This fact sheet aims to give you an overview of the Disability Service Standards and the obligations of Disability Employment Services Program Providers that are funded under the Disability Service Act 1986.
Although employment services such as the Job Services Australia have no formal obligation to operate against the standards, the principles contained within the Standards provide ‘good practice’ benchmarks for working with people with disability.
What are the Disability Services Act 1986 and associated Disability Services Standards?
The Disability Services Act was passed in 1986 with the aim of providing a coordinated approach to assisting people with disability gain and maintain employment. Prior to 1986, people with disability had more limited opportunities to participate in the open labour market, with their primary employment option being ‘sheltered’ employment, now known as Australian Disability Enterprises.
The key objective of the Disability Services Act was to de-institutionalise long-established segregated services, increase the range of service options and to include people with disability in the wider community life.
The Disability Services Act provides a legislative and funding framework for a range of disability services, most significantly employment services. Disability Employment Services Program Providers and Australian Disability Enterprises are funded under the Disability Services Act 1986 to support job seekers and workers with disability.
The Disability Services Act also provides for a set of guiding standards for the delivery of quality services known as the Disability Services Standards. These standards, in conjunction with the associated objectives for service provision, remain in place today and are underpinned by social justice values.
There are 12 Disability Services Standards, supported by 26 Key Performance Indicators which outline the Australian Government’s expectations of service quality and link directly to core organisational processes and outcomes. All Disability Employment Services Program Providers are required to be certified as complying with the standards.
Service compliance with the standards is regularly assessed by independent third party auditors. When auditors are not satisfied that the Disability Employment Services Program Provider has provided adequate evidence of meeting the standards, an auditor may issue the service with a ‘non-conformance’ rating. Non-conformities that are not resolved can result in serious consequences for service providers, culminating in the withdrawal of government funding.
What are the Disability Services Standards?
The Disability Services Standards outline the Government’s requirements for service quality.
There are five main areas that the standards fall into:
- values and principles (having the right approach)
- service outcomes (having the right end result)
- service delivery (having the right organisational processes in place)
- service management
- staff recruitment, employment and training (having the right staff).
The standards are:
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Standard 1: Service access
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Standard 2: Individual needs
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Standard 3: Decision making and choice
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Standard 4: Privacy, dignity and confidentiality
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Standard 5: Participation and integration
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Standard 6: Valued status
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Standard 7: Complaints and disputes
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Standard 8: Service management
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Standard 9: Employment conditions
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Standard 10: Service recipient training and support
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Standard 11: Staff recruitment, employment and training
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Standard 12: Protection of human rights and freedom from abuse
Understanding the standards
Each standard is explained further in the relevant section of the Quality Assurance Handbook (see Related Links). The Quality Assurance Handbook provides guidance to services on how they may demonstrate that they are complying with the requirements of the standards and is published by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Refer to this document for the formal explanation of the standard and the appropriate Key Performance Indicators which must be met by services funded under the Disability Service Act. The Key Performance Indicators are a subset of the standards and describe the behaviours to be demonstrated by the services.
Standard 1: Service access
This standard is about job seekers and workers having equal rights of access to service.
This standard is predominately regulated through a formalised referral process, which includes assessment by a Job Capacity Assessor, arranged through either Centrelink or the service provider. Services with waiting lists are required to adhere to this standard and demonstrate a fair and equitable entry process.
Standard 2: Individual needs
This standard is about working with job seekers to identify suitable vocational goals and identifying ways to achieve those goals. It is about ensuring the services provided are tailored to the needs of each client in response to those goals, in a highly individualised way. A one size fits all approach is not acceptable.
Standard 3: Decision making and choice
This standard obliges the service to consult with the job seeker or worker and provide opportunities for the individual to make decisions that impact on their life. This impacts upon all stages of employment assistance and where required, the provision of maintenance support.
