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A Support Coordinator's Guide to Referring for Home Physiotherapy | NDIS | Physio to Home

Michael Ghattas, Physiotherapist13 July 2026

Referring an NDIS participant for physiotherapy involves more than a phone call. North Tasmania's home physiotherapist sets out what support coordinators need to know about referrals, documentation, and funding categories.

Michael Ghattas

7/13/2026 · 7 min read

What Support Coordinators Need to Know Before Referring for Home Physiotherapy

By Michael Ghattas, DPT | AHPRA Registered Physiotherapist | 18 Years Experience

Physio to Home, North Tasmania | Last reviewed: July 2026

Support coordinators sit at the centre of a participant's NDIS journey, often managing referrals across multiple allied health disciplines while juggling plan budgets, review timelines, and a participant's evolving goals. Physiotherapy referrals carry their own specific considerations — particularly when a participant would benefit from home-based delivery rather than clinic-based care.

This guide is written specifically for support coordinators managing physiotherapy referrals for NDIS participants in North Tasmania, covering what information is genuinely useful at referral, which funding categories apply, and how to set a new physiotherapy relationship up for success.

Who this guide is for

NDIS support coordinators, plan managers, and Local Area Coordinators referring participants in North Tasmania for physiotherapy, particularly where home-based delivery is appropriate.

When Is Home-Based Physiotherapy the Right Referral?

Not every participant needs home-based delivery, but for a significant proportion of NDIS participants, it is clinically preferable — not just more convenient. Home-based physiotherapy is particularly well suited to participants who:

Have significant mobility limitations that make travel to a clinic difficult, exhausting, or distressing
Live in rural or regional areas of North Tasmania with limited access to clinic-based allied health
Have sensory sensitivities or anxiety that make unfamiliar clinic environments a barrier to engagement
Need physiotherapy that addresses real functional barriers in their actual living environment — stairs, bathroom access, transfers
Have complex or fluctuating conditions where consistency of environment supports better engagement and outcomes

For these participants, a clinic referral can result in poor attendance, disengagement, or physiotherapy that doesn't translate well to real-world function. A home-based referral removes that barrier entirely.

What Information Is Genuinely Useful at Referral

A strong referral saves time for everyone and gets the participant into treatment faster. When referring a participant to Physio to Home, it's helpful to include:

The participant's primary diagnosis and any relevant secondary conditions
Current NDIS goals, particularly any goals specifically related to physical function, mobility, or independence
The relevant funding category and remaining budget (usually Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living)
Plan management type — self-managed, plan-managed, or agency-managed — as this determines provider eligibility
Any existing reports, including previous Functional Capacity Assessments, GP letters, or specialist correspondence
Known barriers or considerations, such as communication needs, behaviours of concern, or family/carer involvement in sessions
Urgency or timing considerations, such as an upcoming plan review or a recent hospital discharge

Referrals don't need to be exhaustive — but the more context provided upfront, the faster a participant can be seen and the more targeted the first assessment will be.

Which NDIS Funding Category Covers Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is most commonly funded under Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living, which supports participants building skills and independence in daily life. In some cases, physiotherapy focused on general health and fitness maintenance may sit under Capacity Building — Improved Health and Wellbeing instead.

If a participant's current plan doesn't have adequate funding allocated for physiotherapy, this is worth flagging early — either as part of a scheduled review or, where the need is significant and has changed, via an unscheduled review request.

Registered vs Unregistered Providers: What This Means for Your Referral

Whether a participant can be referred to a given physiotherapist depends on their plan management type:

Agency-managed participants generally require a registered NDIS provider.
Plan-managed participants can use registered or unregistered providers.
Self-managed participants can use any provider, registered or unregistered.

Physio to Home is currently completing NDIS provider registration and is presently able to work with plan-managed and self-managed participants. We're happy to confirm our current registration status directly with support coordinators at the time of referral.

What Happens After a Referral Is Made

Once a referral is received, Physio to Home typically:

1. Contacts the participant (or their nominee/family) directly to arrange an initial appointment

2. Conducts an initial assessment in the participant's home, covering history, functional goals, and — where appropriate — a Functional Capacity Assessment

3. Develops a treatment plan tied specifically to the participant's NDIS goals

4. Provides a written summary that can be shared back with the support coordinator, and used to support future plan reviews if needed

We're also happy to join case conferences or provide progress updates at intervals that suit the participant's review timeline — just let us know what's useful for your care coordination.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly can a referred participant be seen?

We aim to make initial contact within one to two business days of receiving a referral, with the first home visit typically arranged within one to two weeks, depending on urgency and geographic location within North Tasmania.

Can Physio to Home write a Functional Capacity Assessment as part of the referral?

Yes. If a participant needs an FCA to support a plan review or funding request, this can be arranged as part of, or shortly after, the initial assessment.

What areas of North Tasmania does Physio to Home service?

We provide home-based physiotherapy across Launceston and the surrounding region, including Deloraine, George Town, Longford, Scottsdale, and the Tamar Valley. Contact us to confirm coverage for a specific address.

Can family members or carers be involved in sessions?

Yes, and it's often valuable. Family and carer involvement can support carryover of exercise programs between sessions and helps everyone stay aligned on functional goals.

What if the participant's plan doesn't currently include physiotherapy funding?

We can still have an initial conversation and, where appropriate, provide documentation to support a request for physiotherapy funding at the participant's next plan review or through an unscheduled review.

Ready to Refer a Participant for Home Physiotherapy in North Tasmania?

Physio to Home works closely with support coordinators across North Tasmania to deliver evidence-based, AHPRA-registered physiotherapy in participants' own homes. We understand the practical realities of NDIS plan management and aim to make the referral process as straightforward as possible.

About the Author

Michael Ghattas, DPT

AHPRA Registered Physiotherapist | Doctor of Physical Therapy | 18 Years Clinical Experience

Michael is the founder of Physio to Home, a mobile physiotherapy practice serving older adults and rural residents across North Tasmania. He specialises in neurological rehabilitation, falls prevention, and disability-related physiotherapy delivered entirely in the home setting.

References & Further Reading

National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Support coordination guidelines. www.ndis.gov.au, 2025.

NDIS. NDIS Support Catalogue — Capacity Building supports. Commonwealth of Australia, 2025.

Australian Physiotherapy Association. Physiotherapy and the NDIS: position statement. APA, 2024.

Physio to Home referrals and enquiries: physiotohome.com.

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