Guided Practice

What is Guided Practice?

Guided Practice projects support services to implement changes to their practice through a combination of content delivery and practical support to implement new approaches. Guided Practice projects typically involve professional development sessions to provide information to educators followed by coaching and/or mentoring support to assist educators to incorporate the information provided into their practice.

Guided Practice projects are defined by this methodology rather than by the specific focus of the project. That is, Guided Practice projects can address a wide range of inclusion barriers, including, for example, those related to challenging behaviour, trauma, speech and language development or specific conditions such as autism.

How does Guided Practice work?

Guided Practice projects reflect current understandings of effective professional development that emphasize the importance of practical learning delivered over a period of time. In the context of Innovative Solutions Support this means the provision of direct coaching and/or mentoring support for educators in addition to content delivery.

Developing an Innovative Solutions Support Project

Developing and Innovative Solutions Support project, in most cases, requires your service to:

• Have a current Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP);
• Complete an application form; and
• Develop a Project Plan.

Strategic Inclusion Plan requirements for a Guided Practice Project

In general, it is expected that your service will have an up to date Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP), with current Barriers to inclusion identified and Strategies and Actions developed to address the Barriers, in order to apply for Innovative Solutions Support.

Before beginning an application, you should discuss with your Inclusion Professional (IP) whether Innovative Solutions Support is the most appropriate option for your circumstances.

The following resource is designed to help you to develop your project.

Applying for Innovative Solutions Support

There is a separate application form for each type of Innovative Solutions Support Project.

Applications for Innovative Solutions Support can be made at any time and can be for an individual service (or a specific care environment within the service) or a group of services.

With support of your Inclusion Professional, you will be required to complete the relevant application form and, if required, a Project Plan before lodging your application through the Inclusion Support Portal.

Project Plan

Developing a Project Plan is an important part of the planning process. Project plans show who will be doing what, and when and how it will be implemented.

An Innovative Solutions Support Project Plan should be developed in consultation with your Inclusion Professional and your chosen Support Provider.

Submitting an application

Services are required to upload their application form and relevant attachments to the IS Portal. Once submitted, each application is sent to the service's Inclusion Professional for endorsement and is then assessed by the Inclusion Development Fund Manager (IDFM).

Application outcomes

If funding is approved

The service will receive an email with a Letter of Offer attached, providing the details of their approved Innovative Solutions Case. This will be sent to the Service Provider email address listed on the SIP. This letter must be signed and returned to the IDF Manager at idfminnovative@ku.com.au. Once the agreement is executed, payment will be made directly to the service from the Department.

If funding is not approved

The service will receive an email with an Application Declined letter attached. This will be sent to the Service Provider email address listed on the SIP. The outcome of the assessment will be available as an ‘Assessment Outcome’ note on the IS Case.