NDIS Innovative Community Participation in Craigieburn
NDIS Services at You Belong Care
- Assist Travel Transport
- Daily Living Life Skills
- Daily Personal Activities
- Group Activities
- Household Tasks
- Innovative Community Participation
- Supported Independent Living
- Life Stage Transition
- Community Participation
- High-Intensity Daily Personal Activities
- NDIS Support Worker
- Community Nursing Care
- Respite Care
- Therapeutic Supports
- NDIS Dietitian & Nutritionist
- Youth Mentoring
- Disability Accommodation
- SIL Vacancies
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
Innovative Community Participation NDIS — Craigieburn
Not every participant fits neatly into a weekly cooking class or a volunteering role at the local op shop. Some want to teach other participants the skills they have mastered. Some want to start a small business. Some want a volunteering role that does not yet exist — working with a local sports club in a specific way, running a peer group, being a paid speaker at a disability event.
Innovative Community Participation is the NDIS funding category that makes these non-standard pathways possible. You Belong Care delivers it across Craigieburn and the north Melbourne region, working with participants to build the path, not just walk the one that is already there.
Who This Is For
- Participants with specific skills, interests or goals that do not fit standard programs
- People moving toward paid employment through a gradual, supported pathway
- Peer mentors and peer educators — participants who want to support others
- Micro-entrepreneurs starting a small business as part of their plan
- Anyone where standard community participation has been tried and has not quite worked
What "Innovative" Actually Means Under NDIS
The NDIS introduced Innovative Community Participation to fund pathways that do not fit the standard mould. The original thinking was that community participation works differently for every person, and the funding should allow for creative, participant-designed options.
In practice, that means it funds things like:
- A peer mentoring arrangement where one participant pairs up with another to share skills
- A gradual transition from support worker-led activity to self-directed or paid work
- Micro-enterprise setup — craft, art, small services, resale
- Bespoke volunteering roles built for a specific participant with a specific organisation
- Skill swap programs where participants teach each other cooking, art, music, tech
- Participant-run groups and peer support circles
What it is not: a replacement for standard community participation. If what you need is a weekly social group, that is Core Supports. If what you need is a pathway that does not yet exist, that is innovative.
Programs We Run Under Innovative CP
Peer Mentoring Network
Participants pair up based on shared interests, experiences or goals. One mentors the other in a specific area — using public transport independently, managing a bank account, cooking, digital skills. Sessions are semi-structured, support worker facilitates initially, fades out as the pair find their own rhythm.
Skill Swap Program
A rotating group of participants each teach something they are good at. One week is a cooking session led by a participant who is a keen cook. The next is a drawing workshop led by someone else. Everyone teaches, everyone learns. Shifts the dynamic from “receiving support” to “contributing something”.
Volunteering Pathways That Lead to Work
Micro-Enterprise Support
For participants who want to sell art, craft, garden produce or small services. We support the setup side — ABN, pricing, simple accounting, finding markets and outlets. The enterprise itself is the participant’s. Over time, ongoing support drops away.
Participant-Led Groups
Instead of a support worker leading the group, a participant runs it with the worker as backup. We have participants running book clubs, faith groups, gaming meetups, walking groups. The worker is there if needed, not as the leader.
How Innovative CP Differs From Standard CP
| Standard Community Participation | Innovative Community Participation |
|---|---|
| Uses existing community structures | Builds new or bespoke pathways |
| Participant takes part in what already exists | Participant co-designs the activity |
| Common goals — friendship, social access | Specific goals — peer role, enterprise, employment transition |
| Worker role: support, accompany, facilitate | Worker role: build the structure, then fade out |
| Most participants use this category | Selective — used for specific, unique goals |
| Funded at standard Capacity Building rates | Same funding category, different activity mix |
Who Benefits Most
Innovative CP works best for participants who:
- Have a specific skill, interest or ability they want to build into a formal role
- Have exhausted or outgrown standard community programs
- Are working toward paid employment but need a staged pathway
- Want to support other participants in some way
- Have a clear idea of what they want — or a clear problem with what is currently available
It is not the right fit for everyone. Participants who are still finding their feet socially are better off starting with standard community participation or group activities, then moving into innovative options as goals sharpen.
Funding Category Explained
Innovative Community Participation sits under Capacity Building in your NDIS plan. Specifically under the “Increased Social and Community Participation” budget, which covers both standard and innovative programs.
At plan writing, your planner or LAC will decide how much of this budget is allocated. Participants with clear innovative goals in their plan usually get more — which is why it is worth being explicit about what you want when preparing for a plan review.
We can help prepare evidence for plan reviews. See our support coordination page.
How to Start
- Call us for an initial conversation. We want to hear what you are trying to do or what is not working about your current program.
- Goal-setting session (60-90 minutes). We map what you want and whether innovative CP is the right funding category.
- Program design. We draft a proposed program — activities, partners, milestones.
- Partner setup. We make the introductions — to community organisations, businesses, other participants — needed to make it work.
- Delivery. Shifts start. We monitor closely in the first 3 months to make sure the design is working.
- Review and taper. Over time, support drops as the participant takes more ownership.
Innovative CP — Frequently Asked Questions
What is innovative community participation?
A Capacity Building support that funds non-standard, creative pathways into community life. It is designed for participants where standard community programs do not fit — and where a bespoke pathway needs to be built.
How is this different from standard community participation?
Standard CP uses existing community options — clubs, events, volunteering roles. Innovative CP builds a new pathway specific to the participant. The worker’s job shifts from accompanying you to setting up the structure, then stepping back.
Can innovative CP lead to paid work?
Yes. Many participants use it as a staged pathway toward employment — starting as volunteering, becoming a paid peer role, then transitioning into paid work. This is one of the most common and successful uses.
Does my NDIS plan need to say "innovative" specifically?
How long does an innovative program typically run?
Programs are designed with a taper. A typical arc is 12-18 months — starting with high worker involvement, gradually reducing as the participant takes ownership.
What if it does not work?
Can this be combined with group activities?
Yes. Most participants use a mix — some group activities for social life, some innovative CP for goal-directed work. They are separate line items in your plan.
Do you partner with local organisations?
Yes. We have working relationships with community centres, volunteering organisations, small businesses, cultural groups and faith organisations across Craigieburn, Broadmeadows, Epping and the wider Hume-Whittlesea area.
Is this suitable for school leavers?
Often, yes. School leavers transitioning to adult life are a common cohort for innovative CP — especially those with skills or goals that do not fit standard day programs. See also life stage transitions.
How do I get started?
Call +61 479 183 696 or email. The first conversation is free and helps us tell you whether innovative CP is the right category for your goals.