Needs assessment tool selected

The NDIS has licensed a needs assessment tool, according to an announcement by NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister. In March, the NDIA concluded a tender process searching for the assessment tool of its dreams (or at least one that would do). The tool selected is the Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs (I-CAN) version 6. 

When new framework plans roll out, accredited assessors will use the I-CAN to develop plans for people aged 16 and above. The Minister’s announcement said there will also be more targeted assessments for people with complex support needs.

About needs assessments

The new NDIS Act introduced the concept of new framework plans. At the time, this was very confusing, as nobody even knew what an old framework plan was. But what we now know is that new framework plans are developed based on the results of a needs assessment organised by the NDIA. Old framework plans are the plans we’ve got right now. Needs assessments will replace reports from a person’s treating health professionals as the key piece of evidence that informs a plan. New framework plans were meant to start rolling out September this year (aka right now), but the NDIA recently announced that they would delay the rollout until mid-next year. 

The NDIS Review recommended the NDIA use needs assessments to develop NDIS plans. Needs assessments are designed to evaluate the level of support a person requires to live their daily life and achieve their goals. This is opposed to functional assessments, which look at what a person can and can’t do because of their disability. 

Under new framework plans, the planning process for people aged 16+ will have 3 main steps: 

1. The person undergoes a needs assessment with an accredited assessororganised by the NDIA. For most people, the assessment will use the I-CAN assessment tool. But for people with complex support needs, there will also be more targeted tools. 
2. The outcome of the needs assessment will be turned into an assessment report. 
3. The assessment report will be used to develop a reasonable and necessary budget. We don’t know exactly how the results of a needs assessment will be translated into a dollar amount budget. My guess is it’ll be magic, but that’s just because I’ve never had a mind for understanding algorithms. The NDIA has also said new framework plans can be spent more flexibly than current plans. 

About I-CAN

The I-CAN tool is being provided to the NDIA by the Centre for Disability Studies and Melbourne University. 

It maps a person's support needs against 12 domains. Each domain has 4 sub-domains, except physical health, which has 10 sub-domains. For each sub-domain, I-CAN scores two things: 

• The frequency a person needs support (from 0 = Never to 5 = Continuously) 
• The level of support required (from 0 = Independent to 5 = Pervasive). 

The assessor also writes an “I can” sentence for each subdomain, which explains what the person can do and what support they need. For example, an “I can” statement for me might be: 

“Sara can write articles for the internet that are scattered with gratuitous jokes. She needs migraine glasses to be able to look at screens.” 

As I’m not accredited, I don’t know what score that would give me. Also, a quick scan suggests that ‘making jokes on the internet’ is not a domain. Shame though, I wonder if they’re open to notes? It is 2025 after all. 

Putting my serious face back on, the domains are based on the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and include: 

1. Mobility
2. Domestic Life
3. Self Care
4. Community, Social & Civic Life
5. Communication
6. Learning & Applying Knowledge
7. General Tasks and Demands
8. Life Long Learning
9. Interpersonal Interactions & Relationships
10. Behaviours of Concern
11. Mental & Emotional Health
12. Physical Health

Who will do the assessments?

Assessments will be organised by the NDIA. We still don’t know exactly what the assessment workforce will look like, particularly whether they will be NDIA employees or contracted partners.

According to the I-CAN website, accreditation in the tool is available to the following professionals: 

• Allied health professionals such as: 
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Speech Pathologist
  • Social Worker
  • Dietitian
  • Psychologist
  • Exercise Physiologist
  • Rehabilitation Counsellor
  • Counsellor
  • Psychotherapist
• Registered nurses (RN)
• Enrolled nurses (EN)
• Clinicians with an Education degree
• NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner

But there is also a note on the website that people who don’t meet the above criteria, but believe they have relevant experience, can contact the I-CAN to discuss it further.

More information

There is great information on the Centre for Disability Studies’ I-CAN website: About the I-CAN. The website also includes resources such as: 

• Easy Read information on I-CAN for participants
• Information about I-CAN for participants 
• A sample I-CAN report- this is my favourite resource. I suggest checking it out to familiarise yourself with the report’s structure and the types of things it covers. 

We’ve also done previous reporting on needs assessment, if you want to familiarise yourself with the background. Check out our articles: 

• NDIS Act Explained: Needs assessments and new framework plans
• An update on needs assessments- this article covers the tender process

And lastly, you can find the NDIS’s press release here: New tool to deliver simpler pathway to disability supports