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:

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.

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

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

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

Made by the Disability Services and Inclusion (Code of Conduct) Rules 2023 under the Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023

The Disability Services and Inclusion Code of Conduct (Code) is a mandatory set of guidelines that must be followed by anyone providing disability services funded by the Commonwealth.

As part of the Disability Services and Inclusion Framework, the Code promotes the health, safety and wellbeing of people with disability.

The Code sets out acceptable, appropriate and ethical conduct for providers and employees who are delivering disability services funded by the Commonwealth.

The Code requires employees and providers delivering supports and services to:

1. 1. act with respect for the individual rights of people with disability to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making, in accordance with applicable laws and conventions
   2. respect the privacy of people with disability
   3. provide the eligible activity in a safe and competent manner, with care and skill
   4. act with integrity, honesty and transparency
   5. promptly take steps to raise and act on concerns about matters that may have an impact on the quality and safety of the provision of the eligible activity to people with disability
   6. take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against, and exploitation, neglect and abuse of, people with disability, and
   7. take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.

You can download the Code here.

Inclusive Employment Australia

The Guarantee lets you know what to expect when working with your provider. Providers are expected to deliver services tailored to your needs and abilities and promote meaningful engagement.

As your provider we will:

• treat you fairly and with respect;
• be culturally sensitive;
• help you to search for work and build work capacity;
• clearly explain the available services to you;
• focus on participant-led services;
• explain your rights and obligations to engage in the program;
• build a positive and trusting relationship to support you; and
• communicate in a way that meets your needs, including by providing an interpreter (if required).

What can you expect?

As your provider, we will tailor the support we provide. We will help you identify, and access services and supports such as:

What are your responsibilities?

We expect you to participate meaningfully in the program by:

• working respectfully with your provider to develop an individualised Job Plan. Your Job Plan will require you to engage with your provider to prepare for, seek or maintain employment;
• attending appointments and participating in the activities in your Job Plan; and
• telling your provider if you are unable to attend appointments or if something in your life has changed.

Please note:

If you receive a payment from Services Australia and do not attend appointments or do the activities in your Job Plan, your payment may be put on hold. If you continue to fail to meet your requirements, you may have your payment reduced or cancelled. If you have a reasonable excuse, you must advise your provider beforehand.

Help for making phone calls

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, or find it hard to speak using the phone, you can call the National Relay Service by calling:

• TTY (Talk and Listen) on 1800 555 677 and then ask for 1800 880 052
• Speak and Listen (speech-to-speech relay) on 1800 555 727 and then asking for 1800 880 052

If you need something in a language other than English, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450.

What happens to your information?

The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (referred to in this document as the Privacy Act) and Australian Privacy Principles mean that your personal information is protected.

Your personal information will not be released to anyone unless required by law or you provide consent. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

More information about the Privacy Act, your privacy rights, our privacy obligations can be found at www.oaic.gov.au.

What can you do if you are not happy with the service?

If you think you are not receiving the right help, you should first try to talk to us. We will provide a feedback process which is fair and try to resolve your concerns.

If you cannot talk to us about your concerns, or you would like to make a complaint, you can call the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service on 1800 880 052.

All IEA providers need to meet the National Standards for Disability Services which you can find at www.dss.gov.au

You can download this Service Guarantee here.