What is innovative community participation?

Community participation and innovative community participation sound almost identical, and Gencare offers both. If you have come across the second term and wondered what makes it different, or whether it has anything to do with you, this guide is for you. The short answer: the difference lies in the person’s circumstances and the support they need, not in how unusual an activity sounds.

What is innovative community participation?

Innovative community participation is support to take part in community life that is tailored to one individual person. The NDIS describes it as support for participants with “extraordinary support needs”, and explains that those needs arise from a participant’s specific personal and situational circumstances.

“Extraordinary support needs” is formal language, and it can sound daunting. In plain terms, it means support needs that are out of the ordinary because of the person’s own situation. It describes the support someone needs and why they need it, not the kind of activity they want to do.

You can read how Gencare offers it on our innovative community participation service page.

How is it different from community participation?

Both supports exist to help someone take part in community, social and civic life. The difference is not the destination. It is how much the support needs to be shaped around one person’s particular circumstances.

• Community participation — support to take part in community, social, cultural and civic activities. That includes support during activities and working with the person to develop their ability to take part. It can be provided one-on-one or in a group.
• Innovative community participation — support to take part in community life, tailored to an individual participant whose specific personal and situational circumstances create extraordinary support needs.

So the question that separates them is not “how interesting is the activity?” or “is the person building skills?” — both supports can involve building ability. It is whether the person’s particular circumstances create support needs that are out of the ordinary, so that the support has to be tailored to them individually.

The difference lies in the person’s circumstances and the support they need — not in how unusual the activity sounds.

What can it look like in practice?

Because it is tailored to one person, innovative community participation does not have a single standard shape. In general terms, the support may involve:

• Building towards a particular community activity step by step, over time
• Adapting how, when or where support is provided, so it fits the person’s circumstances
• Planning around particular barriers or circumstances that affect how the person is able to take part
• Designing the support around the person and the community life they want to be part of

What it looks like for any one person depends on their circumstances, their plan and the conversations they have with the people supporting them.

Does “innovative” mean the activity has to be new or unusual?

No. It is an easy misunderstanding, because the word suggests something novel. But the NDIS description of innovative community participation is about the person and the support, not the activity.

The activity itself can be an everyday part of community life — a local library, a café, a club or a community group. What is tailored is the support around it.

Who might it be relevant to?

Innovative community participation may be relevant where a person’s specific personal and situational circumstances mean their support needs are out of the ordinary, and the support has to be tailored to them individually for them to take part in community life.

The NDIS description does not refer to particular diagnoses or conditions. It is framed around a person’s circumstances and support needs.

The NDIS rules list innovative community participation as a support for participants who have it stated in their plan, while ordinary community participation is listed for participants generally. Whether any support is included in a plan is a decision for the NDIA, based on the person’s circumstances. If you are not sure what your plan includes, your my NDIS contact, plan manager or support coordinator can help you check.

What about ordinary community participation?

Ordinary community participation is support to take part in community, social, cultural and civic life — being alongside someone during activities, and working with them to build their ability to take part. It can happen one-on-one or in a group, and it is a complete support in its own right. Taking part in community life is worthwhile in itself, not only as a step towards something else.

You can read about Gencare’s community participation support, and our wider guide to community participation covers it in more depth.

How can I think about which one is relevant?

These questions are not an eligibility test, and they will not give you a definite answer. They are useful things to think about before a conversation with your support coordinator, your my NDIS contact or a provider.

• What does the person want to take part in, and what would a good week look like to them?
• What makes taking part difficult at the moment?
• What support do they need to take part — during the activity, and in getting ready for it?
• Is the main challenge getting to and taking part in an activity, or do the person’s particular circumstances call for support tailored to them individually?

Neither answer is the better one. The right support is the one that fits the person’s situation.

If you still have questions

These two terms are easy to mix up, so it is completely reasonable to ask. If you would like to talk through your own situation, a free Meet & Greet is a chance to ask your questions.

Important information

NDIS rules, pricing and terminology change. This guide is general information and does not replace advice from the NDIS, your my NDIS contact, your plan manager or another qualified professional. What is funded in any individual plan is a decision for the NDIA based on that person’s circumstances.