Participants and providers have told us about the importance of finding, recognising, and promoting new ways for participants to pursue their home and living goals.
In response we introduced a new initiative to bring participants and providers together to design and deliver improved ways of delivering home and living supports.
We call them Demonstration Projects. Demonstration projects look at different ways of delivering home and living supports that give greater flexibility to participants and providers, are outcomes-focused, encourage better practice and ensure Scheme sustainability.
Round 1 Home and Living Demonstration Projects
We launched a Market Information Request in September 2021 for providers to work with participants to submit a Demonstration Project they would like to test and evaluate alternative approaches in SIL. We received 29 applications and used a competitive, merit-based process to select 11 projects.
The projects were selected based on how they will deliver supports to achieve positive outcomes for participants and the NDIS.
The following Round 1 projects have progressed to implementation phase in 2022.
- GenU
- Life Without Barriers
- Mind Australia
- Possability
- Rocky Bay
- Supporting Independent Living Cooperative (SILC)
- Uniting Care Qld
- We Care NSW
- Northcott
Round 1 Demonstration Projects are being implemented throughout 2022 and 2023 in accordance with provider and participant readiness, complexity level, and degree of deviation from standard practice.
Each project tests a slightly different way of delivering supports that give greater flexibility, improved outcomes and encourage better practice and Scheme sustainability.
To support project implementation and evaluation, providers have received grants ranging from $50,000 for smaller projects, to $170,000 for larger projects.
The grants will help maximise the benefits of these projects for the participants involved and the broader sector through the delivery of a robust evaluation.
Implementation Updates
Research and Evaluation
The NDIA Research and Evaluation Branch is evaluating the Round 1 projects over 2 years, supported by an Evaluation Framework with targeted outcomes for providers, participants, and the NDIS.
The outcomes of the evaluation of the demonstration projects will help identify new ways that home and living supports can be delivered which improve choice and control, encourage better practice, and contribute to better outcomes for participants.
Community of Practice
To support the work, the NDIA has established a Community of Practice with project providers to share learnings on better practice and flexible service models to promote greater participant choice and control and service design.
The Community of Practice intends to support the expansion of knowledge of innovative practice within home and living options, foster collaboration and share information and learnings.
Pricing update 30 September 2022 - Round 1 Home and Living Demonstration Projects
A new support item for Home and Living Demonstration Projects has been included in the latest pricing updates to provide assistance with, or supervision of, tasks of daily life in a shared living environment, with a focus on developing the skills of each individual to live as autonomously as possible. This support item is being introduced to specifically support the implementation of the Home and Living Demonstration Projects. Read more about Pricing arrangements .
Will there be further ‘rounds’ of demonstration projects?
The NDIA has committed to further rounds of demonstration projects and will provide information on future opportunities in early 2023.