This standard also gauges how the service responds to input from job seekers and workers. Auditors assess the degree to which the job seeker or worker is able to influence employment service provision through feedback mechanisms, consumer groups or involvement at the board level.
When a job seeker or worker has participation requirements as part of their obligations to Centrelink, these obligations must be adhered to while still acknowledging that the standard applies. This means that the service will involve the job seeker in decision making and choice to the greatest extent possible, while adhering to participation requirements. The challenge is for the service provider to develop options that provide the job seeker or worker with a range of suitable choices—any one of which would allow them to meet their participation requirements.
Standard 4: Privacy, dignity and confidentiality
This standard is fairly self explanatory in that people with disability have the right to privacy just like the rest of the community.
This standard preceded the development of the Privacy Act and the National Privacy Principles (see Related Links for more information). Adherence to the Information Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act will meet this standard as assessed by quality auditors.
In addition, Disability Employment Services are subject to other information privacy requirements under legislation such as the Social Security Act 1991.
Standard 5: Participation and integration
This standard is about developing opportunities for job seekers and workers to participate in their community. For those actively job seeking it may be, for example, encouraging participation in society through volunteer work or participation in community centre programmes, while waiting to find a job.
This standard seeks to extend the goals of employment beyond simply getting a job (‘any job’) by finding opportunities for a person to make the most of their skills and to grow as members of society.
Integration into the wider community and the achievement of social outcomes increases the likelihood of job seekers or workers finding and maintaining sustainable employment.
Standard 6: Valued status
This standard is an extension of the previous standard. While the previous standard supports the person in growth and development, this standard seeks to achieve a level of community involvement whereby the person is considered ‘highly valued’ by others for their skills and knowledge.
An example of actively pursuing this standard is exploring with an employer the opportunity for a job seeker already in work to move on to an apprenticeship or traineeship after a period of employment in a base level position within a company.
Standard 7: Complaints and disputes
It is essential to ensure there is an accessible and effective complaints process available for people with disability using Disability Employment Services. The Key Performance Indicators in this standard require that employment services 'encourage the raising of complaints' and clearly guarantee job seekers and workers that they are free to raise complaints without 'fear of retribution' (Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs 2003).
Encouraging complaints and suggestions for improvement are seen as sound business practice to continuously improve service delivery.
An independent complaints handling body known as the Complaints Resolutions and Referral Service is available to clients of Disability Employment Services Program Providers. This service can help to resolve complaints and will inquire into the matter, if necessary. Where appropriate, the Disability Employment Service Program Providers may be required to take remedial action. The Complaints Resolutions and Referral Service is also available to provide advice and assistance to Disability Employment Services Program Providers in relation to complaints handling.
Standard 8: Service management
The aim of this standard is to ensure that employment service providers have quality management systems and continuous improvement practices in place.
Standard 9: Employment conditions
To fully understand this standard, refer to our fact sheet on ensuring fair pay and conditions. Briefly, this standard is about ensuring that employment pay and conditions are of the same standard as the general workforce and checking that this is the case.
Standard 10: Service recipient training and support
Under this standard, there is an expectation that job seekers or workers are encouraged and supported to engage in relevant training that leads to their employment goals or specific to the employment they have already achieved.
This standard encourages services to have clear policies about funding for training and any ancillary costs.
Standard 11: Staff recruitment, employment and training
This standard is about ensuring the quality of staff is maintained through thorough selection and monitoring processes. It also sets out expectations about the provision of appropriate and ongoing training for all staff.
Standard 12: Protection of human rights and freedom from abuse
There is an expectation placed on providers to uphold these rights and 'to take all practical and appropriate steps to prevent abuse and neglect' (Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs 2003).
References
This information has been significantly informed by the Quality Assurance Handbook issued by the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs 2003, Quality Assurance Handbook version 2 for disability employment services, Australian Government Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra, viewed 16 April 2007, http://www.facsia.gov.au/disability/qa_handbook2/index.htm.