Section 6: Glossary

Accreditation	Process by which an authoritative body, Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ), gives formal recognition that a Certification body is competent to carry out Certification. This assessment is carried out by JAS-ANZ against criteria set out in General Requirements for Bodies Operating Assessment and Certification of Disability Employment Services (Procedure 18).
Activity Agreements/ Supporting Documentation	An Activity Agreement (AA) is a written agreement negotiated between a jobseeker and a Disability Employment Network member or Centrelink, which outlines a jobseeker's terms of participation, both compulsory and voluntary. An AA is a single agreement that replaces the previous Employment Activity Plan. Supporting documentation, is a job search or activity plan, that may also be used by the Disability Employment Network member to complement the AA.
ATSI	Stands for 'Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander'.
Audit	All activities related to the Certification of an organisation to determine whether the organisation meets all the requirements of the Disability Services Standards necessary for granting Certification, and whether they are effectively implemented. This includes documentation review, audit, preparation and consideration of the audit report and other relevant activities necessary to provide sufficient information to allow a decision to be made as to whether Certification shall be granted.
Audit cycle	A three-year cycle of annual surveillance audits, ending with a full reassessment against all the Disability Services Standards.
Audit team	A team of competent personnel identified by a Certification body as meeting the required team competencies set down in JASANZ Procedure 18. A person with disability will be included in the team either as a lead auditor, or a technical expert.
Auditor	A member of an audit team who has knowledge in the area of disability employment and quality management practices and skills in collecting and analysing data. Auditors gather evidence, jobseeker/worker/service recipient feedback, and have input into audit ratings.
Australian Apprenticeships	Australian Apprenticeships is the new name for the scheme formerly known as 'New Apprenticeships'. Australian Apprenticeships still encompass all apprenticeships and traineeships. They combine time at work with training and can be full-time, part-time or school-based.
Australian Apprenticeships Centres	Australian Apprenticeships Centres (formerly New Apprenticeships Centres) are contracted by the Australian Government to provide one-stop shops for those seeking to hire Australian Apprentices or to take up an Australian Apprenticeship as a career path.
BS	see Business Services
Business Services (BS)	Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)-funded service providing direct employment for people with disability. Also known as supported employment. Funded under the Disability Employment Assistance Program (DEA)
CALD	Stands for 'culturally and linguistically diverse'.
Certification	Process by which a third party gives written assurance that a service provider conforms to the requirements of the Disability Services Standards.
Certification body	A third party which assesses and certifies with respect to the Disability Services Standards.
Certification document	Document indicating that a service provider conforms to specified Disability Services Standards.
Code of Practice	A document that sets out PAGES' commitment to observe the highest standards of fairness and professional practice as they deliver the services and obligations outlined in their respective contractual arrangements with the Australian Government.
Complaints Resolution and Referral Service (CRRS)	The independent and impartial service funded by the Australian Government to assist in the resolution of complaints about Disability Employment services, Vocational Rehabilitation and Targeted Support services.
Conformity	When the requirements of a performance indicator associated with a Disability Services Standard are met.
Consortium	Two or more entities which have entered into an arrangement for the purposes of jointly delivering services, and which have appointed a lead member (the lead agency) with authority to act on behalf of all members of the consortium.
Consumer technical expert (CTE)	A person with disability who is a member of the audit team, engaged for his/her specialist knowledge and abilities (e.g. empathy with the life experience of people with disability, and ability to plan and facilitate the effective input of people with disability in an audit process). A CTE shall provide evidence to the Certification body of the CTE having been a service recipient of a State or Commonwealth funded disability organisation in Australia. Note: every audit team must include a CTE. If appropriately qualified, the CTE may also perform the functions of an auditor/lead auditor other technical experts (with or without disability) may also be attached to the audit team to supplement the background knowledge of the team (e.g. where there are critical requirements and special procedures).
Continuous improvement	An organisation's striving for excellence in establishing and maintaining quality services that continually improve performance to achieve better outcomes for service users.
CRRS	See Complaints Resolution and Referral Service.
Cultural competence	Cultural competence is the idea that that individuals, agencies and systems have the capacity, skills and knowledge to respond to the needs of a culturally diverse population.
DEA (Disability Employment Assistance)	The name of the FaHCSIA program funding to business services to support the employment of people with disability.
DEN	See Disability Employment Network.
Disability Employment Network Member (DEN)	Disability Employment Network (DEN) replaced Disability Open Employment Services (DOES). The network of Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) open employment service providers
DEN capped program	An existing program stream which provides services to jobseekers with an assessed work capacity of eight or more hours per week who require either long-term support in the workplace and/or are unable to work at award wages.
