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New panel of providers for the Disability Employment Services will bring improvements for all

28 February 2018

A new Disability Employment Services (DES) Provider panel is being established, through a grant application process, to bring improvements to the DES program. Following extensive community consultation involving people with disability, disability peak organisations, disability service providers and employers, the DES program will be changing from 1 July 2018.

As a result of the grant application process:

  • 100 existing DES providers have been recommended to continue providing DES services across Australia, and
  • 42 new organisations have been recommended to start providing DES services across Australia from 1 July 2018.

Under the changes to the program, DES participants will have greater choice about the services they receive and how they receive them. Changes include:

  • more flexible arrangements for DES participants and providers to meet and interact;
  • DES participants will be able to choose their provider, removing the current market share arrangements;
  • relaxing Employment Service Area restrictions for participants so they can choose to use a provider outside of their local area; and
  • making it easier for participants to change providers if they are unhappy with the services they are receiving.

The changes aim to improve the overall performance of the DES program to help more people with disability, injury or a health condition find and maintain employment. The changes will start from 1 July 2018.

A list of organisations that have received offers to deliver DES from 1 July 2018 is now available.

The list shows for each Employment Service Region, which organisations have received offers to deliver Disability Management Service and which have received offers to deliver Employment Support Service, and within each of these, whether the offer is to deliver services to all client types or to a particular cohort of people.

More information on the program is available by contacting the JobAccess support-line on 1800 464 800.

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