Member Update: ILC Investment Strategy

The ILC Investment Strategy was released 20th December 2018. The strategy is based on the foundation principles outlined in the

Commissioning Framework, particularly in relation to maintaining a strong outcomes focus and the balance between building individual capacity and creating broader opportunities for people with disability. The new strategy can be found here on the NDIS website.

The new strategy focuses on a grants model of three years, rather than the one year funding grants that we have had previously. In the future the approach to grants will be a mix of ‘targeted grants and procurement’.

There was a targeted grant round which closed on 21 December for organisations considered to be people with disability or family organisations that have membership, board composition with over 50% people with disability or family members. It is expected that there will be another targeted round open in early 2019 with focus on economic participation. This round will seek innovative proposals to build the capacity of people with disability to participate in work, as well as supporting the creation of employment opportunities. The proposed schedule of funding rounds includes an Individual Capacity Building opportunity mid-year.

The new ILC Investment Strategy encompasses four discrete yet complementary programs that will be progressively implemented from July 2019.

The four programs are:
1. Individual Capacity Building Program – enabling systematic, nationwide access to peer support, mentoring and other skills building for people with disability, carers and families.
2. National Information Program – ensuring people with disability, their families and carers have access to up-to-date, relevant information linking them to supports and services in the community.
3. Economic and Community Participation Program – connecting people with disability to activities, employment and community supports and opportunities, helping communities and employers to be inclusive and responsive to people’s needs locally, and nationally.
4. Mainstream Capacity Building Program – working to improve access and use by people with disability of the mainstream services used by all Australians.

This Strategy has a focus and capacity for investing in consumer-lead organisations and responding to potential emerging gaps in peer support. There will also be an opportunity to create respectful and genuine partnerships between mainstream and community services and the disability sector through ILC grants that aim to affect change in both the lives of people with disability and the community as a whole.

The new approach to ILC investment is designed to ensure:
• there are alternative pathways for people with a disability, particularly by building the capacity of non-NDIS participants to achieve their goals outside of specialist disability services
• people with disability, their family and carers have greater access to information and supports
• people with disability, their family and carers build their knowledge, skills and confidence to participate in social and economic life
• a more aligned service delivery system of ILC delivery, grounded in organisations run by and for people with disability and/or their families and carers
• strong collaboration across government and the sector that avoids duplication and maximises the NDIA’s investment in ILC
• improved measurement of reach and impact of the ILC strategy.

For more information click here