Functional Capacity Assessment
What support do you need in daily life, and how can it be explained in a report?
A Functional Capacity Assessment, or FCA, explores how the person manages daily activities and what support may help. The occupational therapist, or OT, considers their strengths, what takes more effort, their surroundings and the help they already use. The OT then brings it together in a detailed report to bring a clear picture about the support needs and recommendations.
Not sure where to start? Contact us and we will guide you.
What would you like to know?
What does an FCA look at?
You may know that you or someone you support needs help, but still have questions about what that help should involve.
We get to know how you spend your day, what matters to you and what makes activities easier or harder. Your diagnosis can provide useful information. Your experiences, preferences and surroundings help explain what support suits your daily life.
That then goes into a detailed report called an FCA, which helps others understand what support you need and why, so you can get the right help for your everyday life and goals.
For the assessment, your OT may look at how you do things like:
- 1
Personal care
Getting dressed, showering, using the toilet, eating and other daily routines.
- 2
Movement
Moving around your home and community, using equipment and managing the physical demands of activities.
- 3
Thinking and learning
Remembering information, planning, organising tasks, learning routines and recognising safety concerns.
- 4
Communication
Understanding information, expressing your needs, making choices and using your preferred ways to communicate.
- 5
Taking part with others
Playing, studying, working, spending time with other people and joining community activities.
- 6
Everyday responsibilities
Preparing meals, shopping, managing money and completing household tasks.
- 7
Surroundings and support
How space, sensory experiences, routines and the people around you affect an activity.
We also consider the support behind an activity. You may use reminders, equipment, physical help, extra time or rest afterwards.
For example, a child might get dressed with clothes prepared and reminders from a parent. A teenager might need help planning a trip to school. An adult might cook but need help shopping and organising ingredients. An older person might shower using equipment and assistance.
These details explain what makes an activity possible, how much effort it takes and what changes between days. Your preferred level of support is part of the assessment.
When might an FCA help?
An FCA may be useful when you need a report explaining disability-related support needs.
For example:
You are applying for the NDIS or preparing for a plan reassessment.
Your needs have changed, and existing reports no longer reflect daily life.
Help provided by family, carers or support workers needs to be documented.
The NDIS has asked for more information about your support needs.
A change at home, school or work means your support needs should be reviewed.
You may already have reports that answer some of these questions. The OT considers what is available and what still needs to be understood before deciding what to assess.
See how this service applies to different stages of life.
Do you need an FCA or an OT Assessment?
The difference is what you need the assessment to help you do.
01
OT Assessment
When you want help with a particular activity, routine or area of daily life.
An OT Assessment focuses on something you want to understand or make easier. This could be getting dressed, preparing meals, managing a routine or moving around safely.
The OT looks at what is happening, what is making the activity difficult and what may help. You receive practical recommendations and, where needed, a written report.
02
Functional Capacity Assessment
When you need evidence of your support needs across different areas of daily life.
An FCA looks more broadly at how you manage everyday activities, what you do independently and where support is needed.
This information is brought together in a detailed report, usually for an NDIS application, reassessment or another NDIS decision.
Still unsure which one you need?
If you want help to make something in daily life easier, start with an OT Assessment.
If you need evidence of how much support you need across daily life, an FCA may be the right assessment.
What happens during an FCA?
Your OT plans the assessment around you and the reason the report is needed.
01
We understand your daily life and the reason for the report
Your OT asks about your routines, strengths, goals, current support and the activities that take more effort. You discuss what has changed and any deadline.
If you are arranging an assessment for someone else, their views and preferred ways of communicating help guide the work.
02
We explore relevant activities
The OT may observe activities, review existing reports and use questionnaires or activity records. With consent, they may also speak with people you choose to involve.
They may use standardised assessment tools. These use consistent questions, tasks or scoring to gather information. The results are considered alongside your experiences and observations of daily activities.
The appointments, settings and tools depend on what needs to be understood. Your OT explains the proposed assessment.
03
We prepare and explain your report
The OT brings the information together, explains their recommendations and provides the report for the agreed purpose.
If something remains unclear or needs further assessment, the report explains that too.
What will your report explain?
Your report may describe:
- your strengths, goals and daily routines
- the activities assessed and where support is needed
- the help, equipment or adjustments you already use
- how your surroundings and changing needs affect activities
- the information gathered and the OT's recommendations
- the reasons for those recommendations and any limits to the findings.
You can use the report to discuss support with the NDIS or, with your consent, others involved in your care.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) decides NDIS eligibility and funding. The report provides evidence but does not guarantee approval.
For older people who remain NDIS participants, an FCA can explain disability-related support needs. It is separate from the government assessment used to access aged care.
How much does an FCA cost?
Our current therapy rate is
$193.99
per hour
The total depends on what needs to be assessed, what information is already available and what the report needs to cover.
Agreed work may include appointments, observations, reviewing reports, assessment tools, communication, analysing findings, report writing and provider travel where applicable. We explain the proposed work before the assessment begins.
Funding and service arrangements
Whether NDIS funding can cover the FCA depends on your plan and current rules. Payment for the assessment is separate from funding for any support it recommends.
How to get started
Select Start a Referral below. This opens our New Patient Referral form, which you can complete for yourself, your child or someone you support.
Describe the activities that need support, what already helps and what has changed.
The most useful part of the form
Tell us why a report is needed, what it has been asked to explain and any deadline. Share relevant reports or NDIS correspondence if available. You do not need every document ready before contacting us.
We check whether we can provide the assessment and our current availability. We then contact you or your nominated person to confirm the information, funding and documents needed.
Our admin team confirms the required paperwork and arranges your assessment appointment. You and your OT agree what the assessment needs to cover and who you would like involved.
