Supports Sunshine Coast
NDIS community access in the Sunshine Coast
Getting out to the things you enjoy, with someone alongside you for exactly as long as you want them there.
The point is the thing itself
Community access gets described in plan language as building capacity for social and community participation. In practice it means going to the things you would go to anyway if getting there were easier.
The beach, the gym, a class, the shops, a football game, a mate’s place. Sometimes it is somewhere new that you have been meaning to try and have not, because doing it alone the first time is the hard part.
The measure of it working is not attendance. It is whether over time you need us there less, because the place has become familiar and the people in it know you. We are quite happy to work ourselves out of a particular outing.
How it usually runs
- Ratio
- One to one, or small group where you prefer company
- Transport
- In a support worker’s vehicle, or we travel with you on public transport
- Typical length
- Two to four hours, though it varies
- In your plan
- Social and Community Participation, under Core
What people do
Led entirely by what you are interested in. These are just the things that come up most.
Out and about
Beaches, parks, markets and the hinterland. The Sunshine Coast is an easy place to spend an afternoon and a lot of it is free.
Sport and movement
Gym sessions, swimming, walking groups, or getting to and from a club you already belong to.
Classes and learning
TAFE, short courses, art and music groups. Support to attend, and to handle the admin around enrolling.
The practical stuff
Shopping, banking, the post office and appointments. Doing it with someone until doing it alone feels manageable.
Seeing people
Getting to family, friends and events. Often the single thing that drops away first, and the hardest to rebuild alone.
Coffee, games and community
Our regular social group, for anyone who would rather start somewhere familiar with other people around.
Which NDIS budget pays for community access
Community access in the Sunshine Coast is paid from Core Supports, under Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation. It covers a worker’s time supporting you outside your home, including getting you there and back.
Your plan does not pay for the activity itself. The class fee, the ticket and the coffee are your own costs. Support can run one to one, or in a small group of two or three people with one worker, which costs less per person and makes the funded hours go further. Our guide to what community access covers goes through the detail.
- Core Supports, under Social, Economic and Community Participation
- Pays the worker’s time and travel, not the activity fee
- Small-group support costs less per person than one to one
- A Companion Card often covers a worker’s entry where a venue charges one
Source: NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Queensland Companion Card, checked September 2026
Related supports
Where we work
Across the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay
The same team and the same approach wherever you are. If you are just outside these areas, ask us. We will say yes or no.
Starting out
First time somewhere new is the hard part.
If being in public is difficult, we start smaller and quieter than you might expect, and there is no schedule you are failing to keep up with.
- Quiet times of day, and places we have been before
- An agreed way to leave early, no explanation needed
- The same worker while a place is still unfamiliar
- Stepping back as you want us to, not on a timetable
Questions about community access
Who pays for the activity itself?
You cover your own costs, the same as anyone: your coffee, your ticket, your entry fee. Your plan pays for the support worker’s time, not for the outing. Where a worker has to pay entry to come with you, that comes up before you book, not on the invoice.
Can I do this in a group instead of one to one?
Yes, and for some people it works far better. Group supports are charged at a lower rate per person, so plan hours stretch further. It is not right for everyone and there is nothing wrong with preferring one to one.
What if I change my mind on the day?
That is allowed and it happens often. We can do something quieter instead, or stay in. What we will not do is talk you into going when you have said you do not want to.
Do you provide transport?
Usually, though how it works depends on your plan and the arrangement we set up. Some people are driven, some travel with a worker on public transport as a skill they want to build. We will sort out which applies before the first outing.
Who pays for the activity itself?
You do. Your plan pays the worker’s time and, where they drive you, their travel. The entry fee, ticket or coffee is your own cost. A Companion Card often covers the worker’s entry at venues that charge one.
Can the worker drive me in their own car?
Yes. Travel time and a per-kilometre amount are claimed against your plan under the NDIS pricing rules, and we will tell you what that adds up to before the first outing.
Does community access have to be an activity or a program?
No. Going to the same cafe every Thursday because you like it is a legitimate use of the funding. The NDIS funds participation in community life, and most of community life is ordinary.
Can two people share a worker?
Yes. Small-group support with two or three participants and one worker is recognised in the pricing rules, costs less per person, and often works better for social activities.
What if I want to stop going somewhere?
Then you stop. It is your plan and your time. Tell the worker or tell us, and no explanation is needed.
What would you do with an easier week?
Start there, and we will work out the support around it.