Parents of children with a disability across Australia now have access to free online support to help their family navigate, and take full advantage of, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) service network.
‘Parents as Case Coordinators’ is a comprehensive free online learning program developed by Learning Links, to empower parents to become an advocate for their child’s needs – offering support via digital training modules, interactive videos and downloadable resources.
The ten interactive modules cover a range of topics that provide parents with a toolkit to set goals for their child, help them prioritise the level and types of supports needed, develop their child’s NDIS plan, and look after the wellbeing of their family.
Birgitte Maibom, Learning Links CEO, said: “I’m very proud to launch our new Parents as Case Coordinators online learning program. The program has been designed to help parents and carers of children with disabilities to navigate the complexities of support systems, including the NDIS, so that children can get the best possible outcomes.”
“It aims to empower parents and families with the confidence to make informed decisions for their children over their lifetime,” she said.
Learning Links has been supporting children with disabilities and learning difficulties for almost 50 years. The organisation recognised the need to support the large number of parents struggling to independently understand the NDIS and the planning processes and help them to successfully manage their children’s plan, avoiding confusion or delays.
Whilst the NDIS has put measures in place to address this issue, greater focus is required to build the capacity of parents and carers to be informed, exercise choice and have control over their child’s supports.
Learning Links has previously provided direct support to parents and families on a face to face basis and hopes the new online format will extend the vital support to many more families in need across Australia.
Parents as Case Coordinators has already won a series of awards at LearnX Live, which recognises outstanding learning and support technologies. The program received Gold awards for ‘Best Interactive Scenario ELearning Design’, ‘Best Video ELearning Design’ and ‘Best Diversity/Inclusion Strategy’.
The development of the Parents as Case Coordinators program has been funded by the National Disability Insurance Agency through the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) National Readiness Grants.
Parents of children with a disability can register for the free program here: https://learninglinkshub.org.au/parents-as-case-coordinators/