Agree and complete next steps
NDIS goal action plan template: turn a goal into practical next steps
A goal describes something that matters to a person. An action describes what someone will do next to help work towards it. To make an NDIS goal action plan, keep the person's goal in their own words, agree useful next steps, ask who can take them on and decide when to check back. Then review whether those steps helped the person, as well as whether the work was done.
Use the worksheet below in a document, on paper or through a conversation with chosen support. You can start with the information you have, mark what is still unknown and add detail as it becomes useful. No Kinovo account is needed.
- For:
- Participants, chosen supporters, families and coordinators turning a goal into practical actions
- Includes:
- Copyable goal-to-action worksheet + two fictional examples + follow-up wording
- Time:
- 13 minute read
Published 6 September 2026 · Updated 23 October 2026
Written by Callum Cruikshank — Founder of Kinovo
Callum draws on his family's lived experience of coordinating support. These resources offer practical coordination ideas, not clinical, legal or NDIS funding advice. No independent clinical review is claimed.
This is an optional coordination worksheet, not a required NDIS form, a provider's support plan or a clinical outcome measure. It helps organise the work around a goal; it does not determine funding.
The NDIA's goal-setting guidance says goals can be broad or specific, short or long term, and written in your own words. You do not have to turn a meaningful goal into technical wording to use this template.
Copy the goal-to-action worksheet
Use the parts that help, add the detail your situation needs and repeat the action section for further steps. First-person prompts belong to the participant; record their words or how their view was understood and checked.
The goal - prepared or checked on [date]
My goal, in the words I want to use: ___
Why this matters / what I want to keep, change or avoid: ___
A useful difference I would notice, or something valued I want to maintain: ___
How I want to work through this / communication support: ___
People I choose to involve: ___
What we still need to understand before acting: ___
Who may receive this worksheet and related information / agreed sharing method: ___
For each next action
Action / how it connects to my goal: ___
What a useful answer or completed action looks like: ___
Person asked to take this on / have they agreed, and when: ___
My part, if I want one / support I want for it: ___
When the result is needed or requested, and why: ___
What they agreed to do and by when / agreed next check date or trigger: ___
Information, availability, advice, cost or funding questions to check first / who accepted that enquiry: ___
Relevant current information location / permitted readers: ___
Status: proposed / accepted / waiting / completed / changed or closed
If waiting, what is missing or holding this up: ___
Next enquiry / person who agreed to make it / check date or fallback: ___
Latest update and date / if changed or closed, what happened and why: ___
Actual result and date / who received it: ___
My view of what should happen next: ___
At the next review - agreed date or useful trigger: ___
Is this still what I want to work towards? How was my view checked? ___
What happened in daily life / my experience / relevant observations and context: ___
What helped, what did not, and what has stayed important to me: ___
What got in the way / information or advice still needed: ___
What should continue, change, pause or finish / next actions people accepted: ___
Copy the template into a document you can edit, or use Print or save as PDF to print this page. You can dictate answers, use pictures or your usual communication supports, or ask someone you choose to write with you. A supporter should check the meaning with you rather than fill in what they think your goal ought to be.
You do not need every answer to get started. Record what is still unknown, even if no one has agreed to find the answer yet. Leave a proposed action unconfirmed until the person taking it on agrees.
Keep the person's meaning and preferences
'Increase community participation' may be meaningful in a plan, while the person describes the immediate wish as 'I want to do photography with other people.' Keep both pieces of context if useful. A provider enquiry is a step towards exploring that wish, not a replacement for the goal.
Ask what would make a useful difference, and what the person wants to keep. It might be understanding what a group is like, having a less rushed morning or continuing an activity they enjoy. More sessions, less support or a larger task list are not automatically the person's preferred outcome.
Ask how they want to contribute, how much they want to take on and what help they want. They may want to make an enquiry themselves, try something with support, consider the answers or leave the administration to someone who agrees to help. They can also want more time or a different direction.
The NDIA's supported decision-making policy centres the person's will, preferences and rights. Chosen support helps them make and communicate decisions; a representative's authority to decide is a separate matter whose scope needs checking. A family relationship, professional role, goal owner field or Kinovo Team leader permission does not itself create that authority.
If the direction itself is unclear, use the supported decision-making preparation note before building an action list around an assumption.
Agree practical actions and timing
Describe an action so the person doing it knows what a useful result would be. 'Ask the library whether visitors can attend its photography group, and bring back the session details for Asha to consider' gives someone a clear enquiry. It leaves the decision about attending with Asha.
Start with what is useful now. Some actions will depend on earlier answers. Ask each proposed person whether they can take the work on, what they need and what timing is realistic. A provider may be best placed to clarify a recommendation; a coordinator may agree to check support options. A family member can volunteer without becoming responsible for the whole plan.
