Listen to our employees, say disability social enterprises

Forty* of Australia’s largest and most enduring social enterprises have joined together to call for the voices of their 9,213* employees - many living with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities - to be heard in the national discussion about employment.

Disability social enterprises from across Australia staged an online Forum this week to help solve the deeply entrenched issues that prevent people living with profound disability from accessing employment.

Endeavour Foundation CEO and forum organiser David Swain said that while Australia struggles with the effects of low unemployment, unemployment rates for people living with disabilities remained stubbornly high.

“Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures show that just 53% of working-age people living with a disability participate in the labour force, compared to 84% of people without a disability.

“People with a severe or profound disability fare even worse. Just 27% of working-age Australians living with a severe or profound disability are working, compared to 62% of people living with other disabilities.

“This figure has only improved by 3% since 2003.

“Many of the 27% of working Australians with severe or profound disabilities work in social enterprises known as Australian Disability Enterprises.

Endeavour Foundation employee Andrew Negrelli, who lives with a disability, said “For a person with disability it’s really hard to find a job. There are different barriers involved. When I found Endeavour Foundation, it really opened my eyes to working in the disability sector, and it challenged me and what I could do as a professional.”

“I’m so grateful for the flexibility they give me, to do my job, to work in my other role, and to go to the Special Olympics events as well.”

“If the Endeavour Foundation work wasn’t available, I’d feel really disappointed, because I don’t think there are as many opportunities in more mainstream jobs, nor do I think they’re as flexible. They really allow me to be who I want to be and can be,” Mr Negrelli said.

Mr Swain said, “As the whole nation has a conversation around jobs and the future of work, our social enterprises – organisations with specific resourcing and the ability to promote employment outcomes for Australians living with disabilities – have been left out of the conversation. It is time to bring those voices into the conversation and amplify the voices of people living with disabilities, especially people with intellectual disability.

“As social enterprises, it is our role to provide the best employment outcomes for Australians living and working with a disability.

“That might be by providing the skills, training, experience and support required for people to move into mainstream employment, or by providing meaningful work and great workplaces for people who choose to continue to work in supported environments.

“There is now an opportunity to start afresh and implement change in many Australian lives for the better.

“Our Consensus Statement summarises the discussions of social enterprises gathered for a Futures Forum on 5 October 2022, offering insights into sector-wide concerns under a united voice of consensus.

“We believe that striving to make change together starts at this roundtable and is the foundation for something much more significant. We are ready to be part of the conversation,” Mr Swain concluded.

Media Contact: Ash Moore, 0472 809 503- media@endeavour.com.au

Please contact Ash Moore to confirm availability to interview David Swain or Andrew Negrelli.

*numbers updated 18 October 2022

Consensus Statement on Disability Social Enterprises

Each of our organisations aspires to significantly increasing the numbers of people with disability participating in a wide range of employment options and settings across Australia. Collectively we represent 40* employers across the country that provide employment to 9,213* Australians living with a disability who need substantial ongoing support to retain paid employment.

Many of our organisations were established more than 50 years ago, in response to entrenched discrimination against people with a disability.

For many people living with disability, exclusion from employment continues today.

Our organisations have created and invested in a range of enterprises and activities, designed to cater for an all-abilities workforce. We create tailored roles because we support all people in their aspiration to be employed.

We support the ability of employees to choose a long-term career with us, or another employer.

We have developed supportive staffing structures, development opportunities beyond just job training, and created positive work cultures where friendships flourish.

We celebrate the valuable contribution and achievement of all employees.

We unconditionally support the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We particularly note and support everyone’s right to work, to work that is freely chosen, and the right to equal pay for equal work.

The Supported Employment Services Award (SESA) and the Disability Services Act (1986) identify that supported employment services support people:

• for whom competitive employment (at or above the relevant award wage) is unlikely; and
• who, because of their disabilities, need substantial ongoing support to obtain or keep paid employment.

Over time we know that, with training and experience gained in a supportive environment, a number of our employees will exceed these definitions, will be ready to move on, and will choose roles in mainstream employment. We champion these positive outcomes.

With a tight job market and changing community attitudes, there may be more opportunities for employees to pursue other employment. We are committed to actively working with our supported employees to ensure that they understand the options open to them, and supporting them to explore and exercise their choice. Over many years we have learned, and continue to learn, how we can best support people to make a sustainable transition to mainstream employment.

We are concerned by any attempts to push people into mainstream employment without appropriate consultation, engagement with people with a disability about their individual preferences, or understanding of ongoing supports required.

We have many examples of employees who have moved into mainstream roles, only to find themselves confused, unsupported, isolated, and disconnected from their social structures. At times we have seen severe mental health consequences and a loss of confidence as a result.

Many of our employees rely on access to health benefit and other entitlements that having a Disability Support Pension (DSP) can afford. While we are supportive of any remuneration increases, we call on the government to increase the amount a person can earn before negatively impacting their DSP entitlements.

We respect the role of the independent umpire, the Fair Work Commission, in setting minimum wage rates, and look forward to the finalisation of the Commission’s review of the Supported Employment Services Award.

The NDIS stresses the need for participants to exercise choice and control. We expect that the voice of people living with a disability and their carers will be heard in any policy settings where decisions are made that impact on them. We particularly request that attention is given to people whose intellectual, or psychosocial disability means that their voice isn’t easily heard, with genuine support for all voices to be included.

Our organisations have been evolving since their inception.

Now is a time for further evolution in meeting the employment needs and aspirations of people living with a disability.

We look forward to increasing collaboration between our employees, their carers, unions, advocates, policy makers, and ourselves.

Signatories

Updated 18 October 2022