Supported employment: submission to the Department of Social Services
Overview
A submission in response to the Department of Social Services’ (DSS) discussion paper: Next Steps in Supported Employment(Opens in a new tab/window). It is informed by discussions with fifty people with an intellectual disability around Australia. The recommendations provided in the submission have been developed through a human rights lens.
The submission directly addresses all seven consultation questions posed in the discussion paper and it also raises broader systemic issues that extend beyond the immediate scope of supported employment services. This is because people with an intellectual disability face multiple, interconnected barriers to inclusive employment. Our extensive consultation with people with intellectual disability and their families has consistently shown that supported employment cannot be reformed in isolation if we are to achieve genuine inclusive employment outcomes. The Discussion Paper also acknowledges this "interconnected disability employment ecosystem" and invites feedback on the ecosystem mapping.
The submission provides 29 recommendations that focus on:
- fair wages
- phasing the transition of Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs)
- a Disability Support Pension (DSP) system that incentivises work
- more jobs
- pathways to employment for young people with an intellectual disability
- ongoing and accessible support for work
- support for nano enterprise and self-employment.