The Victorian Government’s Partnerships Addressing Disadvantage (PADs) initiative are social impact investments that tackle complex social issues through outcomes-based partnerships.
What are Partnerships Addressing Disadvantage (PADs)?
PADs bring together the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors to deliver programs that tackle pervasive social issues. This is done by linking government payments to the achievement of agreed social outcomes.
PADs complement other State Government programs and do not replace existing services.
Investments underway in Victoria
Victoria currently has five PADs in operation, with the fifth and latest PAD, Arc, now in operation:
- Journey to Social Inclusion Social Impact Investment (J2SI SII) provides intensive case management, supplemented by rapid access to stable housing, for clients who are chronically homeless.
- COMPASS Social Impact Bond (COMPASS) is a preventative program that provides care leavers with two years of access to housing, a key worker to navigate the system, an education specialist, and specialist support services.
- Living Learning provides three years of education and wraparound mental health support for young people aged 15 to 21 who are disengaged from employment, education and training and who have a mental health condition.
- Side by Side provides student and family support for primary school students, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, as well as training for schools to improve school culture and inclusiveness.
- Arc provides people leaving prison who are at risk of homelessness, with pre-release and two years of post-release support, along with access to housing.
Find out more about these existing PADs and hear from some of the program providers on the investments underway page.
Find out more about how the 2023-24 Budget incorporated learnings from last year’s public consultation on the future direction of PADs on the current partnership opportunities page.
Contact
Please email pads@dtf.vic.gov.au for any additional information or if you’d like to be added to the PADs mailing list.