Keep a needed or requested date separate from a commitment someone accepted. You may need an answer before an appointment without its author having agreed to that deadline. Record both, discuss the effect of a delay and agree the next check. Where timing depends on an event, such as session details arriving, name that dependency and who will notice and follow it up.
Connecting an action to a goal does not establish that it can be paid for from an NDIS plan. The NDIA explains how goals relate to funded supports: goals are one part of its consideration, not a funding approval. Check relevant availability, costs, service arrangements and funding questions before making commitments.
For wording that makes requests and missing answers clearer, use the guide to reducing repeated follow-up. If responsibilities need a shared conversation, the care-team meeting agenda below can help.
A fictional example: exploring a photography group
Asha's goal is 'I want to do photography with other people.' Asha enjoys taking photographs and wants to explore an activity with people who share that interest. The first useful result is enough information, in Asha's preferred format, to decide whether a visit is wanted.
- Practical next step
- Ask about a visitor session and how the group runs.
- Who accepted it
- Jordan, a family member, volunteers and agrees to make this enquiry.
- Result and next check
- Bring the organiser's answer back in Asha's preferred format. Jordan agrees a follow-up point if the answer is incomplete or does not arrive.
- Practical next step
- Check location and suitable travel options once possible times are known.
- Who accepted it
- Mei, the support coordinator, accepts this enquiry; timing depends on session details.
- Result and next check
- Mei checks the shared update with Jordan at the agreed point. Travel remains unconfirmed until the relevant arrangements and questions are resolved.
- Practical next step
- Consider whether a visit is wanted after the answers arrive.
- Who accepted it
- Asha chooses to consider this with Jordan's support. Mei agrees to check whether the information is ready.
- Result and next check
- Asha chooses how and when to consider the options. No visit or regular attendance is booked on Asha's behalf.
| Practical next step | Who accepted it | Result and next check |
|---|---|---|
| Ask about a visitor session and how the group runs. | Jordan, a family member, volunteers and agrees to make this enquiry. | Bring the organiser's answer back in Asha's preferred format. Jordan agrees a follow-up point if the answer is incomplete or does not arrive. |
| Check location and suitable travel options once possible times are known. | Mei, the support coordinator, accepts this enquiry; timing depends on session details. | Mei checks the shared update with Jordan at the agreed point. Travel remains unconfirmed until the relevant arrangements and questions are resolved. |
| Consider whether a visit is wanted after the answers arrive. | Asha chooses to consider this with Jordan's support. Mei agrees to check whether the information is ready. | Asha chooses how and when to consider the options. No visit or regular attendance is booked on Asha's behalf. |
Jordan receives a reply, but no visitor date. The update says what is missing and when Jordan will ask again. Mei's travel enquiry is waiting on times; it has not been forgotten.
If the group cannot offer a suitable visit, the useful result may be finding that out. Asha can explore another option, ask a further question or pause. This fictional example does not establish that an activity or travel arrangement is funded.
A second fictional example: a daily routine
Ben wants mornings to feel less rushed. Before listing tasks, a chosen supporter asks which part is difficult and what Ben wants to keep. Ben wants a less hurried start while keeping the parts of the routine they enjoy. The next step is to clarify a question about an existing recommendation, rather than invent a new support instruction in the worksheet.
Priya, a team member, agrees to ask the relevant clinician and check back at an agreed point. The action record says: 'Waiting for clarification about the existing recommendation. Priya accepted the enquiry. Ben wants the answer explained before considering a change.' It names the missing information without prescribing an intervention or treating a response as approval to change care.
If the answer is late, Priya checks the appropriate contact and tells Ben what remains unknown. If Priya cannot continue, the team discusses another person, scope or timing with Ben and asks who can agree to it. Any change needing professional guidance still follows that process.
When an action cannot go ahead
- Nobody has accepted it
- Leave it marked proposed. Ask whether the action needs a different person, a clearer request or a smaller first enquiry. Agree who will help resolve the gap if someone can. Do not record the action as covered when nobody has agreed to do it.
- A provider does not reply or information is incomplete
- Record the question still unanswered, the last contact and the next check someone accepted. Use the service's agreed contact or fallback. Discuss any important timing or effect of the delay with the person; a worksheet cannot make a provider respond or guarantee an alternative.
- There is limited time or the work is too much
- Ask which actions matter now and whether some can wait, be combined or be shared differently. Keep a necessary deadline visible while checking realistic commitments. If the available support cannot cover the work, record the gap and seek help rather than quietly assigning it to the participant or family.
- An option is unavailable, unsuitable or no longer wanted
- Bring the answer back in a way the participant can use. Ask whether they want to adapt the step, explore another option or pause. Record why the action changed or closed. Keep the wider goal if it still matters; an unsuitable option is not a failure by the person.
