1. Disability Employment Services (DES) Reform 2018
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June 2018

2. What is Disability Employment Services (DES)?
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3. Disability Employment Services (DES)
For people whose disability, injury or health condition is assessed as their main barrier to employment
Two Services:
Disability Management Service (DMS) – job seekers who require assistance to find employment, and who may need occasional support at work
Employment Support Service (ESS) – job seekers who need assistance to find employment, and who require long-term Ongoing Support in the workplace
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4. DES Providers
Delivered by a mix of large, medium and small, for profit and not-for-profit organisations
Provide tailored employment assistance
Build relationships and linkages with employers and other stakeholders
Connect participants to skills development options
Provide ongoing support in the workplace
Help participants meet mutual obligations
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5. Who is Eligible for DES? Job seekers who:
assessed as requiring DES support
aged at least 14 but not yet attained Age Pension qualifying age
are at or above the legal working age in their state or territory
have a future work capacity with intervention (within 2 years) of at least 8 hours per week
are an Australian resident (some exceptions apply)
are not studying full time
not working at or above their Employment Benchmark hours
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6. Changes to DES from 1 July 2018
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7. Key DES Changes from 1 July 2018
Aim is to increase economic and social inclusion of people with disability
Changes include:
Greater participant choice and control
Greater competition and contestability between providers
Strengthening link between provider revenue and performance
Trialling possible extension of DES to additional final year school students
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8. Increased Participant Choice and Control
Greater choice of provider
Choice of providers from across Employment Service Area boundaries
Flexible modes of contact
Improved ability to transfer between providers
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9. Improving Competition and Contestability Between Providers
Initial five-year term for panel of providers
Subsequent grant application processes
Removal of market share arrangements
Funding follows the participant
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10. Strengthening Link between Provider Revenue and Performance
Rebalancing from approx. 60:40 service fees to outcome fees to approx. 50:50 split
Risk-adjusted funding model:
Some participants require more support, some less, to get employment
Participants assigned funding level based on likelihood of achieving employment outcome
Provider revenue more dependent on success in getting people into work.
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11. Strengthening link between Provider revenue and performance
In addition to 13 and 26-week Outcome Fees:
4-week outcome payment
replaces Job Placement Fee
Paid when participants work benchmark hours for at least three weeks, over a four week period
52-week outcome payment
Paid when participants remain employed for 52 weeks
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12. DES and Younger Job Seekers
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13. Importance of post-school education
93% of all new jobs will require post-school education
Source: ABS, Education and Work, May 2015, 15 to 74 years; Department of Jobs and Small Business, Skill Projections, five years to November 2020
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14. Eligible School Leavers (ESL) in DES
Provides early streamlined access to DES for final year school students with significant disability
Job seekers can directly register with a DES provider
Job seekers are not required to undertake an ESAt
Receive support to begin to address barriers to open employment and transition to post-school work
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15. Students undertaking ASBATS or State/Territory Transition to Work programs or NDIS SLES
Students choosing to undertake Australian School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (ASBATs):
do not need to be in their final year of school
must be undertaking an ASBAT that has a modified curriculum or delivery to accommodate the student’s disability.
Young people who are in the final six months of an approved state/territory transition to work program or NDIS SLES supports.
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16. School Leaver Trial
Evaluate expanding eligibility for DES to students with less significant support needs in their final year of school
Determine if DES support increases the number who successfully transitioning from school to work, without any adverse affects on their educational attainment.
The School Leaver Trial will not alter current ESL arrangements
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17. Useful Information and Links
JobAccess website (jobaccess.gov.au)
DSS website (dss.gov.au)
DES Program changes from 1 July 2018
DES Grant Agreement
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18. Questions ??
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