The Albanese Government will invest $4.4 million in grants to support the development of resources to deliver better outcomes for participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Under the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) grants program, seven successful grantees have been awarded grants to deliver projects to strengthen the quality of supports in the NDIS.
Minister for the NDIS, the Hon. Bill Shorten, says the grants will empower participants and improve the quality of services delivered by providers to participants.
“These grants will strengthen connections between participants and providers to elevate the voices of participants, increase awareness across the disability sector of the rights of participants, and as a result improve the quality of services delivered by providers,” Minister Shorten said.
“The program will support providers to improve pathways for people with disability to know their rights and speak up about what is important to them when receiving disability supports.”
Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Aboriginal Corporation, nTrustus, Settlement Services International, Summer Foundation, the University of Melbourne, Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council and Youth Disability Advocacy Service are the latest organisations that will share in the grants.
Five grants totalling $2,881,151 have been awarded to proposals focusing on targeted cohorts to assist them to understand their rights and also to make complaints and raise issues with their NDIS providers to achieve better outcomes from their supports and services.
Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Aboriginal Corporation, Settlement Services International, Summer Foundation, Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council and Youth Disability Advocacy Service will deliver tailored resources that support specific participant cohorts to know their rights and make complaints.
The resources will be co-designed with participants including those who are First Nations, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, children and young people, have a psychosocial disability or are living in specialist disability accommodation.
Participants who experience behaviours of concern and their providers will be supported through a grant of $1,019,528 awarded to the University of Melbourne. This grant will strengthen connections between participants and providers to improve behaviour support outcomes by involving participants in the development of their behaviour support plans.
An additional grant of $497,490 has been awarded to nTrustus to develop a digital solution for participants and providers to connect and achieve better communication and early resolution of issues and complaints.
The Support for NDIS Providers Grants Program is administered by the NDIS Commission, the independent Commonwealth agency responsible for improving the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services.
