Community Capacity Building Toolkit

Contents

1 Definitions 1

2 Introduction 2

2.1 What is the NDIS? 2

3 Community capacity building toolkit 3

3.1 Engaging with Communities 3

3.2 Have a Checklist 6

3.3 Understanding the local environment -developing an as-is assessment 7

3.4 Conducting Community Consultations 8

3.5 Building Communities and Identifying Champions 9

3.6 Having an Effective Interagency Meeting 11

3.7 Evaluating communities 12

4 Community development in practice 14

4.1 Case study 14

4.2 Community in the spotlight 15

4.3 Examples of things that worked 16

5 Additional information 18

Appendix A – Terms of Reference 21

Appendix B - Evaluation Framework 23

1 Definitions The following table contains definitions of various terms/acronyms used throughout this document. These can be added to as you discover more terms and acronyms that people may find helpful.

Terms Meaning

Stakeholder A person with an interest or concern in a particular issue

Domain An area of focus or consideration e.g. people, processes, systems or technology

Assessment A judgement or rating regarding how well a person/place or thing has performed on a particular measure

Infrastructure The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for society to operate

Technology Tools, machinery or devices developed with scientific knowledge, this can be a phone, PC or other device

Framework A basic structure underlying a system or context.

Acronym Meaning

LACs Local Area Coordinators

NDIS National Disability Insurance Scheme

PIC PricewaterhouseCoopers Indigenous Consulting

PwC PricewaterhouseCoopers

QDN Queenslanders with Disability Network

2 Introduction 2.1 What is the NDIS? NDIS is the National Disability Insurance Scheme - a new way of providing

community linking and individualised support for people with permanent and

significant disability, their families and carers. People who live in small communities

may be concerned about what this may mean for them and how the y will be able to

access a full range of services when the NDIS happens in their community.

The NDIS represents a transition from block funding to individual based funding for

disability service providers. With a Queensland commencement date of July 2016,

the scheme will be progressively rolled out until July 2019. The introduction of the

NDIS represents a major cultural shift in the way that disability services are accessed

by all Australians.

Figure 1: Funding model of disability services

PricewaterhouseCoopers Indigenous Consulting were tasked with developing a

toolkit that can be used to build capacity and enable the development of healthy

communities that are able to provide the services that people need. People with

disability have many connections in the community — for example, with other

individuals, not-for-profit organisations (such as disability service providers, and

community-based clubs), local councils, businesses, community health centres,

schools, and public libraries. It is important that when building community capacity

to meet the needs of individuals under the NDIS that these organisations are all able

to find ways of communicating and working together to support the development of

the whole community.

State Govt.

NGOs Government Agency

Individuals with disability

New funding model

State based funding for disability services

Services provided at no cost but with little choice

Scheme funding for disability services

Individualised funding based on assessed need

Person centred service provision at market price

Commonwealth

NDIA

Individuals with disability

NGOs

Old funding model

3 Community capacity building toolkit

This toolkit has been developed to inform activities that can be undertaken in a

range of settings it is not intended to be prescriptive. Individuals who know their

own communities can use this information to guide the development of interagency

networks and support interested groups and individuals to find ways to work

together to support the formation of communities of practice to inform future

actions.

This toolkit contains a series of brochures, checklists and tools that can be

downloaded and / or printed from the Department of Communities, Child Safety

and Disability Services website www.communities.qld.gov.au/ndis

This initial toolkit was developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers Indigenous Consulting

through funding received from the Department of Communities, Child Safety and

Disability Services, and the NDIS sector development fund. The toolkit has been

designed to be a working document, able to be modified as time progresses. Future

development of this document and the content will be through the Department.

3.1 Engaging with Communities

3.1.1 Communication and engagement considerations Some key considerations when conducting consultations include:

· Make sure that all people in your community are respected and able to

participate and have a say. Make sure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander people are involved in a way that is culturally appropriate. If you are

uncertain of how to do this, connecting with a local person who can

introduce you and provide local background information will be a useful

strategy.

· Consider the way in which information is presented for people who do not

speak English or come from another culture; this is often referred to as being

from a culturally or linguistically diverse background. Think about meeting

with local multi-cultural services to understand the different backgrounds of

the people in your community and how to meet their needs.

· Don’t assume that everyone can read or write, find ways in which people can

have input other than filling out forms or commenting on written topics;

often pictures will be easier to understand.

