Engaging Conversations | Inspiring Dialogue, Empowering Communities

#37 - When Community Leads, Systems Change with Simone Stanley

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What if plan management felt human, transparent, and genuinely helpful from day one? We sat down with Simone Stanley from Plan Tracker to explore how a people-first approach can transform the NDIS from a maze into a map. Simone’s story begins at home, shaped by a family journey through surgeries, mobility challenges, and the quiet strength of carers. That experience drives a simple mission: empower participants and families with clarity, not jargon; visibility, not guesswork; and advocacy that steps up when things get tough.

Throughout the conversation, we delve into the practical elements that make support meaningful. Simone explains how transparent budgeting tools give participants, nominees, and support coordinators a shared view of funding and milestones, reducing anxiety and avoiding missteps. We discuss why regional communities need face-to-face outreach, local partnerships, and consistency to build lasting trust. And we talk about crisis response, such as airport calls, sudden housing losses, and gaps in support, where a skilled care team can turn panic into a plan by moving quickly and communicating clearly.

What stands out is the ecosystem approach. Plan Tracker sees plan management as a community role, not just a back-office task, by educating through live sessions and socials, connecting providers with coordinators, and championing feedback to help the government refine the scheme. “Better together” isn’t just a motto; it’s how outcomes improve when information flows and people feel seen. You’ll also hear about initiatives like the Kindness Pantry and the ongoing work to raise standards across the sector through partnerships, events, and a visible presence online and on the ground.

If you’re after plan management that prioritises people over processes, this conversation is your guide. Subscribe for more purpose-driven stories, share this with someone navigating the NDIS, and leave a quick review to help others find thoughtful, human-centred conversations like this.

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Leon Goltsman:

Hello and welcome back to Engaging Conversations. I'm your host, Leon Goltsman, and it's great to be back here this week as we sit down with people who are redefining what's possible for our communities, our industries, and our collective future. Today's episode is all about leadership with heart and the difference that compassion, communication, and community can make in people's lives. My special guest is Simone Stanley, Business Relationship Manager at Plan Tracker, a people first NDIS plan management service that's transforming the way participants, providers and support coordinators connect and collaborate. With a special connection through her own family, Simone brings authenticity, empathy, and a deep understanding of what real support looks like. From simplifying budgets and building trust to empowering families through education. Simone and the team at Plan Tracker are showing what it means to lead by example and make the system work better for everyone. This episode is proudly brought to you by Napean Advanced Rehab and Allied Health Centre, where lives are changed every day through expert care delivered with compassion, integrity, and results. Guided by their powerful purpose, empowering movement, restoring life, they continue to help people rebuild confidence and independence through advanced rehabilitation and allied health services. And a special thank you to Niaz Cannoth, whose ongoing support helps recognize good people doing great things. Because success isn't built alone. It happens when we surround ourselves with good people who lift each other up. The views shared in this episode are for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional or legal advice. So if you're ready to be inspired by purpose-driven leadership and the incredible impact of people helping people, you've come to the right place. So without further ado, let's get into it.

Simone Stanley:

Hi, I'm Simone Stanley. I'm the business relationship manager for Plan Tracker, and I'm from the Centre Coast, and I love the beach lifestyle. But more than that is that it's really good to be part of this incredible community.

Leon Goltsman:

It is a beautiful community, Simone, and I'm so glad to have you here on this programme. Now, within the broader group, both Plan Tracker and Plan Manager play important roles, but each bring something unique. So, Simone, how would you describe what sets Plan Tracker apart and the kind of experience it offers to participants, providers, and support coordinators?

Simone Stanley:

At Plan Tracker, it is really important for us to focus on the people and have a very people's first approach. It's very important for us because we are grown at the Central Coast, and this is where people really mattered. And the people helped us to grow, and the people really understand us that the product is more than just transactions. It is about caring, accessible, being advocates. That's what really matters to all of us. And of course, when we talk about that, is traditionally plan managers are more about transactions. But we are more than that. We transform lives and we help people to transform their lives.

Leon Goltsman:

Well, that sounds really inspiring because I from what I've seen, your role involves connecting with real people every day from participants and families to coordinators and providers. What's your personal approach to building those connections and ensuring people feel genuinely supported, not just managed?

Simone Stanley:

Well, we are listening to the needs of our community, and we really want to give a solution to people that helps them to transform their lives and give them what they need so that they have that team that helps them to live their best lives. And that really reflects on the culture that Plan Tracker has from the ground up, from the grassroots of the community. This is how we started, and today we still stand strong on that.

