Information for Support Coordinators and LACs
NDIS referrals across Bairnsdale, Sale, Lakes Entrance and East Gippsland
ESports Collective is Bairnsdale's gaming hub and NDIS provider for neurodivergent young people, delivered through Gippsland Care Collective. If you're a support coordinator or Local Area Coordinator with a participant who lives for gaming, this page gives you everything you need to refer.
Make a referral →
What does ESports Collective offer participants?
Interest-based NDIS supports built around gaming, tabletop and technology, delivered from a real gaming venue at 58 Macleod Street, Bairnsdale. Programs include Social Circle groups, 1:1 skill development, a Supported Work Program, an NDIS After School Club and on-site allied health.
The model is simple: when support starts from something a participant already loves, engagement stops being the barrier. Sessions are run by support workers and peer support workers who are neurodivergent themselves or have close lived experience of disability, in a space that doesn't feel clinical because it isn't one.
Participants travel to us from across East Gippsland and Wellington Shire, with transport arranged as part of their supports.
Who is a good fit to refer?
Our sweet spot is neurodivergent young people aged roughly 8 to 30 whose interests centre on gaming, Minecraft, Dungeons and Dragons, sim racing or technology - especially participants who have disengaged from traditional supports, struggled with clinical settings, or whose goals involve social connection, communication, independence or employment pathways.
Participants don't need to be confident gamers. They need an interest we can build from. Existing support workers are welcome to bring participants to casual gaming from 3pm on weekdays, paid out of pocket at standard casual rates. Our NDIS sessions are delivered by our own support team, so participants use our supports for those.
Distance is not a barrier
Participants from Sale, Maffra, Stratford, Lakes Entrance and Orbost attend with transport arranged as part of their supports. If your participant is outside Bairnsdale, refer anyway - we'll sort the logistics.
How does a referral work?
Three steps from referral to first session.
Send the referral
Use our online referral form - it takes a few minutes. Or email ndis@esportscollective.com.au or call 0468 009 660 to talk it through first.
We make contact
We'll contact the participant or their family within a couple of business days, talk through goals and interests, and suggest a starting program - plus a transport arrangement if they're outside Bairnsdale.
First visit, then a plan
Every participant starts with a visit to see the hub and meet the team. If it's a fit, we confirm the program, schedule and funding arrangement with you in the loop.
What should you know before referring?
The practical details coordinators usually ask about first.
Funding is goal-dependent
Programs can be delivered under Core supports such as Assistance with Social and Community Participation, Capacity Building supports such as Increased Social and Community Participation, or other goal-aligned categories - we match the support to the plan, not the other way around.
Registration status
We're currently going through NDIS provider registration. Right now we support self-managed and plan-managed participants through Gippsland Care Collective.
Transport from surrounding towns
Participants attend from Sale, Maffra, Stratford, Lakes Entrance and Orbost with transport arranged as part of their supports - the trip with a support worker counts as support time.
Reporting and communication
You'll get straightforward progress communication tied to the participant's goals, and a team that answers the phone. One provider, one venue, no run-around.
Questions we hear most from coordinators
Tight answers you can lift straight into a conversation with a family.
Is ESports Collective a registered NDIS provider?
ESports Collective is currently going through the process of becoming a registered NDIS provider. In the meantime it supports self-managed and plan-managed participants through Gippsland Care Collective.
Which NDIS funding categories can be used at ESports Collective?
Funding is flexible and goal-dependent. Programs can sit under Core supports such as Assistance with Social and Community Participation, Capacity Building supports such as Increased Social and Community Participation, or other categories aligned to the participant's goals and plan.
Do you accept participants from outside Bairnsdale?
Yes. Participants attend from Sale, Maffra, Stratford, Lakes Entrance, Orbost and across East Gippsland, with transport to and from the Bairnsdale hub arranged as part of their supports.
How do I make a referral to ESports Collective?
Use the online referral form at esportscollective.com.au/ndis-referral, email ndis@esportscollective.com.au, or call 0468 009 660. ESports Collective makes contact within a couple of business days and starts every participant with a no-pressure first visit.
Can a participant's existing support worker attend sessions?
For casual gaming, yes - existing support workers can bring participants from 3pm on weekdays, paid out of pocket at standard casual rates. Our NDIS sessions are delivered by our own support team, so participants use ESports Collective supports for those.
Got a participant in mind?
Send the referral and we'll take it from there - first contact within a couple of business days, and a no-pressure first visit to start.
Make a referral →or call 0468 009 660