Release Notes JIC

Several enhancements have been released in SupportAbility v8.2 designed to help providers manage their Clients’ NDIS Funding while their NDIS plans gradually transition to the new ‘my NDIS provider portal’ – PACE.

These enhancements include: 

• An additional ‘PACE’ setting for new NDIS Client Funding records – once a participant’s NDIS Plan has been transitioned to the new portal, a new NDIS Funding record must be created in SupportAbility to select this new setting.
  Once selected, the new Support Categories can be added as needed, and Support Items are mapped to the correct Support Category accordingly.
  For example, the Assistance in Supported Independent Living Support Item 01_801_0115_1_1 that used to belong to Category 1 is now part of the new Support Category 16, Home and Living.

• Addition of the new Support Categories – in PACE Client Funding records, NDIS Support Allocations, Budget Utilisation, reports, etc.

• Mapping of the relevant Support Items to the new Support Categories – as above.

• ‘PACE’ option in the Generate Direct Bulk Payment Request (BPR) search criteria – this allows your organisation to create separate BPRs related to PACE Funding as required, given there may be longer processing times for any claims awaiting verification based on your organisation’s ‘my provider’ status.

• Addition of ‘Open’ Claim Status in BPRs – for any claims awaiting verification.

• Enhanced ability to upload a subsequent Bulk Payment Result File (BPRF) – to update the Claim Status of any ‘Open’ claims.

• Various updates to reports and exports

We recommend reviewing the brand-new article below for more details and examples of the above changes:

• SupportAbility updates to align with the new my NDIS provider portal – PACE

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Important – This functionality has been developed based on the public information made available by the NDIA in the lead-up to the start of the rollout (i.e. 30th October 2023). However, we acknowledge that due to the complexities involved in such large-scale change that the NDIS is undergoing, there may be additional considerations that need to be reviewed once participants’ NDIS plans start to transition.

With this in mind, we are keen to hear from providers as they start to navigate their way through this process. This feedback will help to inform any further enhancements that may be required in SupportAbility to help manage this transition more effectively.

Swipe gestures have been introduced in the SupportAbility Mobile App to update Journal Actions.

Please see the Swipe gestures to complete Journal Actions section of the SupportAbility Mobile App overview article for more information.

When searching for NDIS Supports in the NDIS Support Allocations window in the Activity record, the search results have been updated to list the available Support Items for the Client first, ahead of unavailable Support Items.

Confirmation of your current password is now required when Reset Password is selected in ‘My Staff Account’.

N.B. If you have forgotten your password, it is recommended to log out and select the ‘Forgot Your Password?’ link to reset this.

Update to the minimum supported web browser versions required to run SupportAbility optimally:

• Chrome – 100 (April 2022)
• Microsoft Edge – 102 (May 2022)
• Firefox – 102 (June 2022)
• Safari – 15 (September 2021)
• Safari (for iOS on iPad) – 15 (September 2021)

Please see the Supported web browsers and troubleshooting browser-related issues article for more information.

When a staff member has changed their password in ‘My Staff Account’ in the SupportAbility Web App, an email is now sent to their work email address advising of this change as an added security measure.

‘Registered to Vote’– Yes/No has been added to the end of the ‘Client List’ and ‘Client List including Personal Contacts’ exports.

These exports are available to download from the Actions menu in the Client Search list results.

A Client’s Support Needs are now available to view in the Status tab of the Client record on the SupportAbility Mobile App.

A Client information summary is now available to view in the Activity Clients tab on the SupportAbility Mobile App.

This summary can be viewed by selecting the Client’s name, allowing you to open the full Client record as needed.

Please see the Client information summary from the Activity Clients tab section of the SupportAbility Mobile App overview article for more information.

SupportAbility Mobile App v1.0.0 – now available in the Apple App Store

We are pleased to announce that the SupportAbility Mobile App is now also available to download from the Apple App Store!

Whenever any information is entered or recorded in the Mobile App, this integrates with your organisation’s SupportAbility installation (Web App) instantaneously and is available to view immediately.

For more information and a preview of the available functionality, we recommend reviewing the following articles, as these include examples and screenshots:

• SupportAbility Mobile App overview
• How to Check In/Out and Record kms using the Mobile App

SupportAbility Mobile App v1.0.0

We are very excited to announce that the SupportAbility Mobile App is now available to download from the Google Play Store!