3.1.2 Communication and engagement strategies The first step in engaging with any community is to identify key people in the

community, to do this you must be aware of local customs, traditions and respect

key community leaders. Strong community consultation relies upon the

development of relationships with key individuals. These individuals often have

strong links with organisations and others within the community, and may or may

not hold an official position in accordance with this. You can contact the Department

of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services for key information about how

to do this appropriately.

For this project, a communication strategy was developed in line with the

Queensland Government Procedure, Engaging Queenslanders: A guide for

community engagement methods and techniques. Using this strategy, the team were

guided by the unique needs of each community, and developed a methodology that

was flexible and responsive to the specific needs in each site. The team also utilised

local experts in each area to identify key community resources, strategies to engage

best with a wide range of stakeholders, and to provide a range of engagement

strategies and platforms including individual sessions, small and large group

workshops and telephone consultations.

3.1.3 Communicating with communities and groups When you wish to distribute resources or use tools to build capacity, there are

numerous means of engaging with communities. In our consultations with small

rural and remote, and discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,

we found that:

· In most communities, the local paper/newsletter was identified as having a

wide distribution and readership.

· Local Radio stations, ABC Local Radio stations, and Indigenous radio

stations were identified as a means of distributing information to people on

remote properties. Whilst nothing beats face to face interactions, radio was

identified as an effective adjunct outreach.

· Internet and social media platforms are useful when cost and technological

literacy enable their access.

· Sporting matches, cattle sales and local events that attract community

members are an effective means of reaching the community in a face to face

manner. Events and local festivals such as ‘Easter in the Country’ (Roma) or

the QAIHC Arthur Beetson Murri Rugby League Carnival, are a highly

interactive means of distributing and sharing information.

When asked what would work in their community in order to disseminate

information about the NDIS rollout, rural and remote communities expressed a

desire for personal outreach (see Figure 2). The majority of respondents said

applications/technology would be the least effective communication mechanism.

However, when provided with an explanation of an application which could link

people in need with available services using infographics as a visual aid the

community reported interest in having an available technological option.

Figure 2: Preferred means of receiving information within the community

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Emailupdates

Localnewspapers

Apps /Phones /

Technology

Website Radio / TVadvertising

Outreachfrom NDIS /

Dept ofCommunities

/ DisabilityServices

# of

resp

onse

s

Method of communication

How would you like to receive information about the NDIS rollout in your community?

Roma

Barcaldine

Normanton

3.2 Have a Checklist A checklist can provide a useful base for the initial phase of any community capacity

building. The checklist is a tool that will aid the understanding of when to undertake

key activities and provide thoughts for consideration. It is recognised that whilst this

checklist can be used by anyone in the community to consider community capacity

building it would be of benefit to link with a representative of the Department of

Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services or Local Area Coordinator if you

have one. The following checklist is available for download from the website.

Figure 3: Checklist for community capacity building projects

3.3 Understanding the local environment -developing an as-is assessment

The next step is to understand the range of resources in the local community and

what methods are used for conveying this information to community members.

There may already be information about the services in your area, for example

through the library or local council offices. By undertaking an as-is assessment

people can identify the things that are working well and the things that are more

challenging. Many communities may identify that they need more resources or

services to meet the needs of individuals with a disability – an “as-is” assessment

(i.e. what is the current environment) can assist in identifying some of the gaps but

also may provide information about how other communities have managed that

challenge.

The brochure below has been developed to aid the development of an As-Is

Assessment for your community. The brochure is available for download on the

website.

Figure 4: As-is assessment brochure

3.4 Conducting Community Consultations To undertake an assessment of the community it is important to meet different

people from a range of different organisations and backgrounds. Local groups that

already gather are a good place to start, for example a Parents Group, Country

Woman’s Association, a Sporting / Social Club or it may be a group of people that

are invited together just to talk about building capacity in the community due to

shared interests. Meeting with different groups of people offers the opportunity to

understand more about the community and the things that are working well; it may

also offer the opportunity to identify service gaps and challenges.

This brochure identifies the types of things to think about when conducting

community consultations. The brochure is available for download on the website.

Figure 5: Community consultation brochure

3.5 Building Communities and Identifying Champions

Once an as-is assessment has been completed in the community, it is important to

start to think about how to build community capacity. Community capacity refers to

the resources and potential within the community which help to meet specific needs.

Community capacity building will include: active engagement with key people to

improve the community’s general awareness and understanding about people with

disability, the role of the NDIA and the Department of Communities, Child safety

and Disability Services and the sorts of activities and supports that people with

disability need.

