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Functional Capacity Assessments

An occupational therapy assessment that shows how your disability affects your everyday life, written up as evidence the NDIA can actually act on.

Select Your Funding to Book an Appointment:

Make an NDIS ReferralMake a SaH ReferralMake a Private Referral

Need help now? Speak with our team on 1300 765 456.

What a Functional Capacity Assessment Is

An FCA is not about your diagnosis. It is about what you can do, what you struggle with, and what support would change that.

The NDIS uses it to decide what is reasonable and necessary to fund. A vague report produces a vague plan. A clear one, backed by evidence, produces a plan that matches how you actually live.

We assess you in your own home and community, because that is where the real barriers are. A person who manages a task in a clinic room may be unable to manage the same task in their own bathroom, and only one of those is the one they have to live in.

What the NDIS says an FCA is

The NDIS describes a functional capacity assessment as an official assessment that looks at your ability to perform daily tasks at home, at work and in the community, completed by an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, psychologist or medical specialist. It considers six areas: communication, social interaction, learning, mobility, self-care and self-management.

Worth knowing: an FCA is not compulsory to be eligible for the NDIS. It is one of the strongest forms of evidence you can provide about how your impairment affects daily function, but nobody can require you to buy one to apply.

Free help you are entitled to, before you pay anyone

You should not have to pay for general NDIS guidance, and we would rather tell you that upfront than take a booking you did not need.

  • NDIS, "What is a functional capacity assessment" and "Gathering evidence" at ndis.gov.au. The official explanation of what an FCA is and what counts as disability evidence.
  • NDIS on 1800 800 110, Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm. Free interpreters through TIS on 131 450, and the National Relay Service if you are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • Your Local Area Coordinator. Government-funded community organisations that help you apply, gather evidence and understand your rights, at no cost. LACs support people aged 9 to 64; Early Childhood partners support families with children under 9. They do not approve plans or decide funding.
  • Disability Gateway on 1800 643 787 (disabilitygateway.gov.au). A free Australian Government information and referral line for people with disability, their families and carers.
  • If you disagree with a decision. You can ask for an internal review within 3 months. If you are still unhappy, you can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal within 28 days, and free support is available through the NDIS Appeals Program.

We work alongside any of these. If a free service can answer your question, we will tell you to call them.

What We Provide

In-Home Functional Capacity Assessments

Assessment in your own home and community, with a report written to the evidence standard the NDIA expects rather than a generic template.

Reports That Get Read

Clear clinical reasoning, linked to observed evidence, with recommendations that name the support, the frequency and the reason. Reports that assert without evidence get sent back.

Equipment and Home Modification Evidence

Where the assessment identifies an equipment or modification need, we can carry it through to prescription and the reports a funding request requires.

Housing, SIL and SDA Reports

Where an FCA points toward supported accommodation, we complete the specific housing reports those pathways need.

When You Might Need One

  • You are applying for the NDIS for the first time
  • Your plan review is coming up
  • Your current plan does not cover what you actually need
  • Your condition or support needs have changed
  • You are asking for more support worker hours
  • You need equipment, assistive technology or home modifications
  • You are looking at Supported Independent Living or SDA
  • Your support coordinator or plan manager has asked for one
  • If your function has changed suddenly rather than gradually, see your doctor first. A sudden loss of strength, speech, balance or continence needs medical review, not an assessment report. If you notice face drooping, one-sided weakness or sudden speech difficulty, call 000. An FCA describes function; it does not diagnose the cause of a change.

What Happens on the Day

Your occupational therapist comes to your home. You talk through what a normal day looks like, what you find difficult, and what you would like to be able to do.

They then watch you do some everyday things: making a drink, moving around the house, getting to the bathroom, whatever is relevant to you. They will look at your home, your equipment and your access.

Most assessments take one or two visits of around two hours. Family, carers and support workers are welcome to be there, and their observations are often the most useful part. Your occupational therapist will confirm the time and cost before anything goes ahead.

What Your Report Covers

  • How your condition affects your daily life, in plain detail
  • Personal care, mobility, household tasks and community access
  • Communication, memory, decision-making and safety
  • Your goals and what is getting in the way of them
  • Standardised assessment results relevant to your condition
  • Clear recommendations linked to the evidence

Recommendations may include support worker assistance, therapy and allied health services, assistive technology, home modifications, capacity building supports, community participation, SIL, SDA or ongoing rehabilitation.

