The views and experiences of people with disability will, for the first time, be at the forefront of how Disability Employment Services provider performance is measured through the release and implementation of a new Quality Framework.
Developed in consultation with the disability employment sector and participant representative organisations, the DES Quality Framework is delivering on the Australian Government’s commitment to ensuring people with disability are at the centre of policy and programs that impact their lives.
There are 4.4 million Australians with disability, 2.1 million of working age. The unemployment rate for people with disability has not shifted in more than two decades, and their rate of unemployment is three times higher than the general public.
The DES Quality Framework ensures that a quality service for people with disability is at the forefront of the DES program, and providers are driving meaningful and sustained quality improvement in delivering services. Providers will be assessed against four quality elements that include: Participant Rights; Understanding Quality; Provider Capability and Compliance.
Consultation will continue throughout the implementation process in the latter half of 2023, with a specialist disability employment service model to replace the current DES Program on July 1, 2025.
A copy of the framework is available on the Department of Social Services website.