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Community Participation Services

MSD provides contributory funding to providers and organisations that offer services for disabled people requiring additional support with community participation and inclusion (and in some cases employment outcomes).

  • Community Participation, for MSD contracted providers to support disabled people to improve their community participation or inclusion. These services are bulk-funded.
  • Very High Needs individualised funding, available to people who have been assessed as having very high needs support through the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) assessment when they were at school.
  • Business Enterprises, to provide employment opportunities for disabled people who have difficulty finding open employment.
  • Transition from School services, which support young disabled people receiving ORS support in their final year of school to plan for life after school.

The type and level of service is agreed between the participant and the provider.

Developing an improved approach to community participation funding

MSD was tasked with developing a new funding model to improve alignment with Enabling Good Lives, and to deliver a more sustainable and transparent approach to funding.

In late 2022 additional funding of $14.35m a year was approved for Community Participation services.

MSD has worked with the Disability sector, providers, and participants about how best to use this funding for disabled people and to determine the best approach to delivering high value services. The new funding model encourages providers of community participation services to encompass the Enabling Good Lives approach.

Implementing the Enabling Good Lives approach

In the future, disabled people and their families will have greater choice and control over their lives and supports, and make more use of natural and universally available supports. Enabling Good Lives vision statement

The Enabling Good Lives approach is about making it easier for disabled people and their families to create good lives for themselves. For Disability sector providers who offer Community Participation services the Enabling Good Lives approach can be implemented through:

  • Promoting choice and control: Disability sector providers should ensure that the people they support have control over the services they receive. This includes having people with disabilities and their families lead the decision-making and planning processes and adapting services to meet their unique needs and preferences.
  • Building mainstream community connections: Disability sector providers should promote community connections and inclusive opportunities for the people they support. This includes encouraging participation in community activities and events and fostering relationships with community members and organisations.
  • Supported decision-making: Disability sector providers should assist the people they support to make informed decisions about their lives. This includes providing information and resources and ensuring they access to the tools and support they need to make decisions. Learn more about Support for Decision Making.
  • Building strong relationships: Disability sector providers should build strong relationships with the people they support and their families. This includes fostering a culture of respect, trust, and open communication.
  • Providing high-quality services: Disability sector providers should strive to provide high-quality services that are responsive to the needs of the people they support. This includes ongoing evaluation and improvement of service delivery processes, and a commitment to ongoing learning and professional development.
  • Embracing innovation: Disability sector providers should be open to innovation and new ways of working. This includes exploring new technologies and approaches to service delivery and collaborating with other organisations and community members to develop new solutions.

In summary, implementing the Enabling Good Lives approach requires Disability sector providers to be proactive in promoting choice, control, community connections, informed decision-making, strong relationships, high-quality services, and innovation. By embracing these principles, providers can support their participants to live full, meaningful lives in their communities.

For more information on Enabling Good Lives, please visit the Enabling Good Lives website.

You can read more about the new initiatives and how to access the funding here.

Participants and their whānau should talk to their provider if they have any questions or concerns.

Providers: Please refer to the FAQs for more information.