High Intensity Supports Explained
High Intensity Supports are for participants with more complex needs who require trained and experienced workers. This article explains what high intensity support looks like in practice and who it's designed for.
What Are High Intensity Supports?
High Intensity Daily Activities — often called High Intensity Supports — are a specific category of NDIS-funded support designed for participants with complex support needs. These are supports that go beyond what a standard support worker can safely provide, requiring additional training, clinical skills and careful oversight.
The complexity can arise from a number of factors: complex health conditions, behaviours of concern, complex medication management, the use of specialised equipment, or the need for specific clinical techniques during personal care. Importantly, the term 'high intensity' refers to the complexity of the support required — not necessarily the level of physical effort.
Clinical Skills and Training Required
Support workers delivering High Intensity Supports must hold specific qualifications and training relevant to the tasks they're performing. This might include training in PEG tube management, tracheostomy care, complex bowel care, wound management, catheter care, or ventilator management — among other clinical areas.
At Bloom Supports, we take training and competency verification seriously. Workers delivering high intensity supports are not only trained but assessed for competency and supervised appropriately. We also ensure that clinical tasks are guided by the recommendations of the participant's treating health professionals — so that support is always delivered within the right scope and to the right standard.
Examples of High Intensity Supports
Examples of supports that may fall into the high intensity category include: assisting participants with complex manual handling needs; delivering personal care that involves clinical procedures such as catheter or stoma care; supporting participants who have complex communication needs and require specific communication approaches; and assisting participants with behaviours of concern in a way that requires specific training in positive behaviour support strategies.
Every participant's needs are different, and what qualifies as high intensity for one person may not for another. A Support Coordinator or allied health professional can help clarify whether a participant's needs fall within this category and what funding may be available.
Accessing High Intensity Supports
If a participant has complex support needs that require high intensity supports, these should be reflected in their NDIS plan. Evidence from treating health professionals — specialists, allied health practitioners or hospital discharge teams — is typically required to justify this funding category.
At Bloom, we work closely with Support Coordinators, families and allied health teams to ensure participants with complex needs receive the right level of support — delivered safely, professionally and with genuine respect for the participant's dignity and preferences. If you're unsure whether a participant's needs qualify, we're happy to have a conversation.