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Victorian Government Website (Victoria, the Place to Be)
Department of Human Services, Victoria, Australia
Disability Services

Victorian Industry Development Plan

Information on this page

What's new

The draft Disability Workforce Planning and Development Strategy 2008-2013 has been developed to improve:

  • Workforce learning, development and support
  • Recruitment and retention of staff, and the
  • Collection of workforce data and information. 

Download the draft strategy in three different formats:

Feedback closed on 5 September 2008 and the draft strategy is currently in the process of being finalised.

The blueprint for reshaping the industry

Read the industry development plan to find out why it’s the blueprint for the delivery of high quality disability supports in Victoria - Partnering for the Future: The Victorian Industry Development Plan for the provision of support for people with a disability.

Putting the plan into action

The implementation governance arrangements guide the operation of the industry development plan.

Examples of good industry practice or developments

The following information is about related developments and examples of good practice linked to the industry development plan's key result areas, which are:

  • Creating individualised support responses
  • Workforce planning and development
  • Increasing community awareness and valuing diversity
  • Community strengthening through partnerships
  • Industry governance, management, planning and investment.

For more information or to send us further examples of good practice, please contact the Industry Development Team.

Good communication is good business

It sounds like such a simple idea but this initiative has made a significant difference to individuals shopping in Bendigo. Service users at Scope and Peter Harcourt services have been actively involved in training, monitoring and evaluating shop management and staff in communicating with people who have little or no speech.

An ongoing ‘I love communicating’ campaign by the project partners, (Bendigo Health Regional Communication Services and Bendigo Market Place Management and Traders), has raised community awareness and received a Bar None Award.

The City of Greater Bendigo provided a community grant for development of communication aids for use by retailers. To date, over 40 people have had communication training and this has been so successful there are plans to work with local partnerships to develop this project in Echuca and Kyneton.

BART makes a difference

An initial request for Hume’s Specialist Services to provide training to staff of Central Access Ltd has developed into the creation of a more sustainable response within this large service provider. In partnership with the department’s Specialist Services, Central Access has established a Behaviour Assessment and Response Team (BART) to respond to behaviours of concerns of its service users.

The increased knowledge and multi-skilling of staff has led to better understanding of behaviours of concern. This, in turn, has fostered a more positive partnership and a more professional and successful working relationship between Specialist Services and Central Access.

Importantly, since establishing the BART, there has been a significant decrease in the need for episodic and crisis responses from the department.

Who to contact

Industry Development Team
Systemic Improvement Unit
Disability Services Division
Department of Human Services
Telephone: 1300 366 713 (9.00am - 5.00pm, Monday to Friday)
TTY: 03 9096 0133 (for people who are deaf or have a hearing, speech or communication impairement)
Fax: 03 9096 9137
Email: industryplan@dhs.vic.gov.au