I-CAN v6 and new framework planning: what NDIS providers need to know

NDIS 'new framework planning is the biggest change to how plans are built since the scheme began. Instead of relying on participants to gather multiple reports to prove what they need, the NDIS is moving to a structured needs assessment, based on a tool called Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs, version 6, to work out support needs and set budgets more consistently. For providers, it changes how plans look, how budgets work, and how you support participants through the process.

Here's an overview of the new framework planning, how the I-CAN v6 assessment works, when it begins, and what it means for service delivery.

‍

Key points

• New framework planning replaces the current planning approach with a structured needs assessment, based on the I-CAN v6 tool, to set fairer and more consistent budgets.
• Full rollout was delayed to 1 April 2027, after consultation with people with disability and the sector asked for more time.
• The transition is staged and runs over several years, reaching all participants gradually rather than all at once.
• The assessment is a guided, strengths-based conversation carried out by a trained needs assessor, who will not necessarily be an allied health professional.
• Providers should prepare for more flexible budgets, a period of running old and new plans side by side, and helping participants get ready for assessments.

‍

What is new framework planning?

New framework planning is a new way of building NDIS plans. The goal is to make planning fairer, more consistent and easier to navigate.

The shift in mindset is the heart of it. The current system often asks participants to prove what they cannot do, usually by paying for multiple assessments and reports. The new approach starts with the person and asks, in effect, what they need help with to live the life they want. It is designed to be strengths-based and person-centred, with standardised assessments doing the work that piles of separate reports do today.

‍

The I-CAN v6 assessment

At the centre of the change is the Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs, version 6, known as I-CAN v6. It was developed by the Centre for Disability Studies and has been used in the disability sector for many years.

In practice, it is a guided conversation between the participant and a trained assessor that explores the different areas of a person's life and disability-related support needs. The NDIA is using I-CAN v6 as the base for developing its new support needs assessment. The outcome of that assessment then informs the participant's budget, using a method set out in the rules.

For allied health providers, it is worth noting that this structured assessment is expected to reduce the reliance on separate functional capacity assessments over time.

‍

Who does the assessment, and what has changed

This is the detail that has shifted, and it is worth being precise about. Early commentary assumed assessments would be carried out by allied health professionals such as occupational therapists or psychologists. The NDIA has since indicated that the support needs assessor will be a trained assessor who will not necessarily be an allied health professional. For people with more complex needs, reports from their treating health professionals may still be used to inform the assessment.

The exact model is still being finalised, so this is an area to watch. Always check the latest NDIA guidance before advising participants.

‍

The timeline: rollout delayed to April 2027

After consultation, the government confirmed that the new framework planning will not roll out until 1 April 2027. People with disability, families and advocates asked for more time to test the changes, and the timeline was extended to accommodate that.

From there, the change is staged and reaches participants gradually over several years rather than in one step. Because the rollout is phased, your participant base will move across at different times, which has real consequences for how you operate during the transition.

‍

How budgets will be set

Under new framework planning, a participant's budget is informed by the outcome of their needs assessment, applied through a method set out in the rules. The aim is consistency: two people with similar support needs should end up with similar budgets, rather than outcomes depending on who could produce the most reports.

Many plans are also expected to use more flexible budgets rather than tightly specified line items, giving participants more choice in how they use their funding within a category.

‍

What it means for service delivery

For providers, new framework planning touches both your back office and your frontline.

• Your invoicing and claims will need to adapt. Flexible budgets work differently from line-item plans, so make sure your team understands which supports fall into which category.
• You will run two systems at once. During the transition, some participants will still have traditional stated plans while others have moved to the new framework. Your administrative processes need to handle both without error.
• Plan reviews become a key moment. A participant's move to the new framework happens at assessment, so it helps to know which of your participants are likely to transition and when.
• Participants will look to you for help. A structured, strengths-based conversation can feel unfamiliar. Workers and coordinators who understand the new approach can help participants prepare and feel confident going in.

‍

How to prepare your team

The providers who handle this well will be the ones whose teams understand the change and can guide participants through it calmly. That means getting your frontline and coordination staff comfortable with the new planning approach, keeping your records and systems ready for both plan types, and staying close to NDIA updates as the details firm up.

etrainu's disability support training keeps your workforce skilled, person-centred and ready for change, with content mapped to the NDIS Practice Standards. You can explore it on our disability support training hub.

‍

Frequently asked questions

What is NDIS 'new framework planning?
It is a new way of building NDIS plans that uses a structured needs assessment, based on the I-CAN v6 tool, to understand a participant's support needs and set their budget more consistently. It replaces the current approach of relying on participant-supplied reports.

What is the I-CAN v6 assessment?
I-CAN v6 is the Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs, version 6. It is a strengths-based tool used as a guided conversation to identify a person's disability-related support needs, and the NDIA is using it as the base for its new support needs assessment.

When does new framework planning start?
Full rollout was delayed to 1 April 2027, following consultation. The change is then introduced in stages and reaches participants gradually over several years.

Who carries out the needs assessment?
A trained needs assessor conducts the assessment. The NDIA has indicated these assessors will not necessarily be allied health professionals. For people with more complex needs, reports from treating health professionals may also be used.

What does the new framework planning mean for providers?
Plans may use more flexible budgets, so invoicing and claims need to adapt. Providers will also support participants on both old and new plan types during the transition, and will play a role in helping participants prepare for their assessments.

‍

Sources

• New tool to deliver simpler pathway to disability supports, NDIS
• Securing the NDIS for future generations, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
• Update - a new way of planning, NDIS

‍

This article is general information for NDIS providers and is current as at June 2026. New framework planning is still being finalised, and the detail, timing and assessment model may change. Always check the latest guidance from the NDIS and the NDIA.

‍