What is a Functional Capacity Assessment?
A Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA) is an occupational therapy evaluation based on you and the activities you participate in daily. It’s guided by you and your family within your natural environments to ensure we identify the most suitable supports for you, now and into the future.
An FCA is performed by our OTs. As they perform the assessment, they’ll be looking at a range of different factors and include anything you and your family and/or support network consider important for you and your life.
Some of these activities might be:
- Learning
- Communication
- Self-care
- Socialising
- Mobility
- Self-management (e.g., financial planning, managing life admin, etc.)
The FCA will give you and your OT a strong foundation to identify appropriate supports and other measures needed to help you achieve your goals and carry out those daily activities independently.
What is the purpose of an FCA?
An FCA can be used to prove your eligibility for NDIS funding to help you achieve your goals and enhance your independence in the activities we mentioned above. You could also have funding for an FCA approved within your first NDIS plan, to help you identify current and potential future needs. It’s important to note that an FCA is not a requirement of the NDIS. You can still apply for funding by having a health professional write a letter outlining the impact of your disability on your participation.
An FCA could be recommended by your therapist or support coordinator if there have been any significant changes to your circumstances or needs. An FCA could re-evaluate your situation and provide new recommendations to continue supporting you to reach your goals. Or, you or your family could request an FCA to help guide you on how to spend your therapy funding.
What is the purpose of an FCA?
During an FCA, your Occupational Therapist will make observations and ask you some questions (including standardised assessments). It usually involves other key people such as teachers, medical practitioners, and other allied health practitioners.
FCAs take into consideration everything about you – where you’re at in life, your responsibilities, your medical history and any barriers you may face.
What’s included in an FCA report?
FCA reports written by occupational therapists usually:
- Identify your strengths
- List any possible limitations that can hinder you in being independent
- Recommend strategies and supports, such as recommending the number of support hours or equipment required within a NDIS plan
- Guide the NDIS planner and your family on supports that will be needed within a new NDIS plan as well as possible future planning.
When would I need an FCA report?
You may need an existing or new FCA report when:
- It’s a requirement of a plan – to help guide services and allowances made within future plans or for future life transitions. In this instance funding will typically be included within your NDIS plan.
- It’s recommended by your therapist, service provider, or support coordinator to support any change in circumstance or funding. In this instance, an FCA will typically be funded from the already allocated therapy budget within your NDIS plan.
- It’s requested by you or your family to guide your support needs if you are transitioning to the NDIS, or when reviewing or appealing a plan. In this instance, the FCA can be funded from your current NDIS plan or privately funded if not currently under NDIS.
How does having an FCA report benefit me?
- Increased participation and independence in activities (current and future)
- Ensures that adequate levels of support/funding are identified and justified to the NDIA
- Identifies possible therapy goals
- Helps to identify therapy strategies to support goal achievement
- Assists with forward planning/planning for future needs.
How does having an FCA report benefit me?
Once you’ve received your FCA report, you can use the recommendations to justify your need for funding from the NDIS.
Your report should outline recommendations for ways to enhance your independence and help you to reach your goals. You can use your report to plan how you want to spend your NDIS funding, or as evidence to justify your need for funding from the NDIS.
You can choose who you share your FCA report with, and it can be helpful to share it with your other healthcare professionals to ensure everybody is on the same page. It’s a tool that should empower you and your family to make informed decisions regarding the support and/or equipment you want.
What makes a great FCA?
Given the importance of FCAs in the NDIS planning process, we’ve put together the below key points to help clients and referrers understand what makes a Functional Capacity Assessment great!
An effective FCA should:
- Be tailored to the individual, understanding the essence of the person and their specific needs
- Be strengths-based, ensuring not to limit the strengths of the person
- Make use of relevant evidenced-based assessments across all environments and will include comprehensive information across a broad spectrum of areas
- Be concise and easy to read, with minimal use of jargon and clearly defined recommendations.
Superyou provides Functional Capacity Assessments to Perth-based clients
Our Occupational Therapists at Superyou are highly skilled and qualified in delivering Functional Capacity Assessment reports. If you’re unsure whether a FCA is right for you, or you’re ready to begin the process, get in touch or make a referral.
Our experienced and professional Occupational Therapists are trained in administering Functional Capacity Assessments and providing comprehensive reports to participants and the NDIS.
We spend time getting to know you so we can focus on the things that are most important in your life. Plus, you don’t need a referral to access a Functional Capacity Assessment.
You can check our waitlist times here and book in for your FCA.