Published by SESI Care Services · Updated August 2026 · 2-minute summary
Quick answer: Neither option is better on its own — it depends on the goal. Group activities suit making friends, shared-interest activities and stretching a tight budget, because the cost is split between everyone in the group. One-to-one support suits a specific personal goal, higher support needs, someone who finds groups overwhelming, or an interest nobody nearby shares. Many people use both, often starting one-to-one to build confidence before trying a group.
Key takeaways
- Group activities cost less per hour per person because the worker’s time and NDIS price limit are shared across the group.
- One-to-one support gives full attention to one person’s pace, pattern and goal — useful before joining a group, not instead of one.
- The real goal for many people is a mainstream club with no paid support at all — group and one-to-one support are often steps towards that, not the destination.
- A “disability group” is not automatically community inclusion — check who else is actually there.
- You can trial a group once before committing to a regular roster.
- SESI runs both community participation and innovative community participation supports across Victoria.
What’s the real difference between group and one-to-one support?
One-to-one support is a support worker’s full attention, for the whole session, on one person. Group support is a worker (or several) shared across a number of participants at the same time — commonly a 1:2, 1:3 or larger ratio.
That difference in staffing ratio drives almost everything else: cost per hour, how much the activity can be tailored to one person, how much peer contact happens, and how flexible the timing is. Neither is a lesser version of the other — they’re built for different jobs.
When does one-to-one support suit better?
One-to-one usually suits when the goal is specific to one person, rather than “get out more” in general:
- A specific personal goal — learning one bus route, practising ordering at a particular café, building up to a job interview.
- Higher support needs, where the worker needs to manage communication, behaviour support or personal care alongside the activity, and can’t split attention across a group.
- Someone who finds groups overwhelming — sensory load, unfamiliar people, or the pace of a group causing more stress than benefit.
- Building a skill before joining others — practising a new activity privately first, so the first group session isn’t also the first attempt.
- A genuinely unusual interest — if nobody nearby shares it, there’s no group to join yet, and one-to-one support is what makes the activity possible at all.
When does a group suit better?
Groups tend to suit when the goal itself is social, or the aim is to make the budget go further:
- Making friends. Peer contact happens as a side effect of attending, not as a separate goal a worker has to engineer.
- Cost efficiency. The same weekly budget buys more hours of support when the cost is shared.
- Shared-interest activities — a card group, a walking group, a men’s shed, a craft class — where the activity is naturally done alongside others.
- People who are energised, not drained, by other people around them.
How does the funding actually work?
This is the part most families get wrong: it’s not that group support is “cheaper support,” it’s that the same hourly price is split between more people.
Under NDIS pricing for group-based social and community participation, the maximum hourly rate is set per group, and each participant’s share is the group price divided by the number of people attending — so a session run at a 1:3 ratio costs each participant roughly a third of what the same worker’s time would cost one-to-one. The NDIA’s guidance on this pricing model confirms that splitting a larger group into smaller ones with a set ratio changes what each participant is charged, because “the hourly rate for group activities is divided by the number of participants in the group” (see Group-Based Supports – Pricing Transition, NDIS). One-to-one support, by contrast, is charged at the full relevant hourly rate, because one person is receiving the worker’s entire attention.
This is why a modest Core budget can fund a lot of group hours, but only a handful of one-to-one hours. It’s also why the NDIS 2026–27 price guide matters when you’re planning: check what ratio a provider is actually charging you, and whether a centre fee is included on top.
One important limit either way: the NDIS funds the support to take part, not the activity itself in most cases. Membership fees, entry tickets and standard equipment are everyday costs everyone pays. The NDIS social and recreation support guideline sets this out clearly, along with the “value for money” test the NDIA applies to any funded support.