We will not recommend something the evidence does not support. A report that overstates need is the one that gets challenged, and it costs you months. We would rather write what we can defend.

Who We Assess

Adults living with stroke, acquired brain injury, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, autism, psychosocial disability, chronic pain and fatigue conditions, and other complex disabilities.

Where We Provide This Service

Occupational therapists across Victoria (Melbourne, Roxburgh Park and the northern suburbs), Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and Logan) and New South Wales (Sydney and Western Sydney).

Melbourne
metropolitan Melbourne, including the inner city and the northern, western, eastern and southern suburbs
Brisbane
inner Brisbane, and the northern, southern, eastern and western suburbs
Gold Coast
northern, central, southern and western Gold Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast and hinterland
Ipswich
Ipswich and surrounds
Logan
Logan and surrounding suburbs
Sydney
Sydney metropolitan
Western Sydney
Western Sydney and the outer west

Assessments are delivered in your own home and in the community settings that matter to your goals. The service is fully mobile, so there is no need to travel to us.

Funding We Accept

  • NDIS, for plan-managed and self-managed participants. Assessments and reports sit under Capacity Building, Improved Daily Living. inOne Healthcare is not NDIS registered, so we cannot accept agency-managed participants.
  • Support at Home, where occupational therapy sits in the clinical care category and is fully government funded regardless of income or assets
  • AT-HM scheme, for assistive technology and home modification assessments
  • TAC and WorkCover, where an insurer or employer needs evidence of current functional capacity
  • DVA, for eligible veterans with a valid referral
  • Private, with no referral required, which is common for people preparing an NDIS access request before any funding exists

Simple Process

Getting Started

1

Make a referral

You, your family, a support coordinator, plan manager, GP or specialist can all refer. Call 1300 765 456 or submit a referral online. You do not need a support coordinator to contact us.

2

We check it is the right assessment

If a smaller or different assessment would serve you better, we will say so before you book.

3

Assessment at home

One or two visits, with anyone you want present.

4

Report

Written to the evidence standard, and explained to you rather than just sent.

5

Support through the decision

We respond to requests for further information from the NDIA, your plan manager or your support coordinator.

Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an assessment cost?
It depends on complexity and how long the assessment and report take. We will confirm the expected cost before we start, and it is set out in your service agreement.
How long until I get my report?
Report timeframes depend on complexity and how quickly we can gather information from other people involved in your care. Your occupational therapist will give you a realistic timeframe at the assessment rather than an optimistic one.
Which part of my plan pays for it?
Usually Capacity Building, Improved Daily Living. Send us your plan and we will tell you what is available.
Do I need a support coordinator to refer?
No. You can contact us directly. We work with support coordinators where you have one.
Can you do this if I am not on the NDIS yet?
Yes. We complete functional assessments to support NDIS access requests as well as plan reviews, and many people pay privately at that stage because no plan exists yet.
Is an FCA compulsory?
No. It is strong evidence, not a requirement. Check with your Local Area Coordinator before assuming you need one.
What if I am not sure an FCA is what I need?
Call us. We will talk it through and tell you honestly which assessment will actually be useful. Sometimes it is a smaller one, and sometimes it is nothing at all.

Ready to Book?

Book a Functional Capacity Assessment

Contact inOne Healthcare on 1300 765 456, email info@inonehealthcare.com.au, or submit a referral online.

Monday to Saturday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. Closed Sunday.

Related: SIL, SDA and Housing Reports · Assistive Technology Assessments · Home Modification Assessments · Neurological Rehabilitation · Using Your NDIS Plan With Us

Ready to get started?

Make a referral or contact our team today.

Make A Referral 1300 765 456 info@inonehealthcare.com.au
Free 20min OT Consultation

Reviewed by [CLINICIAN NAME], [QUALIFICATION, AHPRA registration number]. Last reviewed [DATE].

This page provides general information only and is not a substitute for individual clinical advice. Eligibility and what your plan covers are decided by the NDIA, not by inOne Healthcare.