Victoria's regional communities face unique workforce and system challenges as they continue to adapt to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) environment. These challenges include:
- recruiting enough appropriately qualified and trained staff
- managing workers and services for fewer people across larger geographic areas
- providing staff with appropriate supervision levels
- providing staff the appropriate professional development opportunities
Through our Victorian Regional Readiness Fund (VRRF), 12 organisations developed and tested innovative responses to these challenges, based on their local needs. The project outcomes will help to grow the disability workforce across Victoria, and support disability workers to deliver high-quality services to people with disability and their families.
The VRRF complemented the work of the National Disability Services (NDS) Disability Workforce Innovation in regional Victoria.
The projects
The 12 organisations received VRRF funding to build the capacity and capability of Victoria’s disability workforce. The projects started in 2019 and finished at the end of 2020.
The organisations came together for an online forum in November 2020. The forum was hosted by NDS and each organisation presented the outcomes of their VRRF project. A summary of each project and links to showcase videos from the forum are available on this page.
The projects were grouped into 3 categories:
-
Watch the Service Delivery forum video
To watch this video forum in four shorter video modules, use the links below:
Theme 1. Service Delivery Models
Mind Australia
Telephone-based services for regional customers
Development of organisational capacity to deliver telephone-based services.
Australian Primary Mental Health Care Alliance Ltd
Regional recovery hub for people with psychosocial disability
Establishment of a mental health recovery hub to provide multidisciplinary team-based care comprising mental health, allied health and general practice services for people with psychosocial disability.
Providing All Living Supports (PALS)
Inclusion team and allied health collaboration
Creation of a new approach and operating system for development and delivery of a self-managing team of support workers and to improve access to allied health practitioners.
Pinarc Disability Support
Pinarc Tele-supports
Development, implementation and evaluation of a shared tele-therapy service delivery model.
-
Watch the Workforce Supply forum video
To watch this video forum in four shorter video modules, use the links below:
Theme 2. Workforce Supply
AMES Australia
Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workforce ready program
Identification and engagement of CALD community members in the Gippsland area to train and work within the disability sector.
Gippsland Aboriginal Advocacy Support Services
Aboriginal employment pathways project
Development of a collaborative approach to provide Aboriginal-specific education, training and skills pathways for Aboriginal people to enter the disability workforce.
Mpower Inc.
Use of trained allied health assistants to build workforce capacity in regional communities
Development of a pilot program in which 2 existing staff members (one each for early childhood and disability support) and a post-secondary trainee had the opportunity to learn skills on the job while being supported to undertake Certificate 3 or 4 in disability.
South West Disability Network
Workforce enhancement strategy
Development of diverse and sustainable training pathways to the disability sector.
-
Watch the Workforce Capability forum video
To watch this video forum in four shorter video modules, use the links below:
Theme 3. Capability
Summer Foundation
UpSkill – Building the capacity of the NDIS workforce in regional Victoria to assist NDIS participants with complex disability support needs
Co-delivery of targeted workshops to upskill the NDIS workforce in:
- cultural competence
- working with people with complex needs
- NDIS and housing
- running a sustainable support coordination business
Connect GV
Workforce Connect
Development of a shared workforce model of practice, which promotes workforce sustainability and builds professional capacity.
Gateway Health
Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder – Training and development of a Community of Practice for allied health professionals
Provision of autism spectrum disorder (adult population) specific training for allied health professionals in north east Victoria.
Yooralla
Positive behaviour support – building best practice capability and capacity amongst local multidisciplinary health professionals in the Ovens Murray region
Upskilling of at least 10 local multidisciplinary health professionals in positive behaviour support, building workforce capability and capacity.
Reviewed 06 August 2021
