Frontline leadership role clarity: a pathway to attracting, retaining and growing a skilled NDIS workforce

Ability First Australia is undertaking a project that defines the role, competencies, and capabilities of the Frontline Leader.

Spread over 4 stages, and scheduled for completion by June 2021, it is anticipated that this project will have a profound impact on the long-term viability of the NDIS: facilitating career pathways, informing recruitment practices, and increasing capacity for leaders to be successful in their roles.

The purpose of the Frontline Leader project is to define the role, capacity and capabilities of the Frontline Leader to inform organisation and job design, recruitment practices and training methodology.

The project seeks to meet the following Jobs and Market Fund outcomes:

• Outcome 1 – increased capacity and capability of NDIS providers
• Outcome 2 – increased number and capability of NDIS workers
• Outcome 3 – increased capacity of NDIS participants to influence the market
• Outcome 5 – increasing the evidence base for market and workforce

Objectives of the Project:

1. Define the role of the current Frontline Leader including the percentage of time spent on each activity to understand what is viable in an NDIS market.
2. Perform a gap analysis between the current situation and future requirements and seek ways to streamline, reduce or eliminate additional burdens.
3. Develop an evidence-based framework for the education and technology sectors to build solutions.
4. Define the role of the future Frontline Leader considering capacity required to meet role requirements.
5. Define a range of organisational design options for successful span of control for the sector.
6. Develop pathways to increase capacity for leaders to be successful in these roles.
7. Define the capabilities of the future Frontline Leader to understand skill deficits and other sectors we may be able to recruit from.
8. Develop a range of tools to support providers in recruiting people with the right capabilities for Frontline Leadership.
9. Facilitate career pathways in to and within the NDIS workforce to attract and retain quality professionals