Disability Employment Services (DES) is an Australian Government program that helps people with a disability, injury, or health condition prepare for, find, and keep a job. The program offers individualised support tailored to your needs, helping you achieve your employment goals in open employment where people with and without disabilities work together.
You may be eligible for DES if you:
- Have a disability, injury, or health condition.
- Are aged at least 14 years but have not yet attained the Age Pension qualifying age.
- Are not working, or working less than 8 hours per week, and are seeking more hours.
- Are receiving an income support payment.
- Are a current participant of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Eligibility can vary depending on your circumstances, so it’s best to discuss your specific situation with a DES provider.
DES providers offer a range of services to support you in finding and keeping a job. This includes:
- Developing a Job Plan tailored to your goals.
- Assisting with resume preparation and job applications.
- Providing training and skill development opportunities.
- Connecting you with potential employers.
- Offering ongoing support once you start your job, such as workplace modifications if needed.
Our goal is to help you build the skills and confidence you need to succeed in the workplace.
Sign for Work continues to support you even after you’ve secured employment. This might include:
- Regular check-ins to ensure you’re settling into your new role.
- Assistance with any challenges that arise at work.
- Providing additional training or workplace modifications if required.
- Helping you transition to independent work over time.
This ongoing support ensures that you can maintain your job and continue to grow in your career.
Yes, if you feel that your current DES provider isn’t the right fit for you, you can transfer to another provider. The process is straightforward and designed to ensure you receive the support you need to achieve your employment goals.
If you have more questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to us directly. We’re here to help you on your journey to meaningful employment.
The National Standards for Disability Services ensure that all services, including DES, are provided with a focus on rights, participation, and inclusion. These standards cover:
- Rights: Respecting and promoting your legal and human rights.
- Participation and Inclusion: Supporting your involvement in the community and in making decisions about your life.
- Individual Outcomes: Working towards the outcomes you want in your life.
- Feedback and Complaints: Ensuring you can provide feedback or make complaints without fear of retribution.
- Service Access: Making sure services are accessible to everyone who needs them.
- Service Management: Ensuring services are effectively managed and continuously improving.
We are committed to upholding these standards in all our interactions and services.
All Sign for Work offices have job search facilities such as desktop computers and job vacancy boards – also, our team is always there to help.
All Sign for Work offices are fully accessible for people in wheelchairs or with other mobility needs. Contact our team at one of our offices if you have any concerns about disability parking and access e.g. ramps, lifts etc.
Our team at Sign for Work needs to firstly meet with you to understand your support needs, listen and work with you on your goals, and tailor a Job Plan that’s right for you – taking into account personal circumstances, your health, situation, skills, abilities and hopes for the future. Your Job Plan might include linking you to local community support programs, training and obtaining qualifications, job application support, work experience placements and trials confidence building and job interview skills – all at the right time in your employment journey.
When you next visit your Sign for Work office, ask to see the office team leader, let them know your concerns and they will do their best to address the situation. You can also fill out the Feedback form and the appropriate person will respond to discuss your concerns.
Every participant has the right to make a complaint. Regardless of the outcome of a complaint, it is very important to speak up. Sign for Work uses all types of feedback to help us see opportunities for improvement in our service, including identifying training needs for our staff.
Based on your individual circumstances and income support arrangements, there are specific obligations you may need to meet in order to receive income support payments from Centrelink.
These obligations are known as mutual obligation requirements.
you are unemployed and receiving payments from Centrelink, you will likely need to complete certain tasks to demonstrate that you are actively seeking employment to maintain your income support.
Failure to fulfill any agreed-upon activities as part of your mutual obligation requirements could result in Centrelink temporarily suspending your payments.
If you are unclear about your mutual obligation requirements, it’s a good idea to speak with your Sign for Work Employment Consultant or contact Centrelink directly.
You can monitor the activities required in your Job Plan via an online dashboard on the myGov website, and it’s important to ensure that you record your participation in these activities.