Taking Supported Employment into the Recruitment Space – Without Losing the ‘Support’ Lynette May CEO Disability Employment Australia

ABOUT DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AUSTRALIA

Mission Real jobs and real careers Influence government policy Remove barriers to participation

Member Demographics 132 members representing over 75% of the sector Mix of not-for-profit and for-profit, majority not-for-profit National coverage

Services Provided Political representation Operations support Resourcing capability development Linking suppliers to the network Conferences and forums

OVERVIEW OF DES IN AUSTRALIA

A Brief History Changing cohort of people with disability Movement to a labour market program Block funding towards outcome funding Shift towards competitive procurement and comparative performance assessment under DEEWR Uncapping of services in 2010

DES Demographics 203 organisations providing service from 2700 sites across Australia Servicing approximately 150,000 people across two distinct programs – Disability Management Service – Employment Support Service Predominately physical and psychiatric disabilities

National Caseload

Primary Disabilities

The DES Program

The DES Model Engagement with participants Assessment Job Matching / Job Finding Engagement with Employers Post Placement and Ongoing Support

Strengths & Risks of the DES Model Federally funded at $3.4 billion over four years National program with consistent eligibility Voluntary pathways available Early intervention pathways available Time unlimited support Cut-throat purchasing and performance Reduction of more complex cases

DISABILITY ENVIRONMENT IN AUSTRALIA

Economic and Political Disability as an election issue Changing community expectations Bipartisan support for change Economic participation crucial to build tax base to fund insurance scheme

National Disability Strategy Ratified UNCRPD in 2008 COAG sign off of NDS in 2011 Review of Disability Service Standards Areas of Policy Action – Inclusive and accessible communities – Rights protection, justice and legislation – Economic security – Personal and community support – Learning and skills – Health and wellbeing

NDIS – DisabilityCare Australia Disability alliance – Every Australian Counts Principles and tiers – A lifetime approach – Choice and control – Social and economic participation – Focus on early intervention Role of employment Opportunities and risks for open employment

Tiers of DisabilityCare Support

EMPLOYERS

The Labour Market Shrinking labour force / changing nature of work / ageing population / casualisation Softening and ‘patchwork’ economy Government demanding diversity and considering compulsory reporting Increased focus on meeting the needs of employers

Small to Medium Enterprises Most active employers of people with disability – Often employing one or two people Suggests large employers can play a bigger part – Numbers of people with disability have declined from around 7% to 3% in last ten years within the Australian Public Service

Big Business Many have capacity to employ more but the barriers remain the same: – Cost – Information – Risk Big businesses want recruitment solutions – so how do we get there?

DEEWR Research

Key Findings from DEEWR Employer Forum Honesty upfront should be encouraged Employment is all about getting the right person for the job Workers with disability are often considered the most reliable and loyal employees DES support plays a large role in the employment decision Financial incentive is a decision helper, not a deal maker (for most) Employer incentive is deemed to be more than just wage subsidies Ideally for employers, financial incentives are linked to worker productivity and paid in instalments Employers desire incentive to be longer term and more substantial DES providers highly praised

AHRI/DEA Survey Results In reporting on skills required to maintain effective employer relationships: 70% of the whole sample group nominated rapport with the employer and a long-term relationship 69% nominated consulting skills enabling solutions to employer problems 55% nominated researching and understanding the employer’s business and environment, and 53% nominated verbal communication skills (with only 22% nominating written communication skills)

EMPLOYER LIAISON CAPABILITY PROJECTS

DEEWR Innovation Fund $41 million from 2009 – 2012 Secured funding for two projects – Employers’ Guide to Partnering with Disability Employment Services – Employer Liaison Capability Framework and Training Program

Employers’ Guide Purpose and scope Australian Network for Disability YouTube Videos Hard copy guide with DVD A partnership approach

Employer Liaison Capability Framework Purpose and scope Australian Human Resources Institute – Capability Framework – Training Program Merging the recruitment model with the DES model to increase capability to engage with big businesses

Capability Framework

Application of the Framework Development of position descriptions Training Needs Analysis Development of training package Performance Management Professional Development Development of recruitment questions Improved recruitment of practitioners

Training Program Focus on ‘speaking the language of business’ Initial feedback encouraging Launched by the Federal Minister for Employment Participation

Results and Learning Initial product feedback Poor take up – what’s missing in content and delivery? Where to from here? – Refine training program – What can be done with big business?

Attitude Setting Campaign

QUESTIONS? Lynette May – CEO