Leon Goltsman:

Most people sometimes, when they when they build up a company, when they progress, they sometimes forget where they came from. But we've seen that Plan Tracker's model was built to give participants more control and confidence in navigating the NDIS. How does Plan Tracker make the process simpler and more empowering for participants who might otherwise find the NDIS system overwhelming? And it is, it can be very overwhelming.

Simone Stanley:

It is absolutely overwhelming, but we are here to help. And we are here to help to make the process simpler. We like to communicate very clearly, and we like to give solutions that help people to move forward with the current rules that the NDIS sets. But we want to help you, we want to help families in order to make the most out of their plans. We are focusing on clear communication, we're focusing on providing platforms that help people to understand where their budgets are and have that visibility and clear control over their funding. But not only that, we run education sessions, we provide open communications on various platforms like our portal, on the socials, on our website. So always look out. We are very much on the front line to provide the best communication and the best guidelines on how to utilize your funds. And what is more important is that we're doing it in an open, transparent way.

Leon Goltsman:

You know, and this is the difference. A lot of people do things and you just don't know what you're getting. So really that must be like music to people's ears.

Simone Stanley:

Yes, absolutely.

Leon Goltsman:

So my understanding is that Plan Tracker's model was built to give participants more control and confidence in navigating the NDIS. Now, I I I've done my homework, so I've really, this is a really important subject. And so I've um I'm asking you some curveball questions here, and you seem to be answering them very, very confidently.

Simone Stanley:

Thank you, Leon, for having me on this beautiful podcast and providing Plan Tracker the opportunity to share what really matters.

Leon Goltsman:

Well, the thing is, it's not just Plan Tracker, we care about people and communities, so we really want to recommend the best people who are gonna do that.

Simone Stanley:

Well, we are very proud to be the best plan manager in Australia.

Leon Goltsman:

And your clients and the people you work with hopefully will agree with you. Uh, but really, what I what I'm trying to understand is how does Plan Tracker make the process simpler and more empowering for participants who might otherwise find the NDIS system very overwhelming?

Simone Stanley:

Well, first of all, our platform is extremely transparent and that provides a tool for participants, nominees, and support coordinator to exactly know the journey of the participants. But not only that, we have a fantastic customer care team that answers with empathy and is helping participants to find a solution to any of their queries that they may have. But most importantly, really, we are in the community, we understand the community, we advocate for the community, and we are here to transform lives.

Leon Goltsman:

So, look, I've traveled a lot, right? And I do spend a lot of time in different parts of Australia, regional parts in particular. Now, what I've noticed is that city areas, the metropolitan areas often face very different challenges, and we're seeing a lot of people, a lot of people falling through the cracks. Now, this is a concern, especially when people try and be a little bit of something to everybody and they just tend to miss the mark. But what interests me is to find out ways that Plan Tracker is engaging with regional communities and what you know what you think matters most to the people in those areas.

Simone Stanley:

Yes, I absolutely agree. The challenges that you mentioned about regional areas, the real issue is accessibility. Accessibility, local partnerships, outreach events, and the importance of building trust where face-to-face contact still means something, what really matters in the regional areas. We cannot underestimate, particularly in our community, what face-to-face outreach program and building this local partnership means.

Leon Goltsman:

And so what does it mean?

Simone Stanley:

It really means you build strong relationships and therefore you have the integrity, you have somebody to talk to, you can talk through with and understand what is the need and how can you overcome that and how can you provide supports.

Leon Goltsman:

And if you have the right partnerships, then even though some people may not be able to fulfill some of those things, other people are likely to. Is that what I'm hearing?

Simone Stanley:

Yes, absolutely. You need the right team around you, that's for sure.

Leon Goltsman:

Yeah. Well, having the right team means you're working to build bridges with other professionals' expertise and deep understanding of people.

Simone Stanley:

Absolutely.

Leon Goltsman:

So, what drives you personally in this role and how has your own journey shaped the way that you connect with the NDIS community?

Simone Stanley:

First of all, I haven't shared this story with too many people, Leon. So it's very close to my heart. But my mum, when she was a baby, her knees burned functioning properly, and she had to be in a brace. And then she needed to have many knee operations and later on hip operations. But my mum stayed strong and very focused, and now she has full mobility, but she never um wanted to admit that she has a disability and she fought through it all her life. But me as her daughter, I saw these challenges, and I had to travel home many times from Australia to back home to Germany to help my mum and my dad to run his business because my mum had to go back to hospital to have another operation. So it is very close to my heart to help the community, and Australia is such a lucky country that they have the NDIS and that they have the government supporting and building capacity for people, which is so meaningful. So when I got here and I learned about the NDIS, I thought, wow, this is helping families, this is helping people. We need to bring these communities together, and we can shape that, and I can help that because I know how meaningful that could be for anyone.