Which one suits your situation?
| Situation | What usually suits better | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wants to make friends and enjoys shared-interest activities | Group | Peer contact happens naturally, and the cost is split across everyone |
| Has one specific, personal goal (a skill, a place, a routine) | One-to-one | Full attention on that one goal, without a group timetable to fit around |
| Finds groups overwhelming, or has higher support needs | One-to-one, at least to start | Time to settle without an audience, before trying a group |
| Has a genuinely unusual interest nobody nearby shares | One-to-one | No matching group exists to join |
| Budget is tight but community time matters | Group | Ratio pricing means the same dollars buy more hours |
| Wants to build confidence before joining others | One-to-one, then group | A worker can go at their pace and prepare them for the group setting |
What’s the honest downside of each approach?
One-to-one support can become isolating if it’s the only community support someone gets — the relationship is with the worker, not with peers, and it can create dependence on one particular person being rostered. It’s also the more expensive option per hour, so it doesn’t stretch a limited budget as far.
Group support can be a poor fit if the group’s pace, timetable or activity doesn’t suit the person — there’s less room to tailor the session to one individual. And a genuine trap worth naming: a “disability group” is not automatically community inclusion. A group made up entirely of other NDIS participants and paid workers, run in a disability-service building, can still leave someone just as disconnected from ordinary community life as staying home. Ask who else attends, and whether the group ever does things alongside people who aren’t paid to be there or funded to attend.
What’s the usual pathway — and how do you trial without committing?
A sequence many people use, in this order:
- One-to-one support to build a skill or confidence in a low-pressure setting.
- A group — often disability-specific at first — for regular peer contact and cost-efficient hours.
- A mainstream club or activity with no paid support at all — a local sports club, choir, gym class or hobby group, attended independently.
Step three is worth stating plainly: for many people, that’s the actual goal, and group and one-to-one support are the scaffolding to get there, not the end point. Not everyone will reach step three, and that’s fine — some people need ongoing support to take part, and that’s exactly what the NDIS is for. But it’s worth checking, every so often, whether support that started as a stepping stone has quietly become the destination.
Before committing to a regular roster, most providers can arrange a single trial session of a group activity, so you can see the venue, the other participants and the pace before agreeing to weekly attendance. Ask about this directly — it’s a reasonable request, and a provider who won’t offer one is worth questioning.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have both group and one-to-one support in the same NDIS plan?
Yes. Many participants use a mix — for example, a weekly group activity for social contact, plus occasional one-to-one time for a specific goal. Both are funded from Core – Assistance with Social and Community Participation; skill-building programs can also draw on Capacity Building – Increased Social and Community Participation.
Why does one-to-one support cost more per hour than a group?
Because one worker’s time is charged entirely to one participant, at the full hourly rate. In a group, the same hourly price is divided between everyone attending, so each person pays a fraction of it. See Group-Based Supports – Pricing Transition for how the NDIA sets this out for providers.
What if there’s no group for my particular interest?
One-to-one support is usually the answer, at least until a matching group exists. A support coordinator can also help you find or start something informally with a neighbourhood house, club or other community organisation.
Is a “disability group” the same as community inclusion?
Not necessarily. A group of only other NDIS participants and paid workers, in a disability-service setting, is a valid and useful support — but it isn’t the same as being part of a mainstream club or activity. Both have a place; it’s worth being clear about which one you’re aiming for.
Does the NDIS pay for the cost of the activity itself, in either model?
Usually not. The NDIS funds the support you need to take part — a worker’s time, transport, and skill-building. Entry fees, memberships and standard equipment are everyday costs everyone pays, in both group and one-to-one settings.
How do I try a group activity without committing to it long term?
Ask the provider for a single trial session before agreeing to a regular roster. It lets you see the venue, the group and the pace, and decide whether it’s the right fit before funding is committed to it.
Talk to SESI
Whether the right starting point is a group, one-to-one support, or a bit of both, we can help you work it out. We run community participation and innovative community participation supports across Victoria.
Tell us what’s going on: sesi.com.au/referral · Call: 1800 017 374
This guide is general information based on NDIS guidance on group-based supports pricing and social and recreation supports, current at August 2026. It is not advice about your individual plan. For questions about your own funding, call the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
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