Disability Industry and Workforce Strategy
The development of a Disability Industry and Workforce Strategy is being facilitated by the Public Sector Innovation Lab and Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment in partnership with industry and other stakeholders. The development work seeks to identify the priority opportunities and challenges for the disability industry and workforce, and what actions and capabilities are required to address these challenges.
The strategy’s aspiration is that all South Australians benefit from a modern care industry that is capable of delivering an increase of $2 billion in social and economic benefit to the State.
The situation
For the first time in Australia’s history, all sectors of the care industry (health care, aged care, disability care and child care) are market driven. This creates a major shift in the way the industry operates and presents unprecedented opportunity for consumers and those who design, develop and deliver products and services for them.
As the largest and fastest growing industry in South Australia, the care industry has the potential to deliver an increase in excess of $2 billion in social and economic benefits to the State — through a combination of care industry growth requirements, systems and interface improvements, workforce participation of those living with a disability and trade and investment opportunities. This economic benefit can only be realised with clear strategy and alignment of all stakeholders in the value chain.
The strategy seeks to maximise the benefits of the disability reforms while at the same time identify the opportunities that a new modern care industry would deliver.
The approach
This strategy is being developed through a ‘Strategy Lab’ which focuses on getting those connected to the disability industry and its workforce to participate in all aspects of strategy design – from understanding the problem and generating ideas, to designing solutions.
Going beyond the traditional workshop and discussion paper approach to strategy development, the Strategy Lab will facilitate ongoing dialogue where the narrative grows and flows. The approach is centred around the creation of a living and evolving discussion that is recorded visually. A broad range of stakeholders and stakeholder groups will be able to interact and comment on the topics over a number of months as they evolve in order to shape the final product.
The impact of this approach is that the strategy will be shaped from start to finish by those with firsthand experience in the industry. This includes consumers, service providers and policy makers. The approach will enable a sense of ownership and accountability for the industry which will deliver improved outcomes when it comes to implementing strategy.
What’s happened so far
Over the last 12 months, the team has consulted with over 500 individuals representing industry, not for profits, peak bodies, regional and remote providers, universities and other training providers, and local and state government. They have articulated a shared ambition that all South Australians benefit from a thriving, modern disability sector that is diverse and robust with a workforce that meets people’s needs, and delivers social and economic benefits to the State.
The co-designed Disability Industry and Workforce Strategy (see below) has identified the focus areas for the State in order to realise the benefits a modern care industry would bring to South Australians. It also recognises that to be successful, the strategy requires civic ownership and governance.
Partners and organisations involved to date
- Department of Human Services
- SA Health
- Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment
- Department for Innovation and Skills
- Department of the Premier and Cabinet
- University of South Australia
- Flinders University
- Adelaide University
- industry representatives across disability, aged care and health
Next steps
The next stage of this co-design strategy development is to identify what civic ownership and governance looks like. This will be co-designed through the continued partnership with Industry.
The State Government acknowledges its important role in facilitating this work for the State and so the Chief Executive of the Department of Human Services continues to sponsor the work along with the support of other agencies including SA Health, Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Department for Innovation and Skills and Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
All South Australians benefit from a modern Care Industry that is capable of delivering an increase of $2 billion in social and economic benefit to the State.