Employment

.pdfor those living with a disability, the path toward gaining economic participation can be challenging. Therefore, having a discussion around gaining employment and having employment goals within a peer support network meeting setting is empowering.

Employment is being paid to undertake a role within an organisation. Such roles can bring significant benefit to both the employee and the wider community. Below provides a series of discussion points and resources on employment and ways in which peer members can be supported into such roles:

Why Employment?

Let’s first consider why you may be interested in gaining a paid role within an organisation. Let’s talk about the following:

What are some examples of benefits you could gain if you were employed in your community?

Do you think it would be a way of getting more involved in your community?
What sorts of things could you do in your life if you had income/a salary?

• Community Benefits:

Not only does the person working benefit from employment, the community also gains benefit. Anyone who works helps improve the productivity of Australia and this helps us all have a better quality of life. Particularly for someone living with disability, working gives additional benefits in that it ensures we become a more inclusive society and we embrace everyone’s skills and talent. Increasing participation for people with a disability and their carers is a key objective of, and ethos behind the NDIS.

• Employment Goals:

If you have your own plan (or IFP) with the NDIS, do you have some goals related to gaining employment in your plan? If you do not receive NDIS support, have you considered what goals you may have in your life to lead toward a paid employment role? Within your plan within the NDIS, support can be directed toward you gaining the skills and opportunities needed to enable you to get ready to get that job.

What is your ideal type of job, and who would that be working for?

What steps do you think you may need to work through to get that dream job?
Do you know about the supports in place and available to support you into a paid role?

•  Employment after Acquired Disability:

One of the main hopes and expectations people have when leaving hospital and rehabilitation after acquiring disability is that they will return to the work or study they were involved in prior to their injury. For example, they may have worked in business as an accountant, or on their parent’s farm. Evidence shows, however, that returning to work after a significant injury such as acquired brain injury is very difficult. Therefore, it is really important to know what you want to do, what is likely, and how to make this happen. In some cases, undertaking your previous work will no longer be possible but support is available to help you with any transition required. You may also like to consider volunteering as a way to build your job ready skills and confidence post-injury.

• What are Disability Employment Services (DESs)?

DESs are government funded private organisations which offer employment services to people with disability who are eligible. The steps to access a DES referral include:

• Obtain a medical report from your GP outlining your disability (this can be a letter or a completed Centrelink form);
• Go to Centrelink with this report and request a new JCA (Job Capacity Assessment) AND to be linked to a DES (Disability Employment Services). You will only be eligible if their assessment shows you can work 8 hours or more each week (under 8, they will not refer you).
• If successful, phone your recommended DES and make an appointment for an assessment with them to discuss your goals and their opportunities.

NB: If they are unable to assist you, or you are not able to follow this process, you can instead pursue support from your NDIS Plan (or IFP).

• How can the NDIS help you gain employment?

If a participant is not eligible for support from a DES, the scheme can assist the person to develop skills and undertake training to prepare for work and assist the person to find and maintain work. This individual and personalised capacity building could include assistance with training on travelling to and from work, relationships with colleagues and communication skills (among other things). Your plan could assist with transport to and from the workplace if the participant has a mobility impairment, and personal care can also be funded, where a participant needs assistance while at work. But the NDIS will not fund everything – only those costs that are specific to you due to your disability – so the NDIS will not fund course fees, nor pay to make a workplace accessible as these are the employer’s responsibility.

• What are the risks of employment?

Sometimes, despite best efforts, employment roles do not work out. Let’s talk about some ways in which things may not be successful:

• Not getting on with a particular person
• Not enough support and resources
• Not wanting to be there
• Not a suitable environment
• Not happy with the position
• Not enough hours available

If you feel that your role isn’t working, who can you talk to about this?

What are some ways in which you can plan ahead so as to limit the risk of your employment role(s) not being successful?

A peer support network is a great place for people with a disability to come together to share their employment experiences, plans and goals. Employment brings lots of benefits to the person, who gains an income and participation benefits, and the community, which gains productivity related benefits. Evidence shows that gaining employment helps you to create links and connections within your own community and gives greater life opportunities. As such, this is an important topic to discuss within peer support networks.

The information on this page is also available as a downloadable Quick Guide, by clicking below. There are.pdf and Word versions.