Welcome to the May 2019 edition of the NewsDigest. This month sees some important developments for organisations and practitioners.

The Australian Government has launched the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. More information, including an easy to read fact sheet, is now available.

Also, this month you can have your say on the development of the Home Care Packages Program Manual. KPMG, who have been recruited to assist with the development of the manual, have opened surveys for providers and consumers to complete. These surveys close on Friday 17 May 2019.

The Mental Health Coordinating Council has initiated “Reimagining the NDIS journey” where people from CALD backgrounds living with a mental health condition, their family, carers, supporters, advocates and service providers can take part in a co-design group.

The “Boosting the Local Care Workforce” (BLCW) website, Demand Map and Transition Assistance Funding are now live. Remember to contact WSCF for assistance in creating a plan for your Transition Assistance funding grant.

National Volunteer Week, the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers, is being celebrated from 20-26 May 2019. This month’s NewsDigest feature article highlights Pei-Pei Chen and her invaluable volunteer work, especially with the ZEST Awards.

“Home In Western Sydney”, a collaborative project by Wentworth Community Housing and Western Sydney Community Forum has been published. “Home in Western Sydney” is an evidence-based report ousing Housing

demonstrating unequivocally that Western Sydney bears disproportionately higher levels of housing stress and that action to address this burden is overdue. The full report is now available and can be accessed through the NewsDigest.