LDC Group works with the community, health, and government sectors to strengthen their impact and shape positive social change. We support organisations and sectors to:
Our focus is on working with people and organisations to build on their existing expertise and insights; to understand where they are at and give them the confidence to find their way through complex problems; and to work together to generate great outcomes. Key to this is building trusted relationships.
With over three decades of working within and alongside government, community, and health organisations, we understand the human services system, its people and values. The focus of our work is on improving the way services and supports are provided to people and communities.
Our team’s on-the-ground experience across all aspects of services means we understand first-hand the challenges organisations face – and the practical steps they can take to make a difference. This long-term depth of experience means it’s not just knowledge we bring to projects but wisdom, giving organisations the insights they need to help them reach their goals.
Most importantly, we offer our personal energy and commitment and a desire to make a positive difference for the people we work with.
We want to contribute to the development of the human services sector and individual organisations. One of the ways that we do this is by partnering with not-for-profit, for purpose and community-based organisations to support their work. Our support includes reduced fees for consulting services where organisations are unable to access funding for specific initiatives. Our interest is in researching and designing programs for community needs that are not well represented in current government policy and services, e.g., population groups whose needs are not well addressed by current service systems.
Organisations interested in receiving our support can contact us to discuss their project so we can determine together how the project aligns with our pro bono guidelines. We have supported projects and activities in:
LDC Group is Melbourne-based however our work takes us across Victoria including regional and rural locations, and across Australia working on both national as well as state/territory-specific projects. Members of our team have also consulted in New Zealand.
The Playgroup movement has been providing and supporting playgroups for more than 45 years through volunteerism and the outreach work of each State and Territory organisation. Over the last two decades there have been significant societal changes that have impacted upon community playgroup participation, including, for example, increasing costs of child safe venues, changing workforce patterns, growth of facilitated playgroups, and a growing suite of child-parent activities across Australia
Read moreVolunteering is a core part of Australian society, contributing significantly to community cohesion, the economy and individual wellbeing across a wide range of sectors, including aged care, disability, family and community services, disaster resilience, environmental management, sports, arts, and culture.In recent years the volunteering landscape has been impacted by bushfires and other crises, including COVID. At the same time there has been, changes in demographics, advances in technology, societal change as well as changes to government policy.
Read moreVolunteering Victoria (VV) took the decision to seek quality standards accreditation as an organisation with the aim of enhancing their reputation as a Peak Body and strengthening their internal systems, with the CEO favouring ISO accreditation. The LDC Group was asked to review various accreditation standards and provide advice on which would be most appropriate accreditation for VV.
Read moreThis fascinating project involved our consultants in a ‘meta evaluation’ of the three-year federal Government ‘Partnerships against Domestic Violence’ initiative. The initiative involved funding for approximately 80 projects nation-wide staggered across a 3-year period.
Read moreThe development of a ‘Catchment Plan’ to enhance services for children, young people and families in Melbourne’s South East was a State Government initiative designed to build on the structure for its Family Services Framework. An alliance of nine agencies were funded to work in partnership to deliver services for children, young people, and families in the area with Family Life appointed as the host agency for what was called the Family Services Alliance.
Read moreThe RDI Network functions as a key cross-sector platform for shared learning and action in the international development sector brings together practitioners, researchers, and evaluators. Approaching the midway point of a three-year program, the Network wanted to review and reflect on how the network was evolving, its current state and future potential. LDC Group consultants Anne Smyth and Lesley Thornton undertook this work.
Read moreThe Shekinah Group comprising of six agencies had a shared purpose to enhance social housing and alleviate homelessness. The agencies shared a range of policies and practices and met regularly to share information and provide support to each other. To further enhance standards across the Network they agreed to undertake a joint accreditation process.
Read moreLDC Group consultants have over the past 30 years worked with communities across Australia, both in a paid and volunteer capacity on a range of initiatives aimed at improving the health and wellbeing outcomes of First Nations Peoples. This project explored the importance of Gathering Places for bringing First Nations Peoples together, where people can feel safe and supported.
Read moreFamily violence is a serious problem that occurs across Australia mostly affecting women and children from all cultural, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds.In recent years Victorian family violence reform has been escalated and made very public through the lens of the 2015 Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence (RCFV), resulting in 227 specific recommendations that have been taken up by government.
Read moreIn 2013, the Willum Warrain Gathering Place in Hastings sought a volunteer with appropriate skills and experience to work with them to develop policies, governance structures and funding options. Russell Jaffe volunteered to do the work through what is now known as ‘Community First Development’, originally ‘Indigenous Community Volunteers’.
Read moreThe CLiQS program was developed by La Trobe University and the Australasian College of Health Services Management with funding from the Victorian Department of Health. The objective of the program was to equip current and potential clinical leaders with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to successfully lead the healthcare quality and safety agenda, incorporating both an organisational and system-wide perspective.
Read moreLDC Group had worked periodically with Carrington Health over a five-year period when we were engaged to undertake an environmental scan to inform long term (15 years) service planning for Carrington Health.
Read moreWombat Housing Support Services (WHSS) supports people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to attain and maintain suitable housing in and around Melbourne’s West. The Board had been working for many years with a very professional and structured approach to governance known as the Carver model. However, given the changing operating environment, they felt it was time to test if it was still fit for purpose.
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In the spirit of reconciliation, the LDC group respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, to emerging leaders and the ongoing living cultures of Aboriginal people.