IMPORTANT – This is not yet available to download from the Apple App Store, and we are working with Apple to resolve this ASAP. As soon as this is available in the Apple App Store, a new notification message and release notes will be published to confirm this.

Whenever any information is entered or recorded in the Mobile App, this integrates with your organisation’s SupportAbility installation (Web App) instantaneously and is available to view immediately.

Summary of features

The first version of the SupportAbility Mobile App includes the ability to:

• Security
  • Log in securely
  • Set and use PIN code security when accessing the app after the first login
  • Reset your password as required via Settings
• Home screen
  • Navigate to your next shift from the Home screen
  • View assigned Journal Actions from the Home screen
• View Client information 
  • View the list of Clients you have access to
  • Initiate calls and/or SMS’ to Clients/Client Contacts
  • View Client Details and Warnings
  • View Client Status tab information
  • View Client Contacts
  • View and/or add Client Journals and Journal Actions
    • N.B. The ability to link Client Goals/Goal Strategies to Client Journals and add Goal Progress Assessments is not yet available and is expected in a future release
• View your Roster
  • View Activity information via the Roster
  • Mark a Client as Absent and add the relevant Short Notice Cancellation Reason where required
  • Add/edit Non-Replicating Staff Notes in Activities
  • View and/or add Client Journals from the Client tab in the Activity record
  • Check In and Out of shifts (off by default and configurable by Service in the Web App, available in the Mobile App only)
  • Record kms in the Staff tab of the Activity record (off by default and configurable by Service in the Web App)

Functionality overview

For more information and a preview of the available functionality, we recommend reviewing the following articles, as these include examples and screenshots:

• SupportAbility Mobile App overview
• How to Check In/Out and Record kms using the Mobile App

New configuration options for each Service

The ability to configure the following for each Service in System Preferences in the Web App is now available:

• Mobile App – Check In/Out
  • Record Time, or
  • Record Time and Location
• Mobile App – Record kms

Please see the Configuring Mobile App Check In/Out and Record kms by Service article for more information.

View Mobile App Check In/Out and Recorded kms in the Web App

When the SupportAbility Mobile App is used to Check In/Out of shifts and/or Record kms, this data is displayed in the Staff section of the Activity record by way of a coloured status flag – green, amber or red, based on the difference in time/kms from the rostered to the actual.

Staff Members can see the status flags for their own shifts/kms, and Staff Members with access to the Activity and the Team Leader privilege can see the status flags for all Staff shifts/kms.

Status flags can be selected to view the Check In/Out and Recorded Kms data and synchronise this in the Web App where necessary, e.g. Recorded kms for reimbursement. Synchronising this overrides the original Staff shift time (essentially customising the shift time) or the Private/Company kms fields.

Please see the Viewing Mobile App Check In/Out data and Recorded kms in the Web App article for more information. 

• 1 Support Item has been added
  • 01_663_0118_1_3 – Assessment Recommendation Therapy or Training – EC – Podiatrist
• 167 Support Items have been removed
  • These Support Items were all Legacy Items in the last Price Guide, and their usage is minimal, with the main Support Items currently Allocated in Activities after July 1st, 2023, as follows:
    • 01_300_0104_1_1_T
    • 04_300_0104_1_1_T
    • 04_304_0104_1_1_T
    • 04_500_0104_1_1 If your organisation uses either of these Supports, we recommend using the Allocations Report to locate Activities they are used in that fall after the 1st of July, 2023 and replace these with the relevant equivalent.
• 394 Support Items have changed prices (including the TTP equivalent Support Items)
  • 386 Support Items have had a price increase (including the TTP equivalent Support Items)
  • 4 Support Items have had the NT/SA/TAS/WA price decreased to align with the ACT/NSW/QLD/VIC price of $193.99
  • 1 Notional Unit Price Support Item has had a price decrease to $1 to align with the Notional Unit Price
    • 02_051_0108_1_1 – Transport
  • 4 Support Items now have a Price Limit of $0, but are not Quotable – we have made these Quotable in SupportAbility so a custom price can be added so they can be utilised
• 65 Support Items have changed names
• 1 Support Item is now Legacy

All Transitional Community and Centre Based Group NDIS Support Allocations have been updated regarding the new valid until date, i.e. Valid until December 31st, 2023.

Please see the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limit Updates – 2022/23 article for more information regarding this.