A framework for providing information in individualised funding programmes

The need for all people with disability to have access to reliable information before they can make informed choices in individualised funding programmes is well documented. However, little guidance exists on how information can be provided to ensure it reaches its target audience.While information provision is important everywhere, there is a pressing need in the Australian context to ensure all people have access to information as the National Disability Insurance Scheme is designed and introduced. The authors identified key principles of information provision documented in the literature and used these to analyse their data from Australian studies of individualised funding programmes. The data came from 143 transcripts and records of interview in five studies conducted from 2011 to 2013. The analysis confirmed the importance of the principles previously documented and identified two additional principles, these being related to gender and 'hard to reach' groups. This analysis informs a new framework to increase equity and improve people's access to information in individualised funding programmes. Information needs to be: (i) accessible and diverse in format, mode, source and location; (ii) personalised and targeted; (iii) accurate, consistent and timely; (iv) from a trusted source; (v) independent; (vi) culturally appropriate; (vii) actively promoted to 'hard to reach' groups and (viii) gender appropriate. This paper provides a new framework to guide information in individualised funding programmes for professionals in roles ranging from policy makers to service delivery