A Seeds FCA interview takes about an hour. Your report is delivered within two weeks of the interview, and the whole process, from first enquiry to finished report, is usually four to six weeks. The interview is the visible part; around five hours of clinical work sit behind it, and that is what these timeframes describe.
At Seeds, the interview is about an hour. The standard assessment involves around five hours of clinical work overall, with the scope and fee confirmed before booking. A different assessment may need more or less work.
What happens outside the interview?
The OT reviews the intake information and relevant documents, identifies questions to clarify and selects suitable measures where needed. After the interview, they bring the evidence together and prepare the findings and recommendations.
Report writing includes checking that the conclusions are supported and that important uncertainties are stated. Adding pages is not a useful substitute for that work, and a short appointment does not show how much preparation or analysis took place.
How long is the overall process?
Seeds usually allows around four to six weeks from first enquiry to the finished report. This includes confirming suitability, booking, preparation, the interview and report writing. The report is delivered within two weeks of the interview.
The report is released once payment has been received.
Allow time for your preparation
The intake form and agreed documents are due at least five days before the appointment. How long preparation takes will vary. You may already have the information, or you may need help completing the form or finding relevant records.
Tell Seeds early when the requested format is difficult. Agreeing a suitable method is part of planning the assessment. It is better to identify an access need before booking than to discover that the available appointment does not allow for it.
What can change the scope?
Additional questions, a large amount of relevant evidence, a need for specialist assessment or a different interview arrangement may affect the work required. The practice needs to explain the proposed change, including any fee implications, before you agree to additional work.
Five hours is not a clinical rule or an NDIS requirement. The important question is whether the assessment has enough appropriate information to answer its purpose.
When you have a deadline
If you have a deadline, tell us at the start and we will work back from it. If it starts getting close, a reminder is welcome. We would rather hear from you twice than miss it. Commissioning an assessment does not, by itself, change an agency's deadline for evidence or a review request.