Everyone who is connected to our service will be briefed on our service guarantee. We are certified and monitored as a quality-assured organisation and have met the National Standards for Disability Services (NSDS). The NSDS outlines job seeker’s rights and responsibilities and our responsibilities as a service provider. For more information on these standards click on the link below. National Standards for Disability Services

When you first meet with us, we explain our processes and discuss these with you. If you are on a payment from the Department of Human Services (Centrelink) we will explain what you must do to meet your payment requirements. We will also discuss what your expectations of us may be and what your rights and responsibilities are while you are engaged with our service. For example, everyone who is looking for a job is expected to attend fortnightly appointments. We also do an initial assessment to determine your level of work-readiness, what education or training that you might benefit from and identify any personal support needs. If you need help in non-work related areas we will suggest and/or link you with other appropriate agencies who can provide you with the appropriate help. A key document that we work from is a highly individualised Job Plan. This includes a how often you will meet with your Employment Consultant, what your obligations are, and will document what help WCNjobs has agreed to provide to you.

Looking for a job is a collaborative activity. You can receive assistance to sign up to relevant job search websites identifying the right jobs for you. We will also search for job opportunities by targeting our marketing of your skills toward potential employers. When looking for work you might be encouraged to join a “Job Club” or specific training which will help you to refine your job search skills.

WCNjobs works with you to tailor your Job Search program. This could include Activate Intensive Motivation and Job Search Training. These support the development of employability skills, provide life skills training and motivate people looking for work to successfully move into and keep a job. WCNjobs may use work experience and/or work trials to focus on developing your skills required for jobs that are available, or for those which have lots of vacancies so that both you and your potential employer can see whether that work area suits. WCNjobs may connect you with someone who can mentor and provide guidance. WCNjobs’ services may also, if needed, include connecting you to health practitioners including mental health services and alcohol and drug services, accommodation (crisis and transitional), legal, financial and disclosure counselling.

WCNjobs has committed to a budget for investment in Job Seeker skills. WCNjobs may target improving skills for people so that the person is more ready for jobs/industries that generally have more consistent demand for staff e.g. Aged Care when there are a high number of nursing homes or Security work if there are a high number of nightspots/shopping centers. WCNjobs are also able to link you with many tools, qualifications and other education programs to assist with English skills . These include the ACER foundation Skills Assessment Tool, SEE (Skills for Education and Employment), Language Other Than English Service (LOTE) information, Learn Local EAL and Foundation Skills and the Vocational and Peer Support for Carers of People with Mental Illness program. These can all help provide opportunities to address Language and Literacy and English as an Additional Language needs, depending upon the individual

SUPPORT PLANS

Once you have secured a job, WCNjobs continues to help you and your employer to ensure that the job match continues to work for both parties. A customised At Work Support Plan is created. This plan contains details on continuous actions and accountabilities from both WCNjobs, yourself and your employer, including the schedule and frequency of contact to occur. At Work Support is there for as long as you need. For most people a plan is made for an optimum time frame of 52 weeks in a job. As all aspects of our service delivery, this is readily customisable to be shorter or longer, and in some cases, the support continues indefinitely provided an independent assessment indicates that the need for support remains.

SPECIFIC SKILLS

WCNjobs focuses primarily upon ensuring that you are able to fulfill a role, however if necessary, WCNjobs will source and engage relevant skills training to improve your skills in relation to your position. For example, this can include assistance to obtain a forklift license if your position is a warehousing type of job. WCNjobs also provides on-the- job coaching where necessary. This occurs in consultation with you and your employer. Your employer must approve a WCNjobs’ representative’s presence in the workplace for this to occur.  

PRACTICAL SUPPORT

For many people with a disability, who commence employment after some time out of work, the challenge of starting work includes stretching the finances to ensure they are presentable and able to get to work on time. WCNjobs will often provide:

• Work clothing and personal work equipment if necessary
• Travel to work assistance as appropriate. This may be support to pay for a MYKI top up; fuel assistance or actual travel training to help someone to learn how to get to and from work
• Workplace modifications for employees with disability

  A workplace modification is equipment that a person with disability will use to help them to perform their job. This may be software to increase the size of the font for someone who struggles to read a computer screen as they are visually impaired; it may be alarms which vibrate for those who are deaf or hearing impaired; or it may be a lifting device for someone with a physical condition. These are often government funded using the Employee Assistance Fund (jobaccess.gov.au).