Leon Goltsman:

We really are in this together. What affects one person really indirectly affects everybody.

Simone Stanley:

Yeah. It affects carers, it affects the family, siblings, it affects everybody. And you know, better together is a very meaningful phrase. And we as Plan Trucker, we very strongly emphasize better together. Because if we are better together, we can make this fantastic, and we can build the right teams and we can make the impossible possible. I'm very much about the community and connecting the right people with each other so that they can leverage and that they can build something better together. Our plan tracker socials, particularly around LinkedIn and Facebook, come with us, come with me, let's have a look where we're going today, what we're exploring today. We do understand that our community not necessarily can go out or have the capacity, particular families, but they can come with us and they can go and explore. Let's look what this provider is doing, let's have a look what this event is doing, let's have a look what we can learn over there. It's about sharing what's out there, what our community has to offer, and how people can benefit from utilizing those programs.

Leon Goltsman:

I've seen a lot of social media events, right? These days there's plenty.

Simone Stanley:

Yeah.

Leon Goltsman:

I I'm fortunate that I've attended some of the events where our paths have crossed. Yeah. And um, it's interesting because so many people claim to be doing so many things for the community. But really, at the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding. People can say whatever they want. Actions speak louder than words. Tell me, what do you think about that?

Simone Stanley:

I agree. We need to come together, we need to talk about the value that we add to our community, and we need to see how we can work together and how can people benefit from each other and the participants ultimately. It is government funds that we get paid, and it is important that it circles around and that it all goes around. Particular, let's not forget the focus of the participants, because that is what the scheme is for.

Leon Goltsman:

And the participants, they're the ones that are providing the feedback to the government, are they not?

Simone Stanley:

Yes, they are.

Leon Goltsman:

So the government should really be listening, shouldn't they?

Simone Stanley:

Yes, they absolutely should, because better together and we can do this, and we are very grateful for the scheme.

Leon Goltsman:

Seeing what's out there and getting to see some of the proactive work, Plan Tracker has developed strong brand recognition within the sector. You'd agree with that, wouldn't you?

Simone Stanley:

Absolutely. We have a very strong brand, and we are very representative. We are transforming their lives. We are we are here every day helping people to navigate, transform lives, and live better lives.

Leon Goltsman:

So you're saying, you know, you're saying um you're building better lives. And I'm gonna ask you, you know, that's my job, to get to get you talking, and you're pretty good.

Simone Stanley:

Thank you, you too. Thank you for the great questions.

Leon Goltsman:

They're not always easy. For uh, you know, you'd be surprised how many people I ask basic questions and and they can't answer them. So far, you've been doing well.

Simone Stanley:

Thank you. Thank you for the great questions. If you speak from the heart, it's very easy. And if you if you cannot have impact in the community, it's even better.

Leon Goltsman:

Yeah, well, you certainly are having impact in the community. And and it's a good thing. Look, you you're not alone. There's a lot of really good people out there who are doing great things. But we're talking about you and Plan Tracker here. So what steps are you and your team taking to strengthen that brand awareness, especially among support coordinators and providers who may not yet understand the difference between the two brands?

Simone Stanley:

We're definitely running outreach programs and we're educating, we're doing events, online events, outreach programs in the regional areas. That is what really matters. And how are we differentiating? PlanTrucker is uh very engaged in the digital engagement and the word to mouse is strong. Our community, particularly regional and particularly at the Central Coast, it's it's a very close community, and the integrity part and the trust in the community and being better together and having a good, strong team that is empathetic and listens to the need of the participants, that is what sets us apart as plant tracker.

Leon Goltsman:

Well, you know your brand, you know your audience. I think that that's you've just answered the question.

Simone Stanley:

Yes. The purpose, the advocacy, the impact that we can have as a business, as individuals, and as a team, as a community is remarkable. And I do like to always bring providers together and see what are the current issues of our community, how can we address that, and how can we be better. There's a very uh conversation that I like to have all the time, and I always like to address current issues within our community so that we can all be better together. We are very grateful about the event that you invited Plan Checker to celebrate connections. Uh it was amazing, it was a fantastic event, and the connections that we made on that night were phenomenal, and it will have real impact to our community. Uh, we're just launching this um pantry coming up in November, and you will be speaking as well. So we are very delighted about that. But you even provided connections on the night that will make this even better and grander. So, you know, thank you to you and your team for making this possible because that is what impact means for celebrating connections and what connections can do.

