Support the Victorian NDIS Community Advisory Council
Support the Victorian NDIS Community Advisory Council to provide advice about the operation and implementation of the NDIS in Victoria.
What we have done and continue to do:
- Support quarterly Victorian NDIS Community Advisory Council and Victorian Executive Steering Committee (ESC) meetings. The council is an advisory committee to the ESC made up of:
- people with disability
- NDIS participants
- peak bodies
- service providers
- people holding statutory positions.
The council's advice centres on improving people’s experience with the NDIS. The council also advocates for people with disability having a central role in the design and operation of the NDIS.
- The ESC is comprised of senior executives from:
- the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
- Victorian government agencies
- Commonwealth government agencies.
Lead division: Disability, Complex Needs and Emergency Management
Represent and advocate for the needs of Victorians with disability
Represent and advocate for the needs of Victorians with disability in all forums. These include the Disability Reform Ministers meetings and the Victorian Executive Steering Committee.
What we have done and continue to do:
- Represent and advocate for the needs of Victorians with disability through providing policy advice, analysis and key points of advocacy. This supports the minister’s role with Disability Reform Ministerial Council (DRMC) meetings and the governance groups that report to the DRMC.
Lead division: Disability, Complex Needs and Emergency Management
Work with the NDIA on our shared responsibility
Work with the NDIA on our shared responsibility to support more coordinated and person-centred responses for people accessing support across and within service systems.
What we have done and continue to do:
- Engage with the NDIA through the ESC workplan. The workplan includes joint work to improve the experience with the NDIS by Victorian participants. This involves:
- using the Critical Services Issues Response to help escalate urgent, unresolved matters between the NDIA and Victorian Government.
- regular meetings between the Department of Health and the NDIA to speed up plans for people awaiting hospital discharge.
- capacity building to improve operations between the NDIS and the mainstream service systems of Child Protection, Justice, Education and Health.
Lead division: Disability, Complex Needs and Emergency Management
Work with the Commonwealth and other states and territories
Work with the Commonwealth and other states and territories to ensure the NDIS continues to be based on lifetime insurance principles and provides equitable access for all eligible Victorians with disability.
What we have done and continue to do:
- Advocate to the Commonwealth for the NDIS to be equitable for all eligible Victorians and based on lifetime insurance principles.
- Advocate for using outcome frameworks through relevant forums. These include the DRMC, ESC and other multilateral and bilateral forums such as working groups.
Lead division: Disability, Complex Needs and Emergency Management
Support groups of at-risk Victorians with disability
Support groups of at-risk Victorians with disability who are not eligible for the NDIS.
What we have done and continue to do:
- Fund the HACC Program for Younger People for people with disability who do not qualify for the NDIS. At-risk Victorians who are eligible but face barriers accessing the NDIS can ask for help to navigate the NDIS from the department’s Intensive Support Team.
What we will do:
- Changes to immigration policy mean permanent residency, and therefore NDIS eligibility, is available to additional cohorts in Victoria. Intensive work will transition a large number of people previously ineligible for the NDIS due to their residency status into the NDIS.
Lead division: Disability, Complex Needs and Emergency Management
Ensure jobs and skills initiatives result in positive outcomes
Work across the Victorian Government to ensure jobs and skills initiatives result in positive outcomes for the disability workforce.
What we have done and continue to do:
- Initiated the Jobs that Matter awareness campaign that aims to:
- increase the number of community services workers in Victoria, including disability workers.
- help existing workers feel more valued for the work they do.
- The Jobs that Matter campaign is now underway, with planning for more phases. This will continue to build awareness of career opportunities in community services.
What we will do:
- Develop a Certificate (III/IV) scholarship program to upskill the existing disability workforce in regional areas. This will also encourage new workers into the sector.
- Under Jobs Victoria’s ‘Priority Workforce Projects’ initiative, work with a range of employers to recruit non-tertiary-qualified workers into entry-level community services and disability roles. This will focus on people who face barriers to finding work.
Lead division: System Reform and Workforce
Educational programs and resources tailored to the needs of disability worker
Support skills and training authorities to design and deliver educational programs and resources tailored to the needs of disability workers. Promote best practice and culturally responsive service delivery outcomes for people with disability.
What we have done and will continue to do:
- Work with key stakeholders including peak bodies, the Commonwealth government and unions to develop solutions to barriers to:
- professional development
- training and learning for disability services workforces.
Lead division: System Reform and Workforce
Advocate to ensure NDIS pricing is adequate
Advocate to ensure NDIS pricing is adequate to provide disability employers and workers with better conditions. This will help attract, train and retain a quality NDIS workforce, including in regional and rural areas.
What we have done and continue to do:
- Advocate for pricing that reflects provider costs including administration, compliance and workforce training. Better pricing will incentivise providers to increase supply and offer innovative, high-quality supports to participants through:
- DRMC meetings
- input to the NDIA Annual Pricing Review.
Lead division: Disability, Complex Needs and Emergency Management
Identify service gaps and service system interface issues
Identify service gaps and service system interface issues. This will inform strategies to support a thriving disability workforce and market.
What we have done and continue to do:
- Collect and analyse information about the disability market from a range of sources including:
- the NDIA
- the Department of Social Services
- other parts of the department
- Victorian Government agencies
- National Disability Services Victoria.
- This will contribute to key disability reform work and support the disability minister at DRMC meetings.
Lead division: Disability, Complex Needs and Emergency Management