If you live in regional or remote Western Australia, things are looking up. The Federal and WA Governments have launched a new initiative to bring more disability supports closer to home. It's called the Joint Work Program.
What is it?
The Joint Work Program is a collaboration between the NDIA and the WA Government, focused on understanding where service gaps exist in regional communities and boosting the supply of quality disability services for participants.
Over 11,000 NDIS participants live across the five rollout areas. The program is particularly focused on improving outcomes for First Nations participants and will offer greater support for priority cohorts to enter and navigate the NDIS. The WA Government will also work alongside the NDIA to help resolve barriers that sit outside the NDIS itself.
What helped shaped this initiative?
$7.6 million pilot: The NDIS used findings from a pilot program in Katanning and surrounding areas.
Community engagement: The NDIS worked with participants, families and disability organisations to better understand local needs.
Where is it rolling out?
Preliminary work has already begun across all five regions, with an 18-month establishment, rollout and transition phase for each site:
- South-West WA
- Gascoyne
- Great Southern
- Wheatbelt
- Goldfields-Esperance
What does it mean for participants?
It means more providers, more local options and supports that are better suited to where you actually live. The initiative works by engaging directly with individuals, families, carers and local disability organisations to identify challenges and find solutions that fit the community.
For more detail, visit NDIS | Improving access to the NDIS in regional WA.
What's next?
At Provider Choice, we know how important it is to stay across NDIS changes, especially when you live in a regional area where every new development counts. The details of how this will look in practice will become clearer as the program rolls out over the coming months. We'll be keeping a close eye on things and sharing updates as they come. If you'd like to stay in the loop, our newsletter is for you! Subscribe below.
