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A quick guide and full guide are available to support you to navigate the exciting changes to the Strategic Inclusion Plan on the IS Portal introduced in June 2024.

There is a Checklist to help services to ensure your IDF Subsidy for an Additional Educator application is complete and accurate, prior to submission to your IP for endorsement.


For other important information, including providing NDIS related Documentary Evidence, click here



A Support Provider is an individual or organisation with relevant skills and qualifications who is engaged to provide support to a service through an Innovative Solutions Support Project.

The Support Provider’s Role

Support Providers play an essential role in most Innovative Solutions Support Projects. In the context of Innovative Solutions Support, a Support Provider is an individual or organisation with relevant experience, skills and qualifications who is engaged by an Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Service to provide support to educators, to help address the services identified Barriers to inclusion, through an Innovative Solutions Support Project.

Support Providers do not work directly with children, they work with educators to support them in their work with children. Their role is to build a service’s capacity to be inclusive. This typically involves upskilling educators to implement new ideas and approaches, in a way that can be independently sustained after a Project is completed.

Each Innovative Solutions Support Project will be different and tailored to the specific circumstances of the relevant service; however, Support Providers typically engage in a number of broadly defined activities which include:

Delivery of professional development for educators

Most projects involve the delivery of specific content by the Support Provider to improve educators’ knowledge and understanding to address the Barriers that they have identified.

Coaching of educators

Coaching describes direct ‘on-the-floor’ support whereby the Support Provider provides practical guidance to help educators to implement new practices. Support may range from ‘passive’ (e.g.: observing the educator’s practice and providing feedback) to ‘active’ engagement by the coach (e.g.: direct modelling of specific techniques providing spontaneous real time directions or guidance to an educator as they work).

Refer to the Guided Practice Project Guide located in the Innovative Solutions Support Guide for Services for further information about coaching in the context of Innovative Solutions Support.

Mentoring of educators

Mentoring describes advice, support and guidance that is provided in an ‘off-the-floor’ capacity. A mentoring session may provide an opportunity for an educator/s to debrief about what happened during a coaching session or reflect on a specific experience and seek advice from the mentor. Mentoring sessions may also provide opportunities for broader reflection and discussion about the progress and future direction of a Project.

Refer to the Guided Practice Project Guide located in the Innovative Solutions Support Guide for Services for further information about mentoring in the context of Innovative Solutions Support.

Provision or development of resources

Innovative Solutions Support is not intended to fund the purchase of resources. However, in some cases, the provision or development of specific resources may be essential to the successful implementation of a Project.

Resources can only form a minor part of the overall cost of a Project and cannot be more than 10% of the total Project cost.

When resources are needed, the service is required to provide information about what the resources are and why they are essential to meeting the Project Outcomes. Support Providers may also contribute to/provide this information.

When a project involves the provision or development of resources, the service is required to identify what those resources are and explain why they are essential for achieving the project's outcomes. Support Providers can contribute to/provide this information.

Support Providers are encouraged to access the Innovative Solution Support Guide for Support Providers which includes additional detailed information about the Support Provider's Role and Responsibilities.

Access the Support Provider Guide

Key Resources

Guide

Developing a Financial Quote