NDIS Community Participation
Community participation is NDIS-funded support for getting out and being part of things: group activities, skill-building for community access, and transport to the places you want to go. It is different from Social Support, which is one-on-one companionship and individual outings rather than group programmes.
Coast Transitional Support is registered for Innovative Community Participation and Participate Community, and delivers this support across Central Coast NSW.
Who Community Participation Is For
This support is for NDIS Participants who want to spend more time out in the community but need some help to do it. That might mean joining a group for the first time, rebuilding confidence after a period at home, or learning the practical skills that make going out easier.
You do not need to know what you want to join yet. Part of the support is working out what you enjoy and finding local options that fit.
What Is Included
Activities are built around your interests, so no two weeks look the same. These are the kinds of support this category covers.
Group Programmes
Regular group activities where you can meet people, try new things and spend time out in the community with support on hand.
Skill-Building for Community Access
Practical help building the skills you need to get out and about, from using public transport to ordering at a cafe or joining a local club.
Transport to Activities
Where your plan funds it, support workers can help you get to and from activities, appointments and community events.
Active and Social Outings
Things like group walks, swimming, ten-pin bowling or visiting local markets, matched to what you actually enjoy.
Shared Meals and Social Groups
Cooking groups, shared lunches and social catch-ups that build confidence around food, conversation and new people.
Community Events and Interests
Support to take part in local events, hobby groups, sport, music or volunteering, based on your interests rather than a fixed list.
These are examples of activity types, not a set programme list. What you do is planned with you, and changes as your interests do.
Community Participation or Social Support?
If your goal involves other people, groups or building skills to access the community on your own terms, you are looking at community participation. If you mainly want one trusted person to spend time with you, keep you company or take you out individually, that sits with Social Support.
Many Participants have both in their plan, and they work well together: group programmes during the week, one-on-one time when you want quieter company.
How Community Participation Is Funded
This support usually comes from one of two budget categories. Assistance with Social and Community Participation sits under Core Supports and covers a support worker going with you to activities. Increased Social and Community Participation sits under Capacity Building and funds skill-building, like learning to use public transport or joining a group independently.
The NDIS pays for the support, not the activity itself. Entry fees, class costs and meals out are generally your own expense, just as they are for anyone else. Transport to activities can be funded in some plans, so it is worth checking yours.
As of September 2026, flexibility rules differ between older plans and newer PACE plans. Check what your specific plan allows before locking in a service agreement, or ask us and we will check with you.
How to Get Started
Look at the Core Supports and Capacity Building sections of your plan. If community participation is funded, you can usually start straight away. If it is not, think about what you would like to be doing that you cannot do now, and raise it with your LAC or planner before your next review.
If you have NDIS Support Coordination in your plan, your coordinator can match you with the right workers and local activities. Call us on 0412 223 789 and we can talk through what would suit you.
Common Questions About Community Participation
Community Participation Across the Central Coast
Our support workers know the local groups, venues and events from the Peninsula through to the Northern Lakes.