News
Temporary Viability Support available for Australian Disability Enterprises
In July 2008, the government committed to providing Temporary Viability Support (TVS) funding to help Australian Disability Enterprises facing a short-term financial crisis, where closure of a service would result in workers with disability losing their jobs.
TVS is intended to be a fund of last resort. All other avenues of possible funding should be exhausted before an application is made.
Support to Australian Disability Enterprises will be provided on a case by case basis and subject to an assessment of the sustainability of a business over the longer term.
Grounds for support could include the impact of bushfire, flood or earthquake damage, or other natural disasters. Where business viability has been adversely affected by the global financial crisis, as opposed to the lack of strategic planning or ineffective business controls, may also be considered.
TVS is not a small scale version of the Business Services Assistance Package (BSAP).
TVS recognises there will be some Australian Disability Enterprises facing short term financial difficulty due to unforeseen events. For organisations with more complex issues that cannot be resolved at a relatively low cost and in the short term, TVS may provide opportunities for redefining corporate priorities, restructuring or exploring suitable merger partners.
TVS applications will
only be considered in situations where there is confidence it will improve the long-term viability of an organisation.
It is not intended to provide temporary relief when there is reasonable doubt surrounding an organisation's long-term prospects.
An Australian Disability Enterprise that believes it is eligible for TVS should, in the first instance, contact their state or territory office (STO) to discuss their issues and requirements. The STO will make an initial decision on the suitability of the Australian Disability Enterprise's circumstances for TVS and ask them to complete a formal request where appropriate.
Any subsequent application for TVS should be sent to your contract manager who will then make a submission to the program delegate.
In your application it is important to include the following:
- Background information on the incident and circumstances creating the requirement for TVS
A clear statement of the current situation and what is required to rectify the situation, along with detailed costings and profit projections of implementing the requested support.
- How critical TVS support is and the urgency of the situation
Detailed financial information supporting your organisation's inability to trade out of the current situation or showing what is necessary to rectify your organisation's current position, including last financial year's audited financials, a year-to-date profit and loss statement, cash flow projection and comment about capacity to self fund requested support.
- An outline of what your organisation believes will rectify the situation and an explanation of how it will improve the bottom line
For example, potential strategies and financial assistance required and how this will increase net profit (rather than just increasing sales) including market research and business plans.
- Details of any preventative measures and/or remedial action you have undertaken
- The estimated timeframe in which the assistance may be required
- Strategies for management of similar incidents in the future.
For example, tighter financial controls, maintenance and replacement budgeting, upgrading insurance requirements, risk management plans, and disaster recovery plans.
As TVS funding is limited, your request should contain enough information to ensure FaHCSIA is able to make a determination. If you need assistance to develop your application, please contact your local contract manager.
If TVS is granted, the support offered will be contingent upon development of a long term viability strategy which may include redefining corporate priorities, restructuring or exploring suitable merger partners.
To reduce the need for organisations to apply for TVS funding and to improve each organisation's capacity to assist people with disability in light of the current economic climate, FaHCSIA made a one off payment to each organisation in June. A letter explaining what the payment was for and the amount received was sent to each organisation.
Please contact your local contract manager if you require more information regarding TVS.
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Do all your Supported Employees have an up-to-date Employment Assistance Plan?
FaHCSIA contract managers have identified at recent audits that many supported employees do not have an up-to-date Employment Assistance Plan (EAP). Some supported employees leave a service without ever having an EAP done.
It is an important requirement of the DEA Funding Agreement (refer Item 18.1 of the Schedule under the DEA 2007-2010 Funding Agreement) that each and every supported employee has a current EAP. The EAP should be prepared after intake and before the case details are entered on FOFMS. It must be updated each time a Disability Maintenance Instrument (DMI) assessment or reassessment is done. It is also good practice to update the EAP at least annually, especially for supported employees at DMI Funding Level 1, where the outlet chooses not to do a reassessment.
You can undertake a basic or generic EAP at intake. More detail can be added when the DMI assessment is completed, the supported employee knows their job better, and the outlet has a better understanding of their goals and aspirations.
The EAP must comply with the DEA Funding Agreement and the Disability Service Standards. It must be signed by the supported employee (or independent advocate) and a representative of the service provider. The activities identified in the EAP should also guide organisations in the provision of services to the supported employee.
For more information, please contact your local contract manager.
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$500 million jobs fund to strengthen non profit organisations
Jobs Fund is an Australian Government initiative which will provide $500 million to support jobs and improve facilities in local communities.
All non profit organisations are encouraged to submit proposals for the Jobs Fund. Guidelines for application can be downloaded from the DEEWR
website.
Priority consideration will be given to projects in regions and communities with higher unemployment, or facing large numbers of jobs losses due to the global recession. $11 million of the Get Communities Working stream is available for temporary financial assistance to non profit organisations whose donor base is under pressure as a result of the economic downturn.
The Jobs Fund includes two streams that provide grants of up to $2 million for non profit organisations:
- $300 million for local jobs to invest in community projects that help protect the environment or promote sustainability
- $200 million to Get Communities Working which will invest in local council and non profit projects to upgrade vital community facilities and build community capacity.
