What does the future of DES look like?

Disability employment reform is underway with a new specialist disability employment program starting on 1 July 2025 that will replace the current one. One of the main goals is to remove the red tape for providers supporting participants looking for sustainable employment. For participants, the new program will have expanded eligibility, tailored support based on individual circumstances and will have no participation limit. 

We recently spoke with Karen, our General Manager of Employment Programs, about the new program’s aims, its key differences, and what the future of Disability Employment Services (DES) might look like for participants. Karen plays a key role in delivering our Employment Services at Ability Options and we hope you find her insights valuable.  

 

Q: What did you think about the announcement of the new and improved program? 

The new program is an opportunity to review and enhance employment services to ensure they support employment and career opportunities for people with disability. 

The expanded eligibility goes part way to ensuring access to the services for those that want to find employment is welcomed. There will need to be a review of the proposed funding to ensure that this service is financially sustainable and provides value for the people it is supporting. 

There’s still more engagement needed with key stakeholders to ensure that there are not any unintended consequences and that people with disability are well involved in developing these services. 

Q: What do you hope to see from the new program?  

While we don’t have the full details of the new program just yet, I can say I’m hoping to see better flexibility in the way services are provided and a reduced focus on monitoring mutual obligations for participants. 

Employers are a key part of the new program, and we will need to ensure that we are supporting organisations to better attract and retain people with disability and have a workforce that reflects the community in all its diversity.   

Q: What are the most notable differences between the current model and 2025’s model?  

With the new contract still in development and consultation with key stakeholders underway, there are some key changes and themes proposed by the government. We’re glad to see the expanded eligibility of the new program, allowing people with an assessed work capacity of less than eight hours as well as those not on an income support payment. 

Another standout difference is also an increased focus on supporting and educating employers with identifying appropriate employment practices. These will not only support diversity and inclusion in the workplace but increase opportunities to retain people with disability in the workforce.   

One proposal that isn’t finalised is an alignment of the two current DES contracts (Employment Support Services and Disability Management Supports) to sit under one contract. This would be delivered by both general and specialist providers to enable a more tailored and individualised service for participants, if it were to go through.  

Q: Are you looking forward to seeing the new specialist disability employment program in action next year? 

The challenge for any change of contract is to minimise the disruption to the participants that we support, so for me the focus will be on trying to manage the transition from one contract to the next.  

Q: What’s your perspective on there being less red tape under the new model? 

Now, the current DES program requires significant administration to ensure that we are compliant with government requirements and some of the processes are complex and can impede a quick response to the needs a participant may have, hopefully the new contract will reduce or eliminate some of these administrative requirements. 

Q: What does the future of DES look like to you? 

My hope is that the new DES model will increase opportunities for people with disability to obtain and sustain employment. By working closely with employers and supporting them to provide tailored opportunities and build diversity in the workplace Disability Employment Services can drive this increase and engagement. With both specialist and generalist providers, this choice and control will allow every participant to determine which providers are best placed to support them across their employment journey.  

Q: What can participants expect most from the new program? 

As the request for tender isn’t finalised, it’s unfortunately too early to outline the new services. We hope to share more with you about the new program shortly!