Understanding where participants are on their employment journey
It’s important to understand where a participant is on their employment journey when providing employment supports. The level of support they need will differ depending on their stage of life and their employment goals.
A participant may be:
- a student of working age wanting after-school work or work experience
- transitioning from school to work, training or further education
- needing help to get work in a related field following completion of a qualification
- wanting to start paid work for the first time
- wanting to become self-employed
- already working and needing support to maintain their work
- wanting to change their job because of their disability
- wanting to advance their career.
See guide to employment for more information.
What help participants might need
Participants may need help at different stages of their employment journey. Participants will work with their my NDIS contact to set their employment goals.
Building skills for work
Employment assistance
Participants may need help to build their skills for work and to find a job. Employment assistance can help participants to:
- try different work activities through work experience
- build essential skills for work, including learning to use public transport, communicating with others in a workplace and understanding employer expectations
- identify and manage barriers to finding and keeping a job
- connect with an employer and find the right job. This might include assistance to customise a job role to suit the participant’s skills and meet the employers’ needs
- develop a career plan.
Creating a tailored support plan
You’ll need to create a tailored support plan with the participant once they have NDIS funding for employment supports. This needs to be in a service agreement.
The plan should include:
- the participant’s goals
- any barriers to work
- what support will be provided
- where and how often support will be provided
- how often regular reviews will happen.
Reporting on employment outcomes
You need to report on the service you’ve provided to participants and the outcomes they’ve achieved.
This helps us:
- understand the effectiveness of service
- Share what works to help participants find and keep a job.
Learn more about how to report on employment outcomes.
Employment-related assessment counselling and advice
Employment-related assessment, counselling and advice can help participants:
- understand their strengths
- explore barriers to employment
- develop a work goal and plan
- make adjustments to work processes or the workplace
- with education and support, as well as employers and others in the workplace
- with counselling when their disability prevents return to their previous position.
Allied health professionals deliver this service.
Helping participants at work
Supports in employment
Some participants may need extra help outside of what their employer or Inclusive Employment Australia provides. This is known as ‘supports in employment’ and can be provided either one-to-one or in a group across a range of settings including:
- private sector
- government
- not for profit
- social enterprise
- supported employment service
- self-employment.
Supports in employment may include
- on-the-job coaching and mentoring
- job customisation
- activities such as setting up the workspace or equipment to help them do their job
- support to manage complex needs at work.
Typical pattern of supports
Employment providers must complete a typical pattern of supports so appropriate NDIS funding is included in a participant’s plan. The typical pattern of supports outlines the help you’ll deliver, including the intensity and frequency of the support.
For more information download the employment handbook:
Supports in employment provider handbook - (PDF 496 KB)
Supports in employment provider handbook - (DOCX 89 KB)
Claiming payments for employment supports
Claims must meet NDIS rules and regulations. They can only be claimed after delivery of the service. The NDIA regularly checks claims to make sure they are compliant and in line with our provider payment assurance program.
You should make sure:
- invoices submitted have the correct contact information so we can contact you, if required
- you adhere to any regular reporting requirements, allowing us to monitor and evaluate funding outcomes.
Learn more about how to get paid.
Supporting inclusive recruitment
You can help participants find and keep a job by supporting employers with inclusive recruitment.
Inclusive recruitment means employing people from different backgrounds in a fair way.
There are different methods you can use to find and keep staff, reduce bias and give everyone an equal chance. This helps employers find talented workers and fill workforce gaps.
Learn more by downloading our guide to supporting inclusive recruitment:
- Inclusive recruitment guide - (PDF 1MB)
- Inclusive recruitment guide - (DOCX 400KB)
Other employment programs
We can fund employment supports when the participant needs more help than other employment programs can provide.
Inclusive Employment Australia is an employment program that gives advice and help to:
- people with disability who are looking for work and need limited ongoing help
- employers to help them hire people with disability and make their workplace more inclusive.
This can include training, resources and financial help for employers to make reasonable adjustments. It can also include incentives, such as wage subsidies.
You can work with the participant’s Inclusive Employment Australia provider to help them find the right job.
You need to create a joint plan. The joint plan should explain what each provider will do. This helps make sure there are no gaps or overlaps in the support provided to the participant.