Projects will encourage local government, community organisations, employers and employment service providers to work together to give people employment or training opportunities in their local area. They will also ensure charitable institutions, unable to secure philanthropic support during the economic downturn, are supported to meet growing need for assistance within the community.
The Jobs Fund is part of the government's Jobs and Training Compact for communities most affected by the global economic crisis. The initiative aims to support retrenched workers, young people and local communities to get back to work or learn the skills required for future jobs.
So far $132 million in funding has been provided to 172 projects across Australia under the Local Jobs and Get Communities Working streams of the Australian Government's Jobs Fund. Many of these projects are in regions experiencing high levels of disadvantage and job losses.
The Jobs Fund Guidelines, along with the Proposal for Funding Form, set out how organisations can submit project applications. This information is available from the DEEWR
website. The first round closed on Friday 22 May 2009 however further rounds will be announced publicly and information posted on the above website.
Queries about the
Jobs Fund can be emailed to Jobs.Fund@deewr.gov.au
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Australian Disability Enterprises Corporate Branding Guidelines Addendum
The Corporate Branding Guidelines Addendum for the use of the Australian Disability Enterprises logo on business cards is now available for download from the
FaHCSIA website.
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Australian Disability Enterprise Brochure artwork is now available
The Australian Disability Enterprise Brochure artwork is now available for your organisation to download. The link provides two versions of the Australian Disability Enterprise Brochure:
Please save these files to your computer for your organisation's use.
Both files are in pdf format. However, the 'High resolution ADE Brochure' is a large file and you may have trouble downloading it. If you are unable to download these two files, please email your contact details to
Michelle Creed (michelle.creed@fahcsia.gov.au) to receive the files on a CD.
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Australian Disability Enterprises website updates
It is important to keep your information up to date on the Australian Disability Enterprises website.
The success of the
Australian Disability Enterprises website relies on the accuracy of the information provided to consumers.
Keeping your details up to date is particularly important for ensuring that you receive information on jobs logged through the 'Log a Job' function on the website.
If any of your details change (phone numbers, email addresses, business lines), please ensure the updated information is emailed to
Australian Disability Enterprises (australiandisabilityenterprises@fahcsia.gov.au), or provided through the '
Contact Us' form on the website.
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Quality Strategy Toolkit
The Quality Strategy Toolkit was released in 2008, and replaced the Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement Handbooks. It is important that all DEA and Vocational Rehabilitation Services use the new Toolkit as reference material, in particular for contact numbers. Many of the numbers in the old handbooks are obsolete or are no longer offering the services that they previously offered. The Toolkit was sent out to every Disability Employment Network Service, Vocational Rehabilitation Service and Australian Disability Enterprise. If you can not locate your copy it is available on the FaHCSIA
website.
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Buy Australian Made website promotes Australian Disability Enterprises
The BuyAustralianMade* website aims at being the most comprehensive source of Australian made products and services. It is the go-to place for anyone looking for anything Australian made.
Buy Australian Made is offering Australian Disability Enterprises free exposure for their Australian made products and services. Providing additional exposure for these products not only showcases the variety and high quality of products made by people with disability but it will also help ensure the viability of the Australian Disability Enterprise.
Any Australian Disability Enterprise wishing to take advantage of the offer should email
Stephen Gately at sgately@buyaustralianmade.com.au.
For further information, contact:
Stephen Gately
Buy Australian Made
03 9395 3036 or 0412 837 294
Email: sgately@buyaustralianmade.com.au
BuyAustralianMade website (www.BuyAustralianMade.com.au)
* Please note this article is for information only.
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Program Updates
Who can sign this form?
The CBF Helpdesk receives regular calls from service providers asking who can sign a number of different forms applicable to the DEA program. These forms and details on their signatories are provided below for guidance.
Client Consent Form
There are two signatories to the client consent form; one is the client or their advocate which means the supported employee or their independent advocate (not an employee of the organisation). The other signatory is the authorised officer of the outlet providing the service to the client. The authorised officer is defined in the terms and conditions of the DEA Funding Agreement and means your project manager as specified under sub-Item O2 of the schedule, who is your chief executive officer, or their nominee, or as otherwise specified in writing by you to us.
Employment Assistance Plan
There are two signatories to the EAP. The employee or advocate (if required) means the supported employee or their independent advocate (not an employee of the organisation). The other is the Australian Disability Enterprise staff member which means a staff member, who by their responsibilities or delegation within the organisation has the authority to sign the form.
Work Based Personal Assistance (WBPA) Requirements Form
There are four signatories to the WBPA Requirements Form which are:
- Supported employee - means the supported employee or their independent advocate (not an employee of the organisation).
- Assessor's name, qualifications, signature - means a person who:
- is qualified as an occupational therapist; or
- is a registered nurse; or
- holds a human services qualification.
- DEA support worker - means a support worker in the organisation, who by their responsibilities or delegation within the organisation has the authority to sign the form.
