More than $1.6 million awarded for disability service sector research

Health care and social assistance is Australia’s largest employing industry and, in Queensland alone over 64,000 workers are expected to join the sector by 2029.

The disability support services workforce is facing a skills shortage, and to help better understand and address the education and training required to meet the industry's needs, this sector was selected as the focus for the TAFE Centre of Excellence Health and Support's second round of Applied Research Grants.

The competitive grants attracted 19 proposals from across Australia.

In total, five applicants were awarded more than $1.6 million collectively, with the applied research projects to be completed within 12 months.
 

Successful round two applicants

University of Queensland

University of Queensland, in partnership with BUSHKids, Down Syndrome Australia and TAFE Queensland, will receive $363,615 to align learner and educator capability across disability and early childhood qualifications with emerging Thriving Kids reforms, improving support for young children with disability or developmental delay and boosting work-readiness in the care sector.

Griffith University

Griffith University, in partnership with Queensland Disability Research Network – Inclusive Futures Beacon, TAFE Queensland and The Inclusion Network, will receive $385,967.19 to enhance worker capability in supporting people with disability who experience complex and challenging behaviours by co-designing training to promote safer service delivery through trusting relationships and respectful communication. 

Wide Bay Advocacy Inc

Wide Bay Advocacy Inc, in partnership with Ability Works, Bridge 4 Better, IMPACT Community, Carinbundi and CQUniversity, will receive $370,000 to strengthen leadership and management in rural and regional disability services by piloting a mixed-mode leadership development program for emerging and mid-level leaders, addressing career pathway gaps and building a more capable, confident and sustainable disability support workforce.

The Trustee for the Social Deck Trust

The Trustee for the Social Deck Trust, in partnership with TAFE Queensland, will receive $189,455.63 to develop and test plain-language communication tools to improve how disability support workers, including those with low literacy and diverse backgrounds, recognise and report safety risks and promote safe work practices, strengthening worker wellbeing in the care sector.

Adelaide University

Adelaide University, in partnership with The National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health and TAFE Queensland, will receive $315,000 to boost work-readiness by enabling students to safely practise difficult and challenging conversations, such as de-escalation and person-centred interaction, in realistic simulated environments before placement, using a co-designed browser-based AI tool, building confidence digital capability and improving client outcomes.

The $35 million TAFE Centre of Excellence Health Care and Support, led by TAFE Queensland, is a joint initiative between the Australian and Queensland Governments to 2028.