KLR Communications congratulates three of its clients who have this week begun receiving contracts enabling them to start delivering important Home Care Packages under the Commonwealth Home Supports Programme (CHSP).

In late 2019, Pearl Home Care, Arcare and Home Instead Senior Care Toowoomba were given the good news they had been successful in their applications for several million dollars in government funding to deliver aged care supports in high demand regions across the country.

“It was an absolute pleasure working with each of these wonderful and dedicated aged care providers in securing their ongoing funding. The fact all of our clients were successful is testament to their dedication to the process and our consultants’ expert guidance and knowledge in writing compelling grant and funding applications”, said Kathryn Garth, KLR Communications Managing Director.

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme assists senior Australians access entry-level support services to enable them to live independently and safely in their own home for as long as possible.

For information on available grants which may be of relevance to your business, visit the Community Grants Hub, or contact the team at KLR Communications on +61 7 5665 6768 or via our Contact Us page.

KLR Communications are proud to support The Inclusive Institute in its launch of a world-first certification program, aimed at training leaders to drive business-as-usual inclusion.

On 31 October 2019, business leaders were put through an immersive exclusion experience designed to identify potential areas of inclusion risk within their organisation.

The Inclusive Leader Certification Program was facilitated by The Inclusive Institute’s founder and inclusive campaigner, Dr Elizabeth Shoesmith and supported by advisors with lived experience in workplace exclusion.

 “It’s an effective program because it shifts inclusion efforts from being a bolt-on initiative that managers don’t have time to do – to simply the way the organisation does business,” says Dr Shoesmith.

24 business leaders from 11 industries participated in the inaugural round of the program, which was supported by global commercial real estate company, Cushman and Wakefield.

“We are proud to be one of the first organisations to lead the way with business-as-usual inclusion, along with participating organisations, including Blackmores, Coca Cola Amatil, Department of Home Affairs, Medibank, Bumble, SBS, TAL Insurance, Vocus Group, and Southern Cross Austereo,” said James Patterson, CEO of Cushman & Wakefield Australia & New Zealand.

Participants are certified as Inclusive Leaders and are equipped with the knowledge, tools and behaviours to identify and drive business-as-usual inclusion efforts in their lines of business and functions.

Program participants were taken through a program that provided perspective and real-world strategies to reap the operational, financial, and legislative compliance benefits of inclusion – while also making a real difference for everyone.

The Program is the first of a suite of certification opportunities to be offered by The Inclusive Institute, which is part of The Inclusive Organisation Group.

20% of the population live with a disability and are overlooked consumers. Research has shown that radically diverse teams perform 35% better than non-diverse teams. There are significant benefits to companies to be inclusive without labels.

“If every organisation applied inclusive design thinking in their product, service, system, and process design to make sure the specific needs of all people were met, we would very quickly be on the fast track to an inclusive world”, said Rebecca Tinning from Medibank.

“We are delighted to be on this mission with The Inclusive Institute and look forward to continuing our partnership as these certification programs are launched globally, beginning in New York in February 2020”, said Kathryn Garth of KLR Communications.

For more information visit:  http://www.theinclusiveinstitute.com/

Between March and May 2019, eligible entities were given the opportunity to apply for funding to support their transition and readiness to provide services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Under the Boosting the Local Care Workforce – Transition Assistance Funding round, a maximum funding pool of up to $5,600,000 (ex GST) was available, with each business eligible to apply for a maximum $20,000 (ex GST).  Do the quick math and that’s up to 2,800 individual NDIS Providers who have successfully received this funding.  Admissions made by the Community Grants Hub indicate there was a much higher than expected response to this grant opportunity.

 The objectives of the Transition Assistance Funding were to assist organisations to:

1. attract, retain and optimise their workforce;
2. improve awareness of the opportunities and ability to enter/expand and collaborate in the disability sector; and
3. develop skills and capabilities required to effectively operate in a consumer-driven disability market.

In August 2019, successful entities have begun receiving advice of approved funding and Ernst & Young is carefully shelling out the cash to excited business owners.

While the Australian Government’s online grant resources have yet to publish the list of successful grant recipients (and it remains to be seen if this occurs, despite precedent for transparency), Professional Business Consultants are finding themselves in high demand to advise on the development of capability that addresses the areas for improvement identified in Providers’ Readiness Plans. 

How do Providers find the right business consultant?

While the amount of funding indicates a potential windfall for some business consultants, Providers need to ensure they are working with advisors who:

1. understand the ever-evolving landscape of the NDIS and can assist in the development of appropriately tailored strategies, policies and risk management frameworks; and
2. have experience advising those delivering services to vulnerable members of society and often with specific needs around culture and regional or remote localities.

Having successfully secured funding for our clients, KLR Communications is presently advising recipients of Transition Assistance Funding on their strategic business planning, development of policies and procedures to support growth strategies, critical assessment of service viability, and standard operating procedures.

For assistance addressing the areas of improvement in your Readiness Plan, NDIS Providers who have received this funding can contact us directly to discuss their needs, or even to have an informal chat if they are worried they aren’t receiving what they expected from their business consultant. We can also assist you to identify what future funding rounds your business may be eligible for, including applying for future rounds of Transition Assistance Funding, with the next due to open later this year.