Review the goal separately from the checklist
Completing every action does not necessarily mean the goal has been achieved. You may have gathered useful information and discovered that the option does not suit. Equally, maintaining something the person values can matter even when the record does not show a new achievement.
At an agreed date or useful trigger, ask what the person thinks has happened, what helped and what they want next. Agree a format and pace they can use. If other people contribute observations, record who noticed what, when and in which circumstances; keep their interpretation separate from the participant's account.
'We received the group information; Asha wants to compare the morning options before deciding' says more than 'community goal 50% complete'. Relevant professional measures can add useful evidence, but a task count on its own does not measure the person's experience or clinical outcomes. Distinguish between completing an enquiry, reviewing its answer and achieving the goal.
Copy this progress update wording
Update on [date] about [goal in the person's words].
[Action] is [proposed / accepted / waiting / completed / changed], because [actual result or missing information].
[Participant's words or feedback, and how their view was checked]. [Relevant observation, who made it and context].
The result is needed or requested by [date] because [reason], if applicable.
[Person] has agreed to [next action or enquiry], with [accepted timing / timing not yet agreed]. The next check is [agreed date or trigger].
[What the participant wants to continue, change, pause or consider next].
Keep a useful history when an action changes: 'Closed because the afternoon session does not suit Asha; Asha wants to explore a morning option.' Close it with the actual result and tell the people who need that information. Do not label a changed preference as poor progress.
Registered providers have separate responsibilities under their applicable NDIS Practice Standards. The core support-planning standards address participant involvement and reviewing outcomes. This optional worksheet does not replace a provider's support plan, required records or professional review, and it does not prescribe a review timetable.
Updating this worksheet or a Kinovo goal does not amend an NDIS plan. To change goals recorded in that plan, follow the NDIA's current goal-change process. The NDIA also says changing goals does not itself add supports or funding.
If a next step depends on a clinician's recommendation, use the guide to sharing therapy recommendations with support workers.
For a goal involving changes to the home, use the home modifications document register and next-step checklist.
Official guidance checked for this resource
Sources checked on 23 October 2026. The worksheet, examples and follow-up suggestions are practical coordination tools, not official forms, funding decisions or an independent professional review.
Keep the goal and agreed next steps together
Create a Kinovo account to keep a shared goal, accepted tasks, relevant permitted documents and follow-up messages together with your invited care team. Ask contributors to update their part, and check each record's audience before sharing. Team leader permissions manage software access; the participant's decisions, professional advice and NDIA processes remain separate.
You can keep using this resource without an account. Set up or join a care team when you are ready.
FAQ
Is this an official NDIS goal action plan form?
This is an optional worksheet for organising practical work around a goal. It is not an NDIA form, a funding application, a provider's required support plan or a clinical outcome measure. You can copy it, adapt it or print this page without an account.
Do I need to rewrite my NDIS goal as a SMART goal?
This worksheet does not require SMART wording. The NDIA says goals can be broad or specific, short or long term, and written in your own words. Make the next action clear enough to act on without replacing what the goal means to you. Relevant professional measures can be recorded separately.
How many goals or actions should we work on?
Choose what is relevant to the person's priorities, available support and current circumstances. There is no required number in this worksheet. Some steps can wait for earlier answers. Add entries when useful rather than filling a list to a target or leaving out necessary work.
Does linking a step to a goal mean the NDIS will pay for it?
No. Goals help inform supports, but a goal or action card does not approve funding. Check the relevant support, cost, service and funding arrangements for the person's circumstances before committing. The examples do not establish that an activity or travel arrangement is funded.
Can I use this without a support coordinator?
Yes. Start with the part you can use and people who agree to contribute. A provider may be best placed to answer a service question, and your my NDIS contact can help with NDIS plan questions. A participant or family member does not have to take responsibility for every missing answer.
What if the participant cannot or does not want to fill in a worksheet?
Use a conversation, pictures, communication aids or chosen support in the way the person prefers. Record how their meaning was understood and checked. They may want more time or a different way to contribute. Keep their meaning and preferences central, however they communicate them.
What if the actions are completed but the goal is not achieved?
Review what actually happened with the person. Check what helped, what got in the way and whether they want to keep, adapt or pause the direction. A completed enquiry may show that an option is unsuitable; maintaining something valued may also matter. Record the context rather than turning task completion into an outcome score.
Can this worksheet change the goals in my NDIS plan?
Updating the worksheet or a Kinovo goal does not change the goals recorded by the NDIA. Use the NDIA's goal-change process if you want those goals updated. Changing goals does not itself add supports or funding to the plan.
Disclaimer
General coordination information, not individual clinical, legal, privacy or NDIS funding advice. The relevant participant decision, representative authority, professional guidance and Agency processes still apply.