The Albanese Labor Government is committed to improving the employment outcomes of Australians with disability and has today released new scorecards to help better monitor quality and effectiveness of Disability Employment Services.
There are 5.5 million Australians with disability – 2.7 million of whom are of working age. Our Government is working to shift the stubbornly high unemployment rate for people with disability and ensure quality and their experiences, are at the centre.
The first release of the new scorecards, under the Performance Framework, show that more than 90 per cent of Disability Employment Service providers are meeting or exceeding expectations against key performance indicators.
Providers are assessed on three key performance indicators of quality, effectiveness and efficiency.
The scorecards will be released publicly every quarter and rate providers on whether their performance meets expectations, exceeds expectations or requires improvement. This transparency and accountability will help drive improvement in the quality of services delivered, and ultimately ensure better outcomes for people with disability.
They will help participants to make an informed decision when selecting a preferred provider.
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said the results highlighted the importance of delivering real and meaningful employment outcomes for people with disability.
“While it’s great that most providers are meeting expectations, the scorecards give providers, employers and participants – as well as the general public – a very clear picture of what is expected of providers and how they are stacking up,” Minister Rishworth said.
“We know how important it is for people with disability to fully participate in society, and the role that paid employment has in facilitating that.
“Disability Employment Service providers are vital services to support participants to develop their skills, improve their employability and achieve positive employment outcomes.”
The initial performance scorecards from July were distributed to providers in September and assessed their performance for “quality” and “effectiveness” and are now available to the public.
The next round of scorecards is expected to include the third performance indicator of efficiency and will be made public early next year.
The Department of Social Services will continue to work closely providers where improvement is required.
The Government has committed to launching a new specialist disability employment program next year.
The new program will focus on providing tailored supports to assist people with disability, injury and/or a health condition to find and maintain suitable, sustainable employment that supports their employment aspirations and career goals.
It will build a more viable and attractive market that includes a wider range of small and specialist providers with deep expertise to provide real choice for people with disability.
More information about the DES Performance Framework and provider scorecards is available on the DSS website.