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$17m Fund to Reform NSW Disability Sector
Information provided by Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care - Published: 2010-08-17
The Keneally Government’s $17 million Industry Development Fund is set to build sector capacity in the disability sector, the Minister for Disability Services, Peter Primrose, said today.
“It’s vital that we build a resilient and efficient disability services sector as we move towards more individualised models,” Mr Primrose said.
“That’s why the NSW Government established the $17 million Industry Development Fund in June 2009 and commissioned a report – Directions for Industry Development – to look at how changes can be made across the sector.”
Mr Primrose told the first meeting of the Industry Development Fund implementation group that capacity could be increased in the sector by assisting service providers to enhance our responsiveness to clients and family’s individual needs.
“Through this fund we can influence the future shape of the disability service system to achieve better outcomes for people with a disability, their families and carers.”
“Governments everywhere are now concentrating on ways to build capacity in the non-government sector because we know that a robust non-government sector is critical to make sure people with a disability are at the centre of service delivery and decisions about their life.”
Patrick Maher, State Manager of National Disability Services, said: “This significant and unprecedented investment signals a new approach to planning for the future of disability services in NSW founded on a partnership approach between government and NGOs.”
“Today's meeting of the IDF Implementation Group, attended by ADHC and NGO representatives as equal partners, heralds the first step in the integrated approach to achieve quality outcomes for people with disability, their families and carers in NSW into the future,” Mr Maher said.
Mr Primrose said that extensive consultation with the sector was conducted across the State to determine the priority initiatives for the Industry Development Fund.
Further consultations had focused on the vision and future directions for the disability services sector in NSW.
Mr Primrose said that the NSW Disability Services Sector - Directions for Industry Development Final Report released at the end of June was a result of these consultations.
“This report is a sector-led strategy, supported by the Keneally Government, that will enhance the ability of the sector to respond to major changes in the industry.
“It represents a radical move forward in the way that the Government works together with the NGO sector and will be a model for engagement across the board.
“The report creates a vision for a service system which focuses on being collaborative, person-centred and innovative, which is dedicated to productivity, committed to maximising people’s participation, supported by appropriate workforce and managed effectively through good governance.
“These key messages will greatly influence how we get things right for the disability industry in the future,” Mr Primrose said.
“And it is an important time to do this work in the context of Stronger Together II, the second stage of the NSW Government’s 10-year plan to deliver improved services for people with a disability, their carers and families.”
For more information and a copy of the report visit: http://www.nds.org.au/news/article/780
- This web page is from the Disabled World New South Wales section which provides: Disability news stories and articles from NSW Australia includes medical press releases and coming events in the state of NSW.
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