DEN uncapped program	A new program stream introduced in July 2006 that provides services to jobseekers with a part-time participation requirement and an assessed work capacity of 15 to 29 hours per week and an ability to work at award wages and to become independent in the workplace within two years.
DEEWR	Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
DEEWR Customer Service Line (CSL)	DEEWR's free call service for jobseekers/workers/service recipients of all Providers of Australian Government Employment Services (PAGES). The CSL is responsible for consumer service and handling feedback on the quality framework for employment services, national complaints management and promotion of better practice.
Disability Services Standards	The standards under the Disability Services Act 1986 (Cth), plus the relevant key performance indicators, as determined by the Minister(s). These 12 standards define the government's requirements for service quality and directly link to each funded service's course processes and outcomes.
Disability Services Audit Personnel (DS) Certification Scheme	Personnel Certification scheme operating from December 2007 which certifies audit team members for their knowledge, skills and personal attributes in conducting audits against the Disability Services Standards.
DSS	See Disability Services Standards.
FaHCSIA	Department of Housing, Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (formerly the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs).
FOFMS (FaHCSIA Online Funding Management System)	An online system to manage funding for Department of Housing, Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) programs and initiatives.
Functional Capacity Evaluation	A Functional Capacity Evaluation is a tool used to assess and determine a person's limits or abilities to assist in identifying the interventions and support required to gain employment.
Group Training companies	Group Training is an arrangement where a Group Training Company employs Australian Apprentices and hires them to other businesses, called host employers, while they are undertaking their training. The Group Training Company acts as the primary employer.
Internal audit (of a Disability Employment/ Vocational Rehabilitation/ Targeted Support organisation)	Self-verification, in consultation with jobseekers/workers/ service recipients, to see whether disability employment organisation activities and related results comply with planned arrangements, and to determine compliance with the Disability Services Standards.
JAS-ANZ	The Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand. JAS-ANZ is a not-for-profit, self-funding international organisation established under a Treaty between the governments of Australia and New Zealand on 30 October 1991. JAS-ANZ is the government-appointed peak accreditation body for Australia and New Zealand for Certification of management systems, products, personnel, training course providers and sector-specific schemes. JAS-ANZ accreditation of a Certification body provides the necessary confidence that the Certification body has undergone and passed a JAS-ANZ assessment to test its independence, impartiality, integrity and competence.
Job Capacity Assessment (JCA)	Job Capacity Assessments identify a person's capacity to work and any barriers or impediments that prevent them from getting a job.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)	Measures of service performance against the revised Disability Services Standards.
Lead auditor	Same as 'auditor', but with additional leadership experience. Responsible for organising and directing the activities of the audit team, as well as participating in general audit activities.
Local Liaison Officer is now the Senior Customer Service Advisor (SCSA)	The Centrelink Officer who has the responsibility to build, lead and maintain operational partnerships with local employment, disability, education and community providers to ensure access, workforce participation and employment opportunities are maximised.
Major nonconformity	When the requirements of a key performance indicator associated with a Disability Services Standard are not met, or the outcome is ineffective. A number of related nonconformities may also constitute a major nonconformity. The Certification body's procedures shall ensure that: verification of effective corrective action shall require a follow-up visit by the Certification body before Certification. If the organisation is already certified, evidence of a corrective action plan shall be presented to the Certification body within five working days, and verification of effective corrective action shall require a follow-up visit by the Certification body within three months failure to action the major nonconformity within three months, or take action sufficient to downgrade the major nonconformity to a nonconformity, shall result in automatic suspension of Certification the Certification body notifies the department within 10 working days of raising a major nonconformity; if the major nonconformity is downgraded to a nonconformity, that nonconformity is actioned within a further three months (total of six months to fully action a major nonconformity). The department may subsequently issue such instructions as it sees fit to the disability employment organisation to deal with the major nonconformity.
National Contract Management Framework	The National Contract Management Framework (NCMF) sets out the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) principles of contract management.
NESB	Stands for 'non-English speaking background', a term used most frequently to describe people who were born in a country where the dominant language/culture is not English/Anglo (known as first generation NESB), and the child
NEIS Scheme	Stands for the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme. NEIS can help jobseekers to become self-sufficient and independent by establishing a new small business. NEIS can provide training in small business management, business skills and business plan development.
