Holiday Ready

For some families, the festive season can create more challenges. These could include disruptions, uncertainty and social isolation, due to service closures, changes to routines, and reduced provider availability which can cause increased anxiety and loss of structure and routines. Families may experience emotional fatigue, pressure to “hold everything together’ and heightened stress related to caring responsibilities during this time of year. 

1. Proactive planning is key. Useful strategies include:

• Contacting providers early to confirm holiday hours, closures, and on-call arrangements.
• Supporting participants to develop a “What If…” contingency plan for backup supports.
• Helping participants create a simple visual “Holiday Ready” schedule, including medication pickups, therapy closures, and key contacts.
• Encouraging independence-building where appropriate (e.g., preparing meals ahead, planning transport).
• Ensuring emergency contacts, crisis services, and backup options are known and accessible.

These practical steps reduce anxiety and help participants feel prepared.

• When their Support Coordinator is available
• Who to contact in urgent situations
• What backup or contingency arrangements are in place

The focus is not on whether closure is allowed, but on ensuring you have communicated your availability over this period and there is a contingency plan in place if a participant needs support.

You would need to look on the NDIS website to find out more information about closure times.

SDA or Specialist Disability Accommodation is a funded support within the NDIS designed for participants who have extreme functional impairment or very high support needs that require specialist housing solutions. The funding allocated for a SDA arrangement is not flexible, meaning it cannot be used for other accommodation purposes. 

• Establish clear professional boundaries
  Maintain a healthy separation between work and personal life by setting expectations around communication, availability, and emotional load. Boundaries protect both the Support Coordinator and the families they support.
• Regularly reflect on emotional impact
  Engage in reflective practice, supervision, or debrief sessions to process emotionally demanding situations and prevent stress from accumulating across cases.
• Plan structured breaks and downtime
  Prioritise rest periods, including micro-breaks throughout the day and dedicated periods away from work, especially during high-pressure times such as the festive season.
• Communicate availability early and clearly
  Reducing uncertainty helps families feel secure and reduces reactive or crisis-driven work. Clear communication also allows Support Coordinators to step back confidently during rest periods.
• Recognise the signs of burnout and compassion fatigue
  Notice changes in their own mood, patience levels, motivation, or energy, and take early action — whether by seeking support, reallocating workload, or temporarily adjusting tasks.
• Use systems and tools that reduce cognitive load
  Use planning tools, checklists, and scheduling strategies to minimise mental clutter and reduce the stress associated with juggling multiple complex cases.
• Cultivate peer support and team connection
  Lean on colleagues for shared problem-solving, encouragement, and perspective. Team connection reduces isolation and provides emotional resilience.

By December, many families feel overwhelmed by NDIS administration, emotional load, and the cumulative stress of the year. Support Coordinators can help by:

• Conducting early funding check-ins (late November) to understand remaining budget, address underspend or overspend, and plan for the holiday period.
• Simplifying participant schedules, pausing or consolidating supports rather than adding complexity during an already demanding time.
• Reminding families that Core funding is flexible and may be used in ways that reduce stress and support wellbeing.
• Encouraging families and participants to prioritise rest, reducing unnecessary appointments that contribute to fatigue.
• Scheduling a re-engagement check-in for the new year to reassess wellbeing and adjust supports.

This approach helps reduce overwhelm and supports both participants and carers to enter the new year with more stability and less pressure.