Overview
Meaningful engagement forms the foundation of how we work with people with disability. It's more than just meeting participation requirements – it's a way of working together, built around the person. The person agrees to keep in touch with their employment consultant and do tasks and activities to help them gain employment and the consultant agrees to support the person’s needs, strengths and goals. Meaningful engagement isn’t a fixed plan. It is created in partnership with the person and reviewed and adjusted regularly as things change.
In practice, meaningful engagement means building trust, making decisions together, tailoring activities to each person's situation and helping the person to feel ownership over their goals.
Why is meaningful engagement important to employment consultants?
A strong working relationship makes a real difference. When participants feel listened to and respected and help to shape their own goals and activities, they're more likely to stay engaged, build confidence and make real progress towards work.
Meaningful engagement changes your role as an employment consultant. It means going beyond ticking boxes to building genuine relationships. You will look at the whole picture – not just focus on whether a task has been done. Instead, you will focus on whether the person is progressing and is being supported in the right way for them. That discretion comes with responsibility, so your decisions need to be clear, fair and properly recorded.
Doing meaningful engagement well leads to:
- Better relationships as the person trusts the consultant to support them as they shape their plan.
- Better results from person-centred, tailored plans, rather than one-size-fits-all plans.
- Reduced risk from consistent recording of well-documented decision-making.
- Fewer problems as quality plans mean fewer complaints and fewer transfers to Detailed Job Plans.
This page has the guides and tools needed to put meaningful engagement into practice. Explore the resources below to build your confidence and make every conversation with the person count.
A guide to person-centred goal setting
People are more likely to achieve positive outcomes if goals are created through authentic cooperation with them, rather than imposed on them. Follow the six steps in this guide from the Centre for Inclusive Employment to support the people you work with to set meaningful and achievable goals.
Download person-centred goal setting guide (PDF)
Download person-centred goal setting guide (Word)
Person-centred questions to get to know the jobseeker
Use this person-centred conversation guide from the Centre for Inclusive Employment to get to know the jobseeker. Placing the person at the centre of the planning process will help you to explore their goals, strengths, support needs and conditions for success.
Download person-centred questions to get to know the jobseeker (PDF)
Download person-centred questions to get to know the jobseeker (Word)