Leon Goltsman:

Yeah, and it is very important because some of the best of the best, they just describe themselves as being a tiny little cog in the whole process.

Simone Stanley:

But see, what you brought from Waverly to the Central Coast with the Kindness Pantry and continuing the legacy and bringing a team along that can make this very sustainable in a time where the community really needs that, that is what really matters.

Leon Goltsman:

Yeah. And and everything we do, it involves good people who have their own incredible stories to share. Because we know that behind every brand are stories that reveal its true impact. And one of the greatest things, and I still pinch myself every day to be doing what I do. But these podcasts, they're about the people who are on the program. And today, of course, it's about you. So speaking of stories and true impact, could you share an example of when you saw the difference Plan Tracker made where a participant or family felt truly supported because of the way your team worked with them?

Simone Stanley:

Yes, well, every day. Every day we have stories where support coordinators, providers reach out and say, I have a participant in crisis. Um, they lost their housing, they lost their supports. How can we help them? How can we help them to find the right funding? How can we help them to see what providers are out there? That that's what our team does every day, and we make that difference every day. And our team are phenomenal at the job that they do. We've had participants at Crisis at the airport where they ring in and our team talks them through on you know what is right and what's wrong and what can be done. So there are incredible stories every day, and I'm very proud to be part of such an incredible team that answers those phones every day and helps those people to transform their lives and find the right supports.

Leon Goltsman:

Every day there's a story. So clearly the work that you do is is not something that happens periodically or occasionally. So you're changing lives every day.

Simone Stanley:

We do change lives every day, and I couldn't be prouder to be a part of such an incredible team that does this every day with ease, with empathy. They lead with leadership and they respond very quickly. And it is incredible work that we all do every day. And uh I am a proud member of Plan Tracker, and it is a pleasure to wake up every day and keep transforming those lives.

Leon Goltsman:

Oh, good on you. Good on you. Well done. Before I let you go, many listeners and participants, coordinators, or providers wanting to connect with the right plan managers. They they they do. Yes. They're always looking for good people.

Simone Stanley:

It is. It is also important to have the right team. It is important to have the right person behind you that supports you and helps you to make the right decisions going forward.

Leon Goltsman:

So, Simone, for anyone listening who's curious about working with Plan Tracker, what's the best way to reach out and what can they expect from the first conversation?

Simone Stanley:

Well, the best way to reach out is 1-800-549-670 or go to our website www.plantrecker.com.au.

Leon Goltsman:

So the number is 1-800-549-670 or visit www.plantracker.com.au.

Simone Stanley:

Always remember to check out our socials on Facebook, Planracker, or on LinkedIn and see and come with us. Come with us on this journey and exploring what great people do out there in our community.

Leon Goltsman:

I'm there. I'm already there, so I don't need to come anywhere. I'm there.

Simone Stanley:

Fantastic. See you there.

Leon Goltsman:

Hey listen, when's the next event, by the way?

Simone Stanley:

Next event will be on the 13th of November at 10am in Shamhaven at the launch of our Cutness Pantry.

Leon Goltsman:

That's the one I'm going to.

Simone Stanley:

You're gonna be there. See you there, come with us.

Leon Goltsman:

I'm there, I'm there. Now look, thank you so much for coming on.

Simone Stanley:

Thank you for all the work you do with the number community and the connections that you provide all of us to connect and learn from each other and provide better services and connect the communities and get great outcomes. So really thank you, Leon. It's been a pleasure to share, and uh thank you for having Plan Tracker on this podcast.

Leon Goltsman:

Simone, thank you very much, and thank you to Plan Tracker for um for their great work as well. Now that was a conversation filled with purpose, empathy, and heart. The kind that reminds us why community matters and how small acts of kindness can make a huge difference. Simone Stanley and the team at Plan Tracker are setting a benchmark for what true plan management can be: transparent, compassionate, and deeply human. Their work reminds us that when we put people first, everything else follows. And if something resonated with you today, a story, a perspective, or even a shift in how you see the NDIS, consider it an invitation to learn more, to connect, to lead with empathy and raise the standard in your own work. You can find links to Plan Tracker in the show notes, along with details of their upcoming kindness pantry event and ways to get involved. A heartfelt thank you once again to Napean Advanced Rehab and Allied Health Centre, and of course to Niaz Cannoth, whose support helps bring together good people doing great things, and reminds us that collaboration is how real progress happens. If you haven't already, follow Engaging Conversations, share this episode with someone who cares about making a difference, and leave a short review to help others discover the show. I'm Leon Goltsman, and until next time, stay curious, stay connected, and let's keep doing good things together.

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Leon Goltsman

Host
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Simone Stanley

Guest