At the end of March, in partnership with Youngcare, we hosted the inaugural Get Building SDA National Conference in Melbourne. The lineup of impressive speakers and storytellers generously shared their knowledge and expertise, which provided a rich and informative day for more than 400 attendees.
You can access copies of the presentations and video content here.
The conference also provided an opportunity for attendees to meet others working in the field, make connections and establish new relationships and partnerships. This will lay the ground for potential new investments and collaborations around specialist disability accommodation (SDA).
In his opening address CEO Luke Bo’sher explained why now is the time for SDA: “I’ve never felt more confident than I do now that the NDIA has the people, processes and resources to be able to deliver SDA. The mood in the room today reflects that SDA providers feel much more confident in SDA than they have been in a long time.”
The keynote address by the Hon. Paul Fletcher (then Minister for Families and Social Services) included commitments to halve the number of people with disability under the age of 65 entering aged care by 2025. The Action Plan included a range of new ways that young people in aged care will be better supported, including through improved NDIA processes, better pathways home from hospital, more initiatives to increase housing options and better data and evidence.
We welcome these commitments and look forward to working with the government to achieve these goals.
Attendees left the conference feeling better informed, and with a renewed confidence and optimism around SDA. Thank you again for your attendance and support of the conference.
SDA Supply Report
In partnership with Social Ventures Australia, the Summer Foundation launched the SDA supply report.
Specialist Disability Accommodation – Supply in Australia. The report on the current supply of SDA in Australia presents data around SDA projects in the pipeline, which was provided by 55 SDA providers.
The report will be a useful tool for those planning SDA developments. You can download the report here.