Disability Services (Disability Employment & Rehabilitation Program) Standards 2002

(Dept of Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs

Advance Employment Inc. has been Quality Assured since 5th February 2004, against the Disability Service Standards 2002. Quality Assurance is mandatory.

About the Standards

What are the Standards?

The Standards inform the DEN of the required service delivery to ensure that they…

• Have the right attitude to working with you
• Give you the right help to find and keep a job
• Find the right way to get the job that you want
• Have the right staff to do the work
• Are well managed

There are 12 Disability Services Standards

Why are the Disability Services Standards important?

The Disability Services Standards are important as they detail your rights…

• When you go to a service
• When you are looking for a job
• When you are working in a job

Standard 1 Service Access

All kinds of people with a disability use this service.
Your service must treat you in an appropriate manner regardless of…

• Your age
• Whether you are a woman or man
• What country your family comes from
• What colour you are
• What your religion is
• What extra support needs you may have
• Your service must have fair rules.
• These rules must be written down and you may ask to see them is you wish.
• You can ask to see the rules at any time.
• If your service says they can not help you they must have a fair reason.

Standard 2 Individual Needs

The job seeker is discussing her job preferences with her employment consultant.

Getting help that is right for you

Your service should help you in a manner that best meets your needs and not in a way that is easiest for them.

Your service can help you…

• To think about your work goals e.g.…
• what kind of work you want or
• how many days/hours a week you wish to work.
• To work out a plan to help you to meet your goals
• To follow your plan
• To keep your plan up to date

Standard 3 Decision Making & Choice

The job seeker is choosing the job that best suits her.
The employment consultant makes a note and will look for similar types of jobs.

Having your say
Your service has to give you choices.
Your service has to listen to you about…

• what kind of jobs you want
• how your service can do things better.
• Your service has to act on what you said.

Standard 4 Privacy, Dignity & Confidentiality

The employment consultant is ensuring that the job seekers files are kept in a private place.
Respecting your privacy
Your service must always treat you with respect.
Your service must keep your information in a private place.
If your service wants to give your information to someone else…

• They must tell you who they wish to give the information to
• They must tell you why
• They must ask for your permission

If you do not give your permission for your information to be given to another person, your service must respect your decision.

Standard 5 Participation & Integration

Taking part in the community


The job seeker has a new job, where he will be part of the team.
Your service should help you to…

• Be involved in the community.
• Use services in the community.
• Get a job in the community.

Standard 6 Valued Status

Being important in the community

The job seeker has received an award for learning new skills at work, these skills are important to the whole team.
The Government believes that people feel more valued and respected when they give something back to the community with by having a job.

Your service will endeavour to assist you to feel valued and respected in the community by…

• Helping you to find a job
• Helping you to learn new skills to get a job
• Helping you to keep your skills up to date
• Building your confidence in your skills and abilities

Standard 7 Complaints & Disputes

Advance Employment is a service committed to ensuring that Job Seekers/Advocates/Employers are aware that it is OK to complain when unhappy with the service provided.  We welcome any comments and opinions that you may have regarding how the agency can improve its service.   If you have any issues/complaints that you would like resolved then you may choose any of the options below.

Getting something done about a complaint

The job seeker is making a complaint to the service and he has brought a friend along to support him.
The staff at the service are listening and taking notes to ensure that the complaint is addressed.
When you first register with a service you should be informed that it is ok to complain and how to make a complaint if you have a problem.

If you make a complaint your service should…

• Listen to you
• Be happy to help you
• Help you to explain the problem
• Try to fix your problem
• Tell you about other people or places you can talk to about your complaint.

The service must keep your complaint private and confidential.

Standard 8 Service Management

Running the service well

The service team is consistently meeting and discussing ways to improve service delivery.
Your service should be well organised and managed.

Your service should…

• Be up to date with the best ways of working with you
• Use Government funding efficiently
• Work to ensure that service delivery is constantly reviewed and improved
• Have a business plan relating to effective and efficient service delivery
• Show you the business plan if you request to see it.

Your service should seek feedback from you and other services users in order to take into account what you have said to improve service delivery.

Standard 9 Employment Conditions

Your right to fair wages and conditions

On payday the job seeker gets a fair wage.

People with disabilities should have the same rights at work as everyone else.

You have right to fair employment conditions, same as a person without a disability.

What are employment conditions?

Employment conditions are things like…

• Wages
• Holiday pay
• Sick leave
• Safety

When you start a new job your service must explain…

• Your employment conditions
• How your wages are worked out

You can have a support person or advocate with you when you talk to your service.

Standard 10 Service Recipient Training & Support

Learning the rights skills for your job

The job seeker is learning new skills for his gardening job.

Good training and support means that you have the skills to get a job that you like.

Your service must give you the training that you need…

• To find a job that you will like
• To keep a job
• To learn new skills
• To keep your skills up to date

Standard 11 Staff Recruitment, Employment & Training

Having staff who know the best ways to help you

The employment consultant is providing information about the jobs that the job seeker has identified

Your service should…

• Know what skills the staff needs to help you
• Find the right staff to help you
• Make sure that the staff keeps their skills up to date

Standard 12 Protection of Human Rights & Freedom from Abuse

Being safe and respected

The employment consultant is advocating on the job seekers behalf. He is telling his workmate to stop bullying him

Your service must stand up for your rights…

• At work
• When you are training

They should ensure that you are not…

• Hurt
• Talked to in a disrespectful way
• Disrespected because of your disability

If you ask your service for help they must do their best to assist you.