Functional Capacity Assessment FAQs

That depends on the question you need answered and the evidence you already have. An FCA can describe daily activities and support needs. The NDIA does not require every applicant to buy one. Before booking, tell us why the report has been suggested and whether another service has asked for specific information.

Nisha Bal writes and takes responsibility for Seeds FCA reports. Nisha or another Seeds OT may conduct the interview. We confirm the appointment arrangements before you proceed. The report should identify the clinicians involved and the sources used.

We consider enquiries about children, young people and adults. Suitability depends on the person's needs, the assessment purpose and whether the necessary information can be obtained through our service. Some questions require an in-person or specialist assessment instead.

A medical referral is not required to enquire. Contact Seeds with the reason for the assessment, any deadline and any access or communication needs. A family member or professional can help make the enquiry. We confirm consent, suitability, scope and the service agreement before booking.

It may help explain changed needs or answer a specific question about support. A new assessment is not automatically required at every plan reassessment. Check what evidence is needed and whether existing information can answer the question. An FCA does not lodge a plan-change request on your behalf.

Tell us the purpose before booking. A DSP-related assessment needs to address the relevant functional questions; an NDIS report is not automatically suitable. Services Australia may still require other medical evidence. Seeds does not offer an expert witness or medico-legal reporting service through this process. For proceedings, discuss the required evidence with your lawyer or advocate before commissioning a clinical FCA.

Under the current service model, Seeds works with self-managed and plan-managed participants, but not NDIA-managed participants. Private enquiries are also considered. Acceptance of a management type does not confirm that a particular assessment is payable from your plan.

The usual process includes an intake form, relevant documents, an OT interview and a written report. Measures may be used where appropriate. We review the available information, clarify important questions and explain any limits that affect the conclusions.

Seeds FCA appointments are by video only. You need a screen and a working video connection; we do not offer phone appointments. Video gives only a limited view. Detailed equipment prescription, home modification work or other specialist questions may need a different assessment. We discuss suitability at enquiry stage.

Participation is planned around the person and the purpose of the assessment. Some people use shorter contributions, written information or communication support. A parent's or carer's account may be relevant, but it should not automatically replace the participant's perspective. Consent and the authority of anyone acting for the person must be checked.

You can ask to have a support person involved. Tell us who they are and how they will help. We need to distinguish your account from theirs and confirm what information can be discussed or shared. Let us know beforehand about any communication needs so we can confirm what is available.

The current intake form is a fillable PDF intended for use on a computer. You can save your work and return to it. Tell us before booking if this format is inaccessible or you need help answering. We will discuss whether another approach is available and confirm any effect on the assessment scope or fee before you agree.

Send relevant information you already have, such as a current plan, treating reports, previous assessments or records that explain changes in functioning. You do not need to obtain every type of document on a list. Follow the upload instructions and ask us to help prioritise when you have a large amount of material. Do not send passwords or unrelated financial records.

Send the agreed material through the secure upload process at least five days before the appointment. Your booking instructions should give the actual due date. Tell us early if that will not be possible. If relevant information emerges after submission, contact us before sending more files. We need to decide whether it changes preparation, timing or the agreed scope; it should not be ignored solely because it arrived later.

The session is recorded so the person on the call can listen rather than type. If being recorded worries you, say so when you book.

Not everyone uses the same measures. Selection depends on age, assessment purpose and whether a tool is appropriate for the person and delivery method. For adults, we may use WHODAS 2.0, the COPM, WSAS, PSS-10, DASS-21, ZBI-12, RAND-36 or Seeds' own profiles. For children, we may use the COPM parent proxy, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Vanderbilt ADHD rating scales, WFIRS, a sleep measure and the ZBI-12 where carer strain is relevant. The report should identify the measure and respondent, and interpret the result with the other evidence. There is no questionnaire score that automatically determines NDIS funding.

We ask about the pattern over time, including better and more difficult periods, the help available and any recovery time. A single appointment may not represent that pattern. Notes or existing records can help. Answer questionnaires within their stated timeframe.

Tell the OT when you need to pause, when a question is unclear or when you are not comfortable continuing. You do not need to describe traumatic events in detail simply to demonstrate their effect on an activity. The assessor should explain why information is relevant and discuss how to obtain enough information for the agreed purpose. Any further appointment needs to be agreed.

The report should explain its purpose, methods, relevant background, findings, limitations and recommendations. It may include goals, existing assistance and relevant risks. Length depends on what needs explaining. A general FCA can identify a need for equipment or home assessment without replacing a detailed prescription, trial or modification design.

The report is delivered within two weeks of the interview. The overall process, including booking and preparation, is usually four to six weeks from enquiry. Payment arrangements also affect release of the report.

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. We need to confirm whether it is feasible before you book. Do not assume that commissioning an FCA extends an NDIA, Services Australia or tribunal deadline. Ask the relevant organisation or your adviser about any required action while the report is being prepared.

The standard Seeds process provides a final report rather than a routine draft round. Questions and possible errors can still be raised after delivery. The absence of a draft stage does not remove the need to correct inaccurate information or consider material that may affect a conclusion.

Contact us with the page or section, the point you dispute and any relevant information. A factual correction, an explanation of clinical reasoning and a request for new assessment work are different matters. Clinical conclusions are not changed simply to achieve a preferred outcome, but errors or relevant new evidence may require reconsideration. If something in the report is wrong as a matter of fact, tell us within two days of receiving it and we amend it.

We confirm the authorised recipient and any agreed sharing arrangements. A referrer, plan manager or person paying an invoice does not automatically receive the full report. Information is handled under applicable privacy and professional obligations, including circumstances where disclosure is permitted or required by law. Ask for the privacy information before providing sensitive records.

The standard Seeds FCA fee is $969.95 when the agreed assessment fits the standard service. The written agreement should state the inclusions and any limits before you proceed. Read the fee information alongside the scope rather than treating the price as a promise that every type of assessment is included.

Some assessments need a different scope or more time. An hourly arrangement may be proposed at $193.99 per hour. The reason, estimated cost and arrangements for approving further work need to be discussed before you agree. Difficulty with a form should first prompt a discussion of access needs and available methods, not an automatic assumption that you require a more expensive service.

Seeds issues an invoice before the interview. Payment can be made after the interview, but the final report is released once payment has been received. Confirm who will receive and pay the invoice, including any plan-manager processing requirements. An invoice is not proof that the NDIA will reimburse the cost.

Seeds does not currently offer formal payment plans. Raise any concern about payment before booking so you can make a decision with the terms understood. Do not rely on an instalment arrangement unless it has been expressly agreed in writing.

It depends on the assessment purpose, your plan and the applicable funding and claiming rules. Improved Daily Living is a common category for relevant OT assessment, but the correct arrangement must be checked for your situation. Do not assume that an unused Core balance can pay for an FCA, or that a privately purchased pre-access assessment will later be reimbursed. See Can NDIS funding pay for an FCA? for the questions to check.

Please give at least 24 hours' notice. Cancelling or rescheduling with 24 hours' notice or more costs nothing. Cancelling less than 24 hours before your interview, or not attending it, incurs a fee of $193.99, because the clinician's time has been held for you. It is set out in the service agreement you sign before booking. Contact us as early as possible when your circumstances change.

Three fictional examples are available on the sample-report page: adult NDIS, child NDIS and adult DSP. They demonstrate presentation and structure. They are not de-identified client records, evidence of successful applications or recommendations to use in another person's situation.

No. The report provides clinical evidence within the agreed scope. The relevant agency makes the decision and may require other information. Before paying for an assessment, check that it addresses an identified evidence need rather than a promised funding outcome.