To grow capacity in the community, the development of key community champions

is vital. Champions are individuals within the community who are well respected

and invested in service and community improvement. These champions are

consulted throughout the change process such that they are able to provide input,

and filter information through to the community.

Importantly, the community should look to grow as many champions as possible; it

can be draining to have this responsibility sit with a very limited number of

individuals. Building the number of champions will naturally increase the

robustness and sustainability of the service system.

This brochure identifies how to build a community of practice, with the help of

community champions. The brochure is available for download on the website.

Figure 6: Community of practice brochure

3.6 Having an Effective Interagency Meeting As the roll out of the NDIS commences and strategies to build community capacity

are implemented, maximising the use of interagency meetings is critical. Interagency

meetings provide an opportunity for those working in a similar area (e.g. disability

services) to meet and discuss their current activities and potential ways of working

together. These meetings are an informal means of learning and developing a

Community of Interest. Agenda items can be focused around the efforts of building

capacity, tracking success and creating avenues to actively modify implementation

strategies. The brochure is available for download on the website.

Figure 7: Interagency meeting brochure

3.7 Evaluating communities It is not expected that every community will develop a comprehensive framework –

in many cases this may be impractical. In these cases communities should take from

this tool kit the points relevant to their community; determine the data points that

will be used to assess the general awareness and capacity of the community – and

this can be measured from time to time to assess any progress.

In order to evaluate capacity, an evaluation tool is required (see Appendix B). The

evaluation framework can be applied during the initial community consultations to

establish a baseline measure, and again to measure progress of any development

activities. The framework can be used to track the success of the proposed capability

development platform.

Some communities may feel developing capacity will require more resources;

resources which the community does not possess. In these instances, it may be

necessary to identify private businesses and individuals within communities who

may be able to provide formal or informal support services.

The aim of the framework is to:

· Provide an example of what ‘readiness’ looks like – by presenting the

pathway from the ‘Current’ to the ‘Desired Future’ state, it is hoped that

communities can continue to measure themselves and their progress

· Specify an agreed list of benefits and measures against which the capability

development platform can be assessed

It is acknowledged that no two communities are the same, and flexibility is therefore

required when applying the framework.

Figure 8: Change Readiness Framework

The framework must be complemented by the:

- commitment and involvement of the community in readiness activities

- support of community champions towards building capability and capacity

- commitment from Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability

Services staff to use the results of evaluations to further the develop

community capability and capacity

The evaluation table (see Appendix B), can be used to determine a score for each

category. (i.e. infrastructure, technology). Each component is allocated a score along

a scale of 1 – 4. The scores produced as a result of the evaluation can be presented in

several ways. One possible means of analysis is to plot the scores on a spider

diagram (like the one below), to determine the areas which require focus and

development. In the example below, there is a reasonably high level of change

readiness (3), but focus is required on improving infrastructure and the use of

technology. Systems, service provision and employment are all performing, but

require further input to become proactive and forward focussed.

The same analysis could be undertaken for the same community at regular intervals

(e.g. annually) to see how things may be changing, and assess development or the

relative success of different policies or practices in the chosen community.

Figure 9: Spider diagram analysis of change readiness

4 Community development in practice

4.1 Case study The following case example outlines how you can apply the tools outlined above in order to build community capacity and capability for the introduction of the NDIS in your community

PIC conducted an as-is assessment in three rural and remote communities (Roma, Barcaldine, Normanton) and three discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities (Cherbourg, Aurukun and Thursday Island). This provided an understanding of the landscape in these communities, their existing disability services and inter-relationships with health and education structures. It provided a baseline assessment of existing formal and informal supports (as pictured in the diagram below).

The PIC team provided these communities with information and assistance to build capacity and capability over the period of their engagement.

The tools outlined in this document can be used to conduct a similar assessment of capability and capacity. The checklist (available for download) outlines the approach used by PIC. The brochures (available for download) outline how to conduct an as-is assessment, engage with communities, identify change champions and establish effective interagency meetings. Appendix A has terms of reference for conducting an effective interagency meeting. The stakeholder tracking tool (available for download) can be utilised to keep track of stakeholders who have been engaged, and to keep them involved throughout the process. Finally, Appendix B features the evaluation tool which can be used to determine the baseline capacity within a community, and the level of progress as a result of interventions and information provision.

Figure 10: Interaction of existing community services within communities

4.2 Community in the spotlight

Latent Community Capacity Who already provides support informally in community;

and who else can be engaged with the right tools and support (eg. tech enablers).

