Breaking barriers: Department for Child Protection embraces disability inclusion through JobAccess partnership

The Department for Child Protection (DCP), SA plays a pivotal role in keeping children and young people safe from abuse and harm. It also offers care to those who experience neglect in their family homes.

With a view to improve workforce diversity, DCP partnered with the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC). The NDRC is JobAccess' employer engagement service. It partners with larger organisations to improve their disability knowledge and confidence. 

NDRC partnerships aim to remove any barriers in processes and policies by advising on good practices.

Commitment to build a supportive and accessible work culture

The DCP's Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2020-2024 outlines steps to promote the rights of South Australians living with disability. It ensures that everyone enjoys equal access and inclusion within the community. It also details strategies to improve access to the services DCP offers.

Teresa Di Manno, Team Leader, Recruitment at DCP, emphasises their commitment to disability inclusion.

“The Department is currently working to set realistic, impactful goals. We are looking to increase disability representation within DCP. We also aim to improve accessibility across all stages of employment, from recruitment to retention." 

Building disability confidence through NDRC partnership

Teresa said she learned about the NDRC through discussions on improving diversity and inclusion at DCP.

“Some peers in the public sector network highly recommended JobAccess. They had worked with the NDRC before and found JobAccess very helpful when it comes to creating a more inclusive workplace," Teresa recalls.

After learning about the service, DCP signed up for a partnership with the NDRC. “We wanted to make our hiring process more inclusive for people with disability. The goal was to widen our talent pool and diversify our workforce.”

Removing workplace barriers to improve disability inclusion

A NDRC Professional Adviser worked with Teresa and the team at DCP.

“The adviser did an extensive review of our recruitment policies and processes. This led to a significant improvement," said Teresa.

“He also delivered disability awareness training to our leadership team and hiring managers. It offered insights on how to reduce workplace barriers for people with disability.” 

Teresa shared that she found JobAccess vacancy distribution service beneficial. 

“The adviser helped us build strong relationships with Disability Employment Services (DES) providers. We can now promote our vacancies to a wider network of DES providers. This has been instrumental in enhancing our recruitment pipeline,” highlights Teresa.

“JobAccess has helped us create a more supportive and accessible work environment for all employees.”

Teresa Di Manno

Team Leader, Recruitment

Department for Child Protection

Teresa adds, “Partnering with JobAccess made us more proactive. Now, we can identify and address workplace barriers more easily. We’ve also made other adjustments, including changes to our recruitment process, improved workplace accessibility, and inclusive communication.” 

“JobAccess has helped us create a more supportive and accessible work environment for all employees.”

A cultural shift within the Department

Teresa shares that the support DCP received from the NDRC team was tremendous. 

“JobAccess has helped position us as a more inclusive employer, which we are committed to maintaining.” 

Teresa Di Manno

Team Leader, Recruitment

Department for Child Protection

“We’ve seen a significant cultural shift within DCP. Our understanding of disability inclusion has deepened.”  

Teresa concludes, “JobAccess has helped position us as a more inclusive employer, which we are committed to maintaining.” 

Are you looking to build a disability confident workplace? Talk to the experts. 

The National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) partners with larger employers. The team works with employers to create inclusive workplace policies that support disability employment.

The NDRC also provides a vacancy distribution service to employers – big or small. 

Call JobAccess at 1800 464 800 to connect with the NDRC. You can also submit an online enquiry form through the JobAccess website.