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Inclusive Employment Australia

Inclusive Employment Australia logo with tagline - Finding careers for people with disability

Ability Works is proud to have been selected as a provider under the Commonwealth Government’s Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) program, specialising in providing supports for people with intellectual disabilities.

We adopt Customised Employment (CE) principles to deliver a one-on-one approach for people with barriers to employment interested in entering the workforce. Partnering with each person to discover their unique talents, interests and skills that are aligned to ensure meaningful and financially rewarding jobs and careers. The Customised Employment process involves negotiating mainstream employment roles to achieve positive outcomes for both the employee and the employer.

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Our IEA Locations

Ability Works services all Employment Services Areas across the Melbourne metropolitan region.

Our head office is at 1 Yarra Blvd Kew, and we provide services around Melbourne at a further 12 outreach locations:

List of IEA Outreach Locations
Suburb	Address
BROADMEADOWS	Broadmeadows Town Hall, 10 Dimboola Road, Broadmeadows VIC 3047
BRUNSWICK WEST	Campbell Turner Library, 220 Melville Road, Brunswick West VIC 3055
CAPEL SOUND (ROSEBUD)	Seawinds Community Hub, 11A Allambi Avenue, Capel Sound VIC 3940
CARLTON NORTH	Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre, 20 Princes Street, Carlton North VIC 3054
DANDENONG	Dandenong Civic Centre, 225 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong VIC 3175
FITZROY NORTH	Holden Street Neighbourhood Centre, 128 Holden Street, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
FRANKSTON	Jubilee Park Stadium, 83R-85R Hillcrest Road, Frankston VIC 3199
GREENSBOROUGH	Diamond Valley Learning Centre, 1 Diamond Creek Road, Greensborough VIC 3088
IVANHOE	Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub, 275 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe VIC 3079
LILYDALE	Yarra Ranges Civic Centre, 15 Anderson Street, Lilydale VIC 3140
MELTON	Melton Central Community Centre, 239 Station Road, Melton VIC 3337
PAKENHAM	Living and Learning Pakenham, 6B Henry Street, Pakenham VIC 3810
RINGWOOD	Realm Library, Eastland, 179 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood VIC 3134
SPOTSWOOD	Spotswood Community House, 598 Melbourne Road, Spotswood VIC 3015

Phone 03 9853 7080
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Inclusive Employment at Ability Works

We deliver Inclusive Employment Australia services using our Customised Employment approach. This is highly person-centred and ensures excellent outcomes, with jobs ideally suited to each individual and positive long-term outcomes sustaining fulfilling employment in an environment that feels just right for you.

If IEA participants also have NDIS funding available to support their ‘discovery’ and capacity building, our Customised Employment counsellors can provide additional supports to enrich and enhance your journey. This therapeutic support from a registered counsellor paired with the exploration of Vocational Themes and potential workplaces with an IEA-funded CE Consultant ensures that clients feel supported and confident to find meaningful and sustainable career paths with Customised Employment.

Benefits

Ability Works offers a unique approach to employment services for people with intellectual disabilities, adopting a Service Delivery Model that is based on the Griffin-Hammis Customised Employment model and ensures you benefit from:

Specialist services for people with intellectual disabilities
Values-based team working with you – we genuinely believe everyone can find a job they love
Long-term, sustainable career pathways
Build capacity and confidence in employment skills
Engage with employers in your local community
Additional NDIS-funded supports available for those who wish to use their NDIS funding to enrich their journey towards employment

Stages of Customised Employment

Discovery

Discovery sessions take place with the CE engagement coordinator to learn about the person, their support circle, routine and neighbourhood.

This stage focuses on identifying talents, interests, values and ideal conditions for employment to build a profile using a Discovery Record that creates a story of the individual and their Customised Employment journey.

Exploration

During exploration, Vocational Themes are explored which are broad themes that relate to interests in explored in Discovery. Discovery visits and Informational Interviews can take place in environments that align with your employment goals, to learn more about the industry and to observe the client’s potential skills in that industry/workplace. This involves meeting with specific employers that align with their unique strengths and considering creative, non-traditional roles that may be a perfect fit.

Job Development

In this stage, we partner with employers to develop customised job descriptions that suit both the individual’s and the employer’s needs.

We work to design roles, negotiate responsibilities, and make accommodations to ensure a successful, sustainable employment.

Post Placement Support

After securing employment, we provide ongoing support to ensure long-term success.

Our team offers support with further job development, and any necessary adjustments to help the individual thrive in their new role and achieve career satisfaction.

Our NDIS-funded services may also be of benefit as you seek to further develop your skills and capacity.

Customised Employment Research

The NDIA, through research led by the University of Melbourne, found that approaches like Individual Placement and Support (IPS), and Customised Employment are effective in helping people with disabilities find and keep jobs. This aligns with Ability Works’ Customised Employment approach, which integrates Employment Counselling with the CE methodology and the IPS principles.

T. Riesen et al (2015) provided descriptive evidence of CE practices improving integrated employment outcomes such as wages, hours worked, and quality of life

“The success stories were amazing. People had micro-business enterprises and others found successful, meaningful, award-wage employment, which gave us hope. We linked Will with one of the customised employment support providers and staff visited us at home. They talked to us about the ‘discovery’ process and worked with Will to discover his likes, dislikes, strengths, what work means to him, and his support needs. It was a great process, and it really helped to build an employment picture for Will.”

Source: NDIS website story

“NDIS encourages participants and providers to build employment capability and capacity through work experience and customised employment to improve the likelihood of succeeding in sustainable employment.”

Source: NDIS Research webinar: Participants in employment

Customised Employment for Employers

According to the survey data, one of the most under-represented groups in Australian workplaces are people who identify as having a disability or neurodiverse. More than three quarters (76%) of survey respondents perceive that both Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people who identify as having a disability or neurodiverse (76%) are under-represented in their organisation.

– Australian HR Institute. THE STATE OF Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Australian Workplace. 2023.

As an employer, hiring neurodiverse individuals through Customised Employment can bring significant benefits to businesses. By tailoring job roles to the unique strengths, skills, and abilities of neurodiverse candidates, you gain access to fresh perspectives and innovative problem-solving approaches. Customised Employment ensures that the work environment is fully supportive and accommodating, leading to higher job satisfaction, increased productivity, and reduced turnover. Additionally, it demonstrates your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, enhancing your reputation and attracting a broader talent pool that can contribute to your organization’s long-term success.

Benefits

Diversify your workforce
Creating valuable employment opportunities for people experiencing barriers to employment
Gain skilled employees
Employees passionate about the field
Employees supported by counsellors and Customised Employment specialists
Employer support from disability employment experts
Accommodations mapped out collaboratively Job enjoyment and longevity

How can we help you?

Inclusive Employment Australia