Health Services / Schools The more remote, the more important to

integrate and collaborate with other service ecosystems.

Specialist Disability Services Represents those metropolitan or regional

centres where services are relatively accessible.

Outreach or Regional Disability Services

Those larger providers may also have reach into rural centres; and multi-service

providers in regions.

Normanton appeared to have a comparatively higher level of change readiness than the other communities, as a result of:

· Regular Interagency meetings with information sharing and coordination. · Strong leadership support, and the existence of active community

champions. For example, the local major is actively involved in the development and growth of the community.

· Service providers are proactively planning for the future. A local remote jobs and communities service provider has identified a number of gaps and grown their offerings to provide labour hire services, training and education, houses and other unique and targeted interventions to meet community needs.

4.3 Examples of things that worked Significant strengths and opportunities were identified in each of the communities.

Below are a number of innovative practices which have developed as a creative way

of meeting needs within the community. These examples show that with support,

individuals can find new ways of accessing and delivering services in partnership

with people in their own community. Some individuals identified a desire to work

with people of their own choosing, and individual funding packages should allow

flexibility to support this decision. The converse to this is in the discrete

communities, where there was a clear preference to have services provided by

individuals external to their own community and networks.

4.3.1 Employment and training

4.3.2 Social

Mary’s parents work in the farming industry, and want to encourage her to enter the

workforce. With significant distractibility, Mary needs someone to keep her on task. Her

father used to perform this role, but the conflict between being a parent placed a strain

on the relationship.

After negotiations with local service providers, Mary’s parents have been able to employ

someone to keep Mary task focussed.

In one community, individuals with a disability are provided with paid employment

based on interest, skill and ability. This can include gardening, painting and domestic

assistance and includes on-job support. This enables individuals to contribute to the

local community, develop skills for the future and participate in the workforce.

Major sporting clubs in one community are helping to challenge the stigma around

disability, by involving individuals with a disability in their teams. This can be in a

sporting or support capacity. The camaraderie of team sport helps to boost the

confidence of the individual s with a disability, and assists them to form informal

community supports.

4.3.3 Direct service provision

A local Remote Jobs and Communities Service Provider identified a number of gaps in

their own community and have grown their offerings to provide labour hire services,

training and education, housing and a range of other unique, targeted interventions to

meet community need. They have continued to work with other local service providers

and the regional council to identify areas of need.

A couple on a rural farming property were previously paying for a service provider to

mind their daughter with autism. Through the Your Life Your Choice self-directed

funding system, the couple have been able to hire two part-time nannies. The family

are able still able to access the assistance, but are not locked into paying for staff who

are over-qualified for the services that they require.

Individuals in one community have identified a lack of care provision and service

providers. This led them to advertise privately on Gumtree to find respite carers.

Further compounded by a lack of accommodation in the area, they were able to offer

board and lodgings to make the position more attractive.

5 Additional information There are numerous means of obtaining further information on the NDIS. These include:

Queensland

· The Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services is a

key source of information the projects and initiatives to prepare for the

transition to the NDIS in Queensland

www.communities.qld.gov.au/ndis

· Queenslanders with Disability Network is a state wide network run and

managed by people with a disability. The network provides a voice for those

with a disability, and acts as an Advisory body for the State Government. The

website provides further information to support participants in preparation

for the NDIS.

http://www.qdn.org.au/

· Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council is the peak body

representing community controlled health councils in Queensland and

Nationally.

http://www.qaihc.com.au/

Nationally

· Subscribe to the NDIS e-newsletters and review information for providers

www.ndis.gov.au

· The First Peoples Disability Network (Australia) – FPDN – is a national peak

organisation representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with

disability and their families; the network aims to be a strong voice of and for

this group.

http://fpdn.org.au/

Appendix A Interagency meeting terms of reference In order for any interagency meeting to be effective, terms of reference should be developed. These terms of reference provide structure and governance around how meetings are conducted.

Terms of reference: Interagency meeting Last date reviewed: XXXX

1. Background

The XXX interagency meeting has been designed for those working in the disability services area to meet and discuss their current activities and potential ways of working together.

2. Responsibilities

Oversight and support

Be champions of community coordination, information sharing and integration of disability services

Be champions of community development in preparation for the introduction of the NDIS

Accountability

Monitor the progress of activities that are occurring within the disability services space and assist in mitigating risk and reducing overlap.

