Records and reviews
What to bring to an NDIS review
A calmer way to prepare the plan, evidence, notes, and requests that help explain what has changed and what support is needed now.
Best used for
- Participants and families preparing for a review or reassessment
- Support coordinators helping someone gather the most useful documents
- People who need a smaller, more focused review pack instead of a full archive
Goal of this page
The aim is not bringing every file. It is bringing the current plan, strongest evidence, and clearest explanation of what has changed.
Quick jumps
Use the page in the order that helps you most.
The guided module is the best place to start, but these shortcuts make it easier to move directly to the part you need.
At a glance
The shortest version before you begin.
If the review already feels stressful, start with these three orientation points before you read the full page.
Bring less, but better
The strongest review pack is usually a smaller set of current, specific documents rather than a large pile of older paperwork.
Know the change
The review is easier when you can explain what has changed in daily life and how that affects support needs now.
Know the ask
Good evidence works best when it is attached to a clear request, not just a general feeling that the current plan is not enough.
Before you start
A few things that make review preparation easier.
These are the ideas that usually reduce stress before the actual document gathering starts.
Start with the current plan
Most review conversations begin with what is already funded, what has worked, and what no longer fits well.
Recent evidence usually helps most
Current reports and practical notes are usually more useful than a large stack of older documents that no longer describe the situation well.
Notes can be as important as reports
Short notes about changed routine, changed risk, provider gaps, or reduced informal support often explain why the review matters now.
A review needs an outcome
The process is easier when you know what you are asking to stay, change, increase, or add before the meeting starts.
Guided module
Prepare for the review one step at a time.
This module keeps the focus on what to bring, what to explain, and how to keep the review conversation clear.
Guided path
Step 1 of 6
Check the plan
Start with the current plan
Step 01
Check the plan
Start with the current picture before building the case for change.
Start with the current plan
A review usually starts with the plan that is already in place. Reading the current plan first helps you explain what should stay, what needs to change, and where the practical gaps are.
This step helps you
Ground the review in what is already funded, what is missing, and what has not been working.
You can move on when
You know the current goals, plan dates, major supports, and the main gaps you want to talk about.
Look at these parts first
- Current plan start and end dates
- Goals, funded supports, and any categories that are already tight
- Notes about supports that were difficult to use, unavailable, or no longer enough
Best next move
Read the current plan first, then write a short list of what is working, what is not, and what has changed.
More detail for this step
Why this step matters
If you are not clear on what the current plan already says, it becomes harder to show why extra, different, or continued supports are needed.
Common mistake
Turning up to a review with recent reports but without a clear understanding of what the current plan already contains.
Related help
Current plan
Start with the plan that already exists.
The review will usually make more sense when you already know what is in the current plan and where it is no longer fitting well.
- Current plan dates and goals
- Supports that have been useful and should continue
- Supports that have been hard to use, unavailable, or no longer enough
- Funding categories that already feel tight or mismatched to current needs
Evidence
Bring the documents that best reflect the situation now.
These are the kinds of evidence that usually help most when the review needs to explain changed function, risk, or support need.
- Recent therapy or specialist reports that describe current function
- Discharge summaries, hospital letters, or major change updates if relevant
- Notes showing changed risk, changed routine, or increased support needs
- Examples of service gaps, provider issues, or reduced informal support
Useful reminder
A smaller set of recent, specific evidence is usually more helpful than a large stack of older paperwork that no longer describes the current situation clearly.
Read the full evidence guideWhat changed
The review gets clearer when the practical change is visible.
Formal reports matter, but short notes about change often explain why the current plan no longer fits.
Daily function
What is now harder, slower, riskier, less reliable, or more fatiguing than before?
Support needs
What support is now needed more often, in a different form, or from a different service?
Provider and family context
Have providers changed, become unavailable, or has family/informal support reduced?
What to ask for
Be clear about the result you want from the review.
Good evidence works best when it is tied to a clear request and a clear explanation of why the current plan no longer fits.
What should stay
Name the supports that are working well and still fit your needs so they are not overlooked.
What should change
Be specific about hours, therapy, transport, equipment, or other supports that no longer match the current situation.
Why the change matters
Connect the request to daily impact, safety, function, and participation using both evidence and practical examples.
Next reads
The guides people usually need after this one.
These are the most useful next steps once the review pack is taking shape.
How to prepare for an NDIS plan review
Start here for the broader timeline, evidence, goals, meeting questions, and review-rights pathway.
Open guideHow to organise NDIS documents
Use this if your files are scattered and you want a calmer way to prepare review paperwork.
Open guideNDIS evidence guide
Useful when the main task is strengthening reports rather than organising the meeting bundle.
Open guideKeep your place
You do not need to prepare the whole review at once.
This page works best in stages: check the current plan first, gather current evidence next, write the practical change summary after that, and then assemble the smaller review pack.
CareFile
Keep review documents and support details together.
A calmer review usually starts with better organisation. CareFile helps keep plans, reports, provider information, and review notes easier to find.