Increased Social and Community Participation in full
Some people want company when they go out. Others want to learn to go out without it, or with less of it. Increased social and community participation is the plan category for the second kind of support: building the skills and confidence to find activities, meet people and get around more on your own. We run it from Wallsend, as small groups and one-to-one sessions.
How NDIS capacity building differs from core supports
This is the part plans often make confusing.
Core support pays for a support worker to help you take part. That is our community participation support: someone beside you at the shops, the beach or your club.
Capacity building pays for time spent learning to do more yourself. The NDIS describes this category as help to find and join activities, build social skills, make friends and build your social network.
The funding works differently too. Core funding is flexible. Capacity building funding is "stated", so money in this category can only be spent on this category. Many people have both in their plan and use them side by side.
NDIS social groups we run
Our groups are small, weekly and practical. Each one has a support worker running it and a plan for what the group is practising that term. These are the three we run now.
Tuesday cooking group, Wallsend
Four to six people cook a simple lunch together, from the shopping list to the washing up. Along the way the group practises the social side: deciding as a group, sharing jobs, and sitting down to eat together. People take the recipes home.
Saturday walking group, Fernleigh Track
The Fernleigh Track is a sealed, mostly flat path on the old railway line between Adamstown and Belmont. The group walks a short section each Saturday morning and finishes with a coffee. It is as much about the conversation as the walk.
Bus skills program
This one runs one-to-one or in pairs. You pick a trip you want to make, such as Wallsend to Charlestown Square, or the bus to Newcastle Interchange and the light rail to the beach. We practise it in steps: planning the trip, tapping on with an Opal card, knowing your stop, and what to do if something goes wrong.
NDIS life skills, one to one
Not everything fits a group. One-to-one sessions can cover:
- finding a club, team or volunteer role that suits you
- practising the first phone call, email or visit
- going along to a first session together, then stepping back
- planning how you will keep going once the support ends
We say what we will practise and how. We don't promise where it will lead, because that part is yours.
Who you work with
Your sessions are run by the same two or three support workers where we can manage it. The person who helps you plan a bus trip is the person who rides it with you the first time. If someone isn't the right fit, say so and we will change it, no explanation required. An NDIS Worker Screening Check, first aid and CPR are current for every worker on the team.
Using this category in your plan
Check your plan for funding under "Increased social and community participation" in your capacity building supports. It doesn't matter whether the NDIA, a plan manager or you manage the funding. If your plan has core funding only, our core support may suit you better, and we will say so.
If you are reading this for someone who prefers simple words, our Easy Read page explains who we are and how to start.
What skill building and groups cost
Our prices follow the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 and never go above the price limits. You get a written quote and a service agreement before anything starts.
Joining a group or starting one-to-one
We reply within 2 business days and meet you, usually within a week, to talk about what you want to work on. You can come and watch a group before deciding. First sessions usually begin two to three weeks after that first call or email. Our capacity line shows what's open right now.
Participants and families can see the first steps with Glenrock. Support coordinators can refer a participant online.