It’s been a busy few weeks for the Federal government with a number of updates coming through. Here’s a quick round-up:
Government says growth on track
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten says the NDIS is on track to hit its growth target. This means the scheme will achieve an eight per cent annual growth target by 1 July 2026, down from 23 per cent.
He says this is down to the government’s reforms for the NDIS.
“The Government continues to deliver initiatives to improve the NDIS, and these results highlight that recent improvements – aimed better outcome for participants and slowing the growth of the NDIS to ensure a more sustainable future – are working.
“We are getting better at managing plan growth through clarity around what NDIS funding can and cannot be used for and ensuring every NDIS dollar goes towards participant outcomes.”
As well, in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), the government announced funding for planning for the commencement of design work of a new early intervention pathway for children under nine years old.
In addition, it says the Government will deliver support needs assessments, so people with disability and their families do not need to pay. Part of the funding will go towards a dedicated, multi-disciplinary workforce to deliver support needs assessment in the future, which will work with participants to understand their support needs and identify the right tool/s.
The total extra funding is $1 billion, and the government says it’s partly to achieve recommendations out of the NDIS Review.
For more information on NDIS reforms, visit NDIS reforms | Department of Social Services, Australian Government (dss.gov.au).
For more information on the NDIS Review and its recommendations, visit Working together to deliver the NDIS | NDIS Review.
Information grants handed out
The Federal government has announced the latest recipients of its Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) funding, which supports valuable and important community-based capacity building activities for people with disability, their families and carers.
26 organisations have shared in more than $31 million.
This includes funding of $11.1 million for 22 community-based organisations to help them to deliver important capacity-building activities and support for people with disability in the lead up to the establishment of Foundational Supports next year.
This includes funding to continue the Disability Dialogue, the Autism CRC, and SNAICC – National Voice for our Children and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), for their work to support people with disability.
More information about the ILC program is available on the Department of Social Services website.
Peer support funding
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) announced that 69 disability organisations would receive funding to provide community-based self-advocacy and peer support programs over two-years, through the Peer Support and Capacity Building grant round.
“Peer support and self-advocacy organisations play an important role in empowering people with disability,” Shorten said.
“This funding will be used by organisations to continue to support people with disability to engage in their community and live more independently.”
A list of the Peer Support and Capacity Building grant recipients can be found on the NDIS website, as well as GrantConnect as Agreements are executed.
More NDIS funding
Meanwhile, the government also announced funding for six new initiatives through the Support for NDIS Providers Grants Program.
The projects will support and improve quality and safeguards in the NDIS.
The funded organisations are:
- Housing Choices Australia Limited awarded $481,229.00 (excl GST) for the ‘Safeguarding NDIS participants by building a disability inclusive housing workforce’ project.
- Inclusion Melbourne Inc awarded $399,823.00 (excl GST) for the ’Working it out together: Coordinating natural supports to drive safeguarding, quality, practice and improved quality of life’ project.
- Micah Projects Ltd awarded $618,740.00 (excl GST) for the ‘Compliance and Beyond – Safeguarding people with disability for NDIS workers and providers’ project.
- National Disability Services Limited awarded $572,970.00 (excl GST) for the ‘Quality Compass – tools to develop a shared understanding of safe, quality services’ project.
- Summer Foundation Ltd awarded $199,220.00 (excl GST) for the ‘Disability Housing and Living Index: Driving Inclusion and Quality’ project.
- Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALID) Inc awarded $799,040.74 (excl GST) for the ‘ACTIV8 Adapting and piloting a new VALID8 peer safeguarding model for broader service application’ project.