- Personal assistance provider - means the approved support worker who will be providing the WBPA assistance to the supported employee. An approved support worker means a person who:
- holds a Certificate III in Disability Work; or
- has industry specific training in the provision of personal care; or
- is a registered nurse (or with equal qualifications) who is qualified to administer medical interventions.
Work Based Personal Assistance Claim Form
There is one signatory to the WBPA Claim Form. The WBPA claim form requires that both the name of the outlet and the authorising officer details be provided. The outlet means the service outlet where the supported employee works and the authorising officer means a staff member of that outlet, who by their responsibilities or delegation within the organisation has the authority to sign the form.
If you have any questions regarding the signatory requirements on any of these forms, please contact the CBF Helpdesk on 1800 034 887 or email us at
helpdesk (helpdesk.CBF@fahcsia.gov.au).
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Returning a Suspended Client
A supported employee can only be 'Returned from Suspension' on FOFMS if, on their return, they continue to receive Employment Assistance Services from your outlet.
'Employment Assistance Services' means the provision of supported employment in the workplace to a supported employee of yours, which is directly relevant to their employment and results in them being paid a wage from you. This is defined on page 13 in the terms and conditions of your funding agreement and is a requirement of your funding agreement with the department.
You should not claim DEA funding from FaHCSIA for people with disability who are not employed at your Australian Disability Enterprise. This includes people with disability undertaking a gradual return to work program that does not include any work duties and does not meet an employment outcome of eight hours per week. This type of gradual return to work is not sufficient for a supported employee to be returned on FOFMS.
The department can take action against any organisation in breach of their agreement and there may be serious implications for organisations that are incorrectly claiming CBF payments for purposes other than Employment Assistance.
If you are aware your organisation is claiming CBF for a worker not in receipt of supported employment, you should contact your local state and territory contract manager immediately.
If you have any questions or want to discuss any issues around CBF eligibility please contact the CBF helpdesk on 1800 034 887 or by email
helpdesk (helpdesk.CBF@fahcsia.gov.au).
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Business Services in Action
Scope's Shannon Park Industries Scores Business Excellence Award
Shannon Park Industries has topped an impressive field of local competitors to win the Government Enterprise category of the Geelong Advertiser Business Excellence Awards on Tuesday, July 22.
Shannon Park Industries is a division of Scope's supported employment enterprises.
This is the third year that Shannon Park Industries has been recognised at the awards, after being named finalists in 2007 and 2008.
The corio-based business was judged on its achievements over the past year, its sound business plan, financial management, commitment to ensuring the business minimised its effect on the environment and strong leadership.
Shannon Park Industries is funded by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs to provide supported employment to people with disabilities as well as achieve its commercial mandate.
The business has an evenly balanced focus on providing employment services for people with disabilities, and high quality packaging and assembly work for commercial customers.
Its major aim is to be a leading and sustainable Australian Disability Enterprise, providing a high quality service and value-exchange outcome for customers.
This is being achieved through offering employment that enriches the lives of almost 30 people with disability in the Geelong Region, building customer loyalty and working with business partners who truly value social and ethical responsibility.
Scope Business Enterprises General Manager Julie McKay said the award paid tribute to the team's immense effort to overcome the current challenges in a competitive and toughening economic landscape.
'Winning these awards does not happen by chance and this year the judging criteria was more robust that previous years,' Ms McKay said.
'I believe that our strength has been in the quality and service mix provided by the team, which has been a direct result of their enthusiasm to grow their skills through a series of traineeships.'
'The results really do highlight the
See the Person, Not the Disability message,' she said.
Scope chief executive officer Diana Heggie welcomed the award saying it acknowledged the collaborative effort of its dedicated team.
'This award firstly recognises the strong business performance of a highly skilled workforce, who just so happen to have a disability,' Ms Heggie said.
'More importantly, it exemplifies what can be achieved when people with disability receive the right support to participate in meaningful employment.'
For the past 60 years, leading Victorian disability service provider Scope has been committed to empowering children and adults with disability to reach their potential.
Scope is also committed to overcoming the personal, structural and attitudinal barriers that prevent those with disability from participating in community life and works to make our community more inclusive, more accessible and more welcoming.
For more information about Scope, check out their listing on the Australian Disability Enterprises
website.
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Best Practice Partnership
The Best Practice Partnership held a forum on 25 August 2009 at Marriott Support Services in Moorabbin, Victoria.
Andrew McCully from Wallara Industries gave a presentation on the recent changes that Wallara Industries has undertaken in order to grow and gain a greater understanding of their future direction. Areas covered were:
- history
- current position
- the future, disability support vs business needs
- is disability support a human resources function
- what can like businesses do together.
Ernie Metcalf, chairperson of the Best Practice Partnership gave an overview of the 2008 benchmarking survey. Participants noted both the financial and non-financial benchmarks derived from the survey. Ernie requested that anyone who has ideas for areas they would like to have included in the next benchmarking survey to please email their requests to
Project Officer (projectofficer@bestpractice.org.au)
For further information visit our
Best Practice website (www.bestpractice.org.au), or contact Bronwyn on (03) 5153 0111.
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