Victorian Regional Readiness Fund

We provided $1.3 million in grants to support regional organisations to develop local responses to NDIS workforce challenges. 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 Connectors 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:

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1Service Delivery: Projects that deliver services to people with disability in a new way

Watch the Service Delivery forum video

https://www.youtube.com/embed/wg4rGTs64h4?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0

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.

2Workforce Supply: Projects that increase the number of disability workers

Watch the Workforce Supply forum video

https://www.youtube.com/embed/VmjwXNnGezA?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0

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.

3Workforce Capability: Projects that increase the skills of disability workers

Watch the Workforce Capability forum video

https://www.youtube.com/embed/wAfw6wQPmq8?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0

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.

Updated 6 August 2021

Keeping our sector strong

This is an initiative of the Keeping our sector strong – Victoria’s workforce plan for the NDIS.

Economic Growth Statement