Leadership

Provide community leadership around coordination in an effort to develop community capacity

3. Membership

Appropriate attendees at interagency meetings include individuals involved in the provision of goods and services within the community, and/or those willing and able to be part of a network to share resources and information for the betterment of their community.

Chair:

XXXX

Accountabilities of the Chair include:

ensuring members attend meetings and assisting members to fulfil their accountabilities as described in these Terms of Reference

ensuring that there is quorum of members present to conduct the meeting

ensuring that an accurate record of the meeting is documented in the minutes of the meeting

ensuring that committee papers and action items are distributed in a timely manner

Members:

XXXX

XXXX

XXXX

Secretariat:

Secretariat support will be provided by the Project Team.

4. Other participants

Other persons may participate in committee proceedings/activities at the invitation of the Chair. However, invited guests do not assume membership or participation in any decision-making processes of the committee.

5. Quorum

The quorum for Project Board meetings will be the Chair plus half the membership.

6. Meeting schedule

Meetings will be held monthly

Meetings will be scheduled for 1 hour

Meetings will be scheduled …. As a stand-alone meeting/ as an addition to an existing community meeting

Agenda and Action Minutes will be prepared for all meetings and will be circulated 72h before the meeting.

Standing agenda items include:

Welcome and Apologies

Review and Acceptance of Previous Minutes

Business arising from previous minutes

XXXX

Risk Management

Operational Management

Information Management

XXXX

New Business

Any other Business

Date, time and place for next meeting

7. Governance Structure

8. Documentation / reporting

Service reports/information will be tabled at each meeting

An agenda will be prepared in advance of each meeting, and minutes will be recorded

9. Performance

Performance of the committee will be evaluated annually against the ToR as well as by key achievements. (eg. Improved processes, procedures, collaboration, quality improvements)

Operational Risks will be a standing agenda item each meeting. Escalation processes will follow normal ED and CYMHS departmental guidelines respectively. The forum will provide an opportunity to review Clinical Incidents that are relevant for both departments.

10. Evaluation

The committee will review and update this Terms of Reference: xxxx

Insert proposed structure as an image here…

Appendix B Evaluation Framework As is - To be

1 2 3 4

People

Change readiness Community members have heard of the NDIS

Community members have heard of the NDIS and know what it will mean for them

Community members have heard of the NDIS, understand what it will mean for them, and have started to plan for its introduction

Community members have heard of the NDIS, understand its impact, have started to plan for its introduction, and are actively committed to ensuring its success.

Employment Accessing employment is difficult for individuals with a disability

There has been no workforce planning in order to deliver disability services

There are limited options for individuals with a disability to obtain employment

There has been limited consideration given to future workforce needs in the area of disability services.

There are options for individuals with a disability to obtain employment

There has been workforce planning undertaken to anticipate required disability service needs.

Individuals with a disability are provided with employment options

The community have predicted the skill needs to provide disability services, and training is available in these skills.

Systems

Service providers Service providers have:

- heard of the NDIS

Service providers have:

- attempted to find out how the NDIS will impact their service delivery

Service providers have:

- mapped the needs of individuals with a disability with the services that they provide

- assessed the preferred ways in which individuals with a disability/their carers and families wish to access services

- mapped service/growth areas - considered how change will impact their service

delivery

Service providers have:

- mapped the needs of individuals with a disability with the services that they provide

- assessed the preferred ways in which individuals with a disability/their carers and families wish to access services

- mapped service/growth areas - considered how change will impact their service

delivery - provided information about NDIS to current

and potential consumers

Services Meet few or none of the needs of individuals with a disability

Meet most of the needs of individuals with a disability Meet the needs of individuals with a disability Meet and exceed the needs of individuals with a disability

Infrastructure

- Infrastructure fails to meet the needs of individuals with a disability

- There is no public transport - There is limited consumer choice

- Infrastructure meets some of the needs of individuals with a disability

- Limited public transport is available - There is limited consumer choice

- Infrastructure meets most of the needs of individuals with a disability

- Public transport is available - There is consumer choice within bounds

- Infrastructure is built to meet the needs of individuals with a disability

- There are flexible transportation options, accessible housing and community sites

Technology

Use of technology to further community capacity and capability

Technology is not used There are some community members who utilise technology (such as community Facebook pages, apps etc) to access information about disability services and network with peers. Much of this access is driven by the individual.

Available technology is used to disseminate information and to connect individuals with a disability with the services that they require

Technology is widely and proactively used to educate, connect individuals with services, and to build community capability and capacity