Career Chat // DES providers, what do they do and how to engage with them // Tues. 10 Oct. 7pm AEST

Hi everyone

Welcome and thank you for joining this evening. This evening's conversation had come from consumer suggestion via SANE Australia who wanted to know what do Disability Employment Services do and how best to engage with them.

Disability Employment Services (DES) have been in existence since 1986 when the Government first finded open employment services, in particular back then to support people with Intellectual Disabilitys. Since 1986, DES has evolved to meet the current trends in labour market but also provide a wider voice and advocacy to support people with Disability and Mental Health conditions to gain meaningful employment in the open and competive labour market.

DES continues to be a government funded program, and there is an eligibility criteria individuals need to meet to be eligible to access the service of DES. The eligibility criteria is:

- Must be a permanent resident and/or citizen of Australia

- Must be aged between 14 and 65 years

- Must have a disability, injury or health condition

- Be assessed by an Employment Services Assessor determining that DES is a suitable service

- Must have a capacity to work a minimum of 8 hours per week

- Not be a full time student (unless secondary school and in the final year of schooling)

- Not be already working at the assessed benchmark that is determined by Department of Human Services assessor

A DES providers role is to primarily assist people to find and sustain meaningful employment. Individuals can remain connected with a DES provider even after they have long commenced into their job for as long as they require the support. DES providers help source vacancies and match candidates up to suitable employment.

I would like to hear from you whether you have had any success stories from a DES provider in the past and what did this success look like to you?

As a customer of a DES provider, it is important to know and understand what services you can receive to get assistance to find a suitable job.

Employment Consultants will work with you to identify your skills, strengths and occupational interests. It is ok if you are not sure what type of employment you will be suitable, this is what DES providers can assist with to help you to navigate through.

As a customer, it is also important that you find the right Employment Consultant and the right service provider that can assist you. You hae the choice of which service provider you want to work with, so do your research. Even region across Australia will have a number of DES provider from which you can choose from, and each DES provider may have different offerings of service that is best suited to you. One way you can do a search is visit www.jobsearch.gov.au and find a provider in your local area.

To get the best out of your time with a DES provider, ensure that you Employment Consultant is engaging and is willing to work with you to identify suitable jobs and also suitable employers to make your work environment more enjoyable.

Being connected to a DES provider has many benefits, not only do they assist you to find suitable and meaningful work, but DES providers also can helo you to connect with other service providers that will be there and assist you on your journey to employment.

Many DES providers have strong connections with communities and like minded services. Services that you can also be connected with that will support your employment journey include:

- Training organisations who will assist you to develop the necessary skills for employment in particular the industry that you want to get into

- Other service providers such as counsellors, career coaches, support groups to name a few that will assist you to manage personal issues to help you develop confidence to return to work

- Provide some financial assistance for public transport to help you get to job interviews and to and from employment

- Assist with personal grooming to prepare you for work

- Database of employers and job vacancies available in the local area

- and once you are in a job, DES provider will continue to support you either on or off the job