The Disability Employment Network (DEN) is a network of specialist employment services supporting people with a disability who require ongoing support to find and maintain employment or to become self-employed in the open labour market.
What do Disability Employment Network Members do?
Disability Employment Network members provide a range of services including:
- Capacity building with jobseekers to enhance their employment prospects
- Individual vocational guidance, planning and support
- Individualised job search strategies - including one-to-one job negotiation with employers, job creation, résumé development, job application assistance and interview skills training
- A focus on connecting the jobseeker to the job that best matches their skills, interests and capacity in order to ensure strong job retention rates
- Work trials or work experience to test the reality of the person's preferred job
- Support in managing disability-related issues before and after starting work
- On-the-job support to assist in settling into a new job - including training, co-worker education and regular workplace visits
- Off-site support for those who do not require on-the-job support or for those who do not disclose their disability - for example workplace strategies for people with a psychiatric disability and regular off-site visits or contacts
- Job in jeopardy support for workers who are at risk of job loss as a result of their disability.
Disability Employment Network members also provide a range of services to employers including:
- Recruitment and selection assistance
- On-the-job training with new employees
- Technical assistance with workplace adjustments
- Job creation and design services assisting employers to think creatively about the ways jobs are structured
- Information about available government programs or funding including:
- o Disabled Australian Apprentice Wage Subsidy Scheme
- o Workplace Modifications
- o Wage Subsidies
- o Supported Wage System, that is productivity based wages
- Long term follow-up and back-up support
- Re-training of employees should they move from one duty to another or if a new skill is required
- Advice and training to co-workers about issues related to employing people with disabilities
- Job in jeopardy support for employers whose workers risk loss of a job as a result of their disability.
Who is eligible to access Disability Employment Network services?
Eligibility for Disability Employment Network service is determined through a Job Capacity Assessment. As a general guide, a person is eligible for Disability Employment Network services if they:
- have a permanent, or likely to be permanent disability that is verified by medical evidence; and
- have a reduced capacity for communication, learning or mobility, and
- results in the person requiring ongoing support services.
The person must also:
- have a future capacity for work of 8 or more hours a week with the assistance of this program (note that clients with less than 8 hours future work capacity in an unsupported environment could still be eligible for this assistance if they could achieve work capacity of 8 hours or more per week with ongoing support);
- require specialist disability assistance to build capacity to ensure that they are able to work to their assessed future work capacity following assistance from the service; and/or
- require more than 6 months of assistance after placement in a job in order to keep that job
How do I access the Disability Employment Network?
There are two main ways to access the Disability Employment Network:
- By contacting a local Disability Employment Network member directly
If you decide to contact a Disability Employment Network member directly, they will refer you to a Job Capacity Assessor or to Centrelink to work out the right services for you. If the Disability Employment Network is not the best service for you, the Job Capacity Assessor will connect you with a more appropriate service.
OR
- Through a referral from Centrelink
If you are looking for work your first point of contact is usually Centrelink who will register you as "looking for work" if you haven't already been registered. Centrelink may arrange an assessment of your work capacity to work out what type of employment service will help you best and then connect you with that service. Contact Centrelink on 13 28 50 or visit your nearest Customer Service Centre to register.
Disability Employment Network members in the ACT
Advance Personnel
PA Chambers, 18 Corinna Street, PHILLIP ACT 2606
Phone: 6285 2466
Fax: 6282 2320
Email:
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www.advance.org.au/
Centacare - Open Employment Program
Blackfriars, 127 Phillip Ave, WATSON ACT 2602
PO Box 3167, MANUKA ACT 2603
Phone: 6163 7600
Fax: 6163 7676
Email:
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www.centacare-canberra.org/
Job Solve
Unit 7, 116 Wollongong Street, FYSHWICK ACT 2609
Phone: 6280 6032
TTY: 6280 9160
Fax: 6280 5929
Email:
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www.jobsolve.org.au/
Koomarri JobMatch
25 Launceston Street, PHILLIP ACT 2606
Phone: 6280 6143
Fax: 6239 1603
Email:
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www.koomarri.com.au/
LEAD Employment
(Formerly known as Work Places / Community Programs Association)
LEAD stands for Live Experience Access Develop
Level 5, Jacobs House, 8-10 Hobart Place, CANBERRA ACT 2600
Phone: 6257 7088
Fax: 6257 7099
Email:
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or
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www.lead.asn.au/ (or http://www.cpainc.com.au/ until the new website goes live)
Vision Australia
Vision Australia provides advice and training to help people who are blind or have low vision, find and keep a job, make a career change, achieve a promotion or settle into a new role.
Level 2, Saraton Building, 22 East Row, CIVIC ACT 2601
Phone: 6247 1000
Fax: 6230 5007
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www.visionaustralia.org.au/
Work-Ways
Work-Ways is a specialised employment agency that provides individualised support to people with a mental illness to obtain and maintain employment. Additional mental health-focused services include
- Education programs on mental health issues
- Strategies to assist with the promotion of mental wellness in the workplace
7 Lonsdale Street, BRADDON ACT 2612
PO Box 23, BRADDON ACT 2612
Phone: 6247 3611
Fax: 6247 3640
Email:
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www.work-ways.com.au/
Additional Information
If you are not satisfied with the service you are receiving from a Disability Employment Network member, you should first raise this with your Disability Employment Network member-ask to speak to the manager or supervisor.
If you do not wish to raise a complaint directly with the Disability Employment Network member, you can call and lodge a complaint with the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service (CRRS)
CRRS is an independent body responsible for resolving complaints through investigation and/or conciliation. They will try to resolve your concerns quickly, fairly and sensitively. An interpreter or TTY access can be arranged on request.
Free call: 1800 88 00 52
TTY: 1800 301 130 National Relay Service: 1800 555 677 Telephone Interpreter Service: 13 14 50.
Fax: (02) 9318 1372
What is the difference between Vocational Rehabilitation and Disability Employment Network services?
There are two major differences between Vocational Rehabilitation and Disability Employment Network services - the level of on-the-job support and the type of disability.
A job seeker must be assessed as being able to work independently in the workplace with less than six months support and not have a permanent disability to be eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation service. A job seeker who needs more than six months support on-the-job would be better supported by Disability Employment Network.
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