Job Seekers

Home > Job Seekers > Disability Employment Services

Disability Employment Services

At IDEAL Placements we understand that looking for work can be challenging.  Our team is here to support you every step of the way and listen to your needs.

Together we will support your work and life goals to create a plan navigating you toward success.  If you are not ready for work just yet, we can focus on building skills through training and upskilling to become job ready.

Our friendly team will source job opportunities and provide on-the-job training, supporting you and your new employer, and creating long-term partnerships.  Our goal is to find employment that best matches your needs and capabilities.

Ideal Placements Disability Employment Services Logo
Employee Building Skills Through Disability Employment Services at Ideal Placements

Get started with IDEAL Placements

You can get started by registering with us:

  • Through a Services Australia referral or
  • By directly registering with us.

To register directly with us contact your closest IDEAL Placements office and our friendly team will help you through this process.

How we work with you

A friendly IDEAL Placements Employment Consultant will be assigned to you, and work with you to understand what assistance you may need while sourcing suitable job opportunities.  Your Employment Consultant will get to know your interests, qualifications, experience, and skills and will set achievable goals for you to work towards in your employment journey.

Help with the prep work

IDEAL Placements provides individualised services to support you in preparing for and finding a job. Everyone’s journey is different and if required, we provide access to the right services to help you overcome any challenges.

Provides individualised services to support and prepare individuals for finding a job through Disability Employment Services at Ideal Placements
Provides on-site support and assistant through Disability Employment Services at Ideal Placements

On-Site Support

IDEAL Placements can assist you with on-site support and training at your workplace. On-the-job training takes place in your normal working situation, using the actual tools, equipment, documents, or materials. Your Employment Consultant can attend the workplace prior to you commencing your job to learn the required roles and tasks to assist you with your on-the-job training.

Observational Work Experience

Observational Work Experience (OWE) replaced the National Work Experience Program in 2022.

OWE provides voluntary, short-term, unpaid, observational work experience placements to help participants build soft skills and gain a better understanding of the workplace or potential career opportunities.

OWE may benefit both participants and employers including:

Providing an opportunity for a participant to gain valuable exposure to a workplace and learn about employer expectations;

Enhancing participant’s awareness of different careers in their local communities;

Supporting participants to build employability skills such as attendance, time management and communication;

Allowing employers to gauge whether a participant would be a good fit for their business;

Enabling participants to demonstrate their interests in a workplace; and

Employers may then be eligible to receive a Wage Subsidy after an offer of employment.

Is my Business Eligible?

An Observational Work Experience placement can be hosted in a business as long as the business has not downsized in the past 12-month period.  This includes redundancies or terminations.

Businesses must also ensure any proposed OWE activities or tasks do not include any work that would have been performed by an employee that was made redundant or terminated.

For a placement to be eligible, it must satisfy several requirements including:

The participant must be 15 years or older

A maximum of 4 weeks in duration

A maximum of 50 hours per fortnight (and not exceeding 8 hours per day)

Only involve observation (including participation in meetings or discussions) and no tasks to be undertaken by the participant.

Employment Assistance Fund (EAF)

The EAF gives financial help to eligible people with disabilities and mental health conditions and employers to buy work-related modifications and services. The EAF is available to people with disabilities that are about to start a job or who are currently working, as well as people who need help finding and preparing for a job. It is also available to people with disabilities that are self-employed, and participants that need Auslan assistance or special work equipment to look for and prepare for a job.

the cost of making adjustments to your physical workplace

modifications to work vehicles

special equipment for the workplace

information and communication devices

Auslan interpreting

specialist services for employees with specific learning disorders and mental health conditions

disability awareness training

deafness awareness training

mental health first aid training

A free workplace assessment through the EAF is available to help work out what modifications will best meet your needs and help you do your job. This is called a Workplace Modification Assessment. The assessment is done by a qualified professional. The assessment will look at your workplace and any barriers that you might have and will look at your job and workplace to identify any equipment or modifications that would work for you and your workplace. The Assessor will recommend any equipment or modifications from the assessment and liaise with you and your employer to find and access solutions to make your workplace more flexible and accessible.

A Workplace Modification Assessment is usually required if the assistance being purchased is over $1,000.00. Job Access may waive your need for an Assessment in certain circumstances. An example of this is if your EAF application is submitted by a Government Employment Service Provider such as IDEAL Placements and the item costs less than $10,000.00.

Eligibility Criteria:

Australian Resident (including a Temporary Protection Visa Holder or a Safe Haven Enterprise Holder).

Your employment must be expected to continue for the next 13 weeks (at minimum).

Your employment is at least 8 hours per week.

If you are self-employed, you must have worked at least 8 hours per week over the past 13 weeks and earning an hourly income that is equivalent to the National Minimum Wage.

You have an ongoing disability that has lasted or will last at least two years and the disability must limit, restrict or impair your ability to work.

Work Assist

Work Assist can support employers to retain valuable staff if they acquire a disability, injury, or health condition.

Both employers and employees can request Work Assist support and a DES provider will provide flexible support to both parties or separately to help people keep working.

Wage Subsidies

DES Wage Subsidy Scheme

The Wage Subsidy Scheme is a financial incentive of up to $1650 (inclusive of GST) that is available to eligible businesses to support a DES Participant to demonstrate their suitability to ongoing employment.

Wage Start

The Wage Start Subsidy is a financial incentive of up to $6,000 (inclusive of GST) available to eligible employers who hire eligible participants who are with a DES Provider.  The Wage Start Subsidy encourages employers to hire participants who are long-term unemployed.  There are a limited number of available placements for this subsidy per year.

Restart Wage Subsidy

The Restart Wage Subsidy is a financial incentive of up to $10,000 (inclusive of GST) available to eligible employers who hire eligible participants who are 50 years of age or older.

These subsidies come with their own specific eligibility criteria and must be reviewed individually and in consultation with a DES Provider to ensure all aspects of a potential Wage Subsidy Placement are eligible for a subsidy.

Back to Work Support Payments (QLD Residents Only)

The Back to Work Program is designed to support businesses with hiring Queenslanders who have experienced a period of unemployment and help workers facing a disadvantage.  This includes hiring a Queenslander who has recently been unemployed from a vulnerable cohort.

IDEAL Placements has no affiliation with the Back to Work Program as this is managed by the Queensland State Government.  More information can be found at: https://backtowork.initiatives.qld.gov.au/back-to-work-support-payment/

Hiring a person with a disability has been proven by Australian employers to:

Hiring process of Ideal Placements Disability Employment Services

We have a specialised team waiting to assist your needs. Contact us today.

Ideal Placements Disability Employment Services Logo
Ticket to Work Logo at Ideal Placements Disability Employment Services
Registered Charity Logo at Ideal Placements Disability Employment Services

BSI ISO 9001 Quality Management System at Ideal Placements Disability Employment Services
BSI HSQF Logo at Ideal Placements Disability Employment Services
JAS-ANZ Logo at Ideal Placements Disability Employment Services

Contact

I

IDP Agent
Personal Assistant

IDP Agent

Personal Assistant

Hello, welcome to IDEAL Placements! I am your Personal Assistant!