating and Sending Agreements

Select ‘Generate agreement’ and choose a template.
Save the engagement before generating or emailing the agreement.
Email agreements by selecting ‘Email agreement to client’:
- Choose recipients (e.g., client, representative, support coordinator).
- Specify whether to send as a quote.
- Indicate if a digital signature is required.

Note: Digital signatures integrate with HelloSign, offering a legally binding solution with an audit trail. This is a best practice for minimising delays in agreement approvals.

Viewing Agreement History

Access history via ‘View email history’.
Stop reminders by cancelling specific notifications in the service agreement history.

Synchronising Service Bookings

HICAPS Sync Process:

Save the engagement and allow service bookings to sync automatically from PRODA via HICAPS.
Manual entry is discouraged to ensure alignment with PRODA as the single source of truth.

Document Management

Add documents such as NDIS plans or signed agreements via ‘Add’.
Download or delete documents as necessary.

Note: Documents uploaded through Funding can be viewed by clients and their families if they have been granted access to the client's Funding dashboard.

Creating a NDIS Client Engagement (with HICAPS)