Nonconformity	When the requirements of a key performance indicator associated with a Disability Services Standard are not fully met, or the outcome is only partly effective. The Certification body's procedures shall ensure that: corrective action taken is verified as effective before Certification, or within six months if the disability employment organisation is already certified failure to action a nonconformity within six months may lead to the nonconformity being upgraded to a major nonconformity; and in addition, a major nonconformity may be raised with the disability employment organisation's corrective action process the Certification body notifies the department within 10 working days of raising a nonconformity.
Notifiable issue	Evidence or allegations of a serious health, safety or abuse risk, financial impropriety and/or professional misconduct. If such evidence is found or specific allegations are made, the Certification body's procedures shall require it to record the details of the disclosure, allegation or witnessed event, and also to immediately notify the disability employment organisation's manager (unless there is justifiable reason for not doing so), and the department. The Certification body is not responsible for resolving the issue, but has a duty of care to report the allegation. Certification cannot proceed until the department advises the Certification body that the Notifiable issue is resolved. If the disability employment organisation is already certified, the Certification body shall seek advice from the department.
Observations	Opportunity for improvement or positive feedback, provided by a Certification body during the audit process. Observations which are opportunities for improvement do not prevent Certification, but they should be carefully considered by management and addressed wherever possible, to ensure that conformity is not compromised in the future.
PAGES	Providers of Australian Government Employment Services, which includes Job Network (JNS), Community Work Coordinators (CWC), Personal Support Program (PSP), Job Placement Employment & Training (JPET), New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS), Disability Employment Network (DEN),and Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS).
Person with disability	Person with disability attributable to an intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, physical or neurological impairment or acquired brain injury (or some combination of these) which is likely to be permanent, who has experience of being a consumer of a disability employment organisation.
Privacy Act	Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) as amended 2000.
Principles and Objectives	The Principles and Objectives of the Disability Services Act 1986 (Cth) set out the basic human rights which all services supporting people with disability should meet. The Principles recognise that people with disability have the same fundamental rights as do other members of society. The Objectives relate more directly to service delivery, that is, the way in which a service operates.
Procedure 18	The document General Requirements for Bodies Operating Assessment and Certification of Disability Employment Services which sets down the requirements (accreditation criteria) for bodies seeking accreditation by the Board of the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ), to assess disability employment services and certify that they meet the Disability Services Standards.
Quality assurance	A systematic way of checking that an organisation meets set standards.
Quality management systems and practices	Systems to establish quality policy and quality objectives and to achieve those objectives.
Quality Strategy	The Quality Strategy is a three-pronged approach to embed quality in all aspects of service delivery. It has three components: quality assurance continuous improvement complaints and referrals.
Rating scale	The system used by the Department to rate conformity of a disability employment organisation. Each key performance indicator associated with a Disability Services Standard is to be rated according to the scale below. A Disability Services Standard is to be rated the same as the lowest rating of any of its associated key performance indicators: major nonconformity is 0 nonconformity is 1 conformity is 2.
Resume summary - previously vocational profile	A basic resume created by the Disability Employment Network member in the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) IT system that allows automatic matching of the jobseeker's skills and abilities with job vacancies.
Service guarantee	Service guarantee means the minimum service standards for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) programs.
Surveillance audit	An audit conducted at least annually by a Certification body to verify that a certified service provider continues to comply with the Disability Services Standards.
Targeted Support	A service type providing training and support to assist people with disability to work towards social and community participation, or opportunities for people to develop skills, or retrain for paid employment. This service type must be audited under revised Disability Services Standards and key performance indicators.
Technical expert	A member of the assessment or audit team engaged to supplement the background knowledge of the team; (e.g. where there are critical requirements and special procedures). A technical expert need not meet all the requirements of ISO 10011-2, and in this case, they should always work under the direct supervision of an auditor, except where the particular circumstances of interviews with consumers preclude this. All technical experts shall at least meet the requirements of Clause 7 of ISO 10011-2.
TS	See Targeted Support.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Provider	A Vocational Rehabilitation Provider is an organisation contracted by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) from 1 July 2007 as a Provider of Australian Government Employment Programs; specifically Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
VRS	See Vocational Rehabilitation Services Provider.
Wage Phase-In	Wage Phase-in services are Business Services organisations which have been granted until May 2008 to meet the requirements for paying pro-rata wages under Standard 9, KPI 9.1. Wage Phase-in services need to comply with the same Disability Services Standards as other Business Services organisations, except for Standard 9, where they have specific transitional KPIs.
WPI	See Wage Phase-In.

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Contents

Section 6: Glossary