When I'm at work: Supported employee induction Learner's workbook
Chapters
General information
The Disability Services Standards
What are the Standards for?
The Disability Services Standards are rules that tell Disability Business Services how to make sure they give people with disability a good quality service.
The Australian Government gives money to Disability Business Services to:
- help people with disability find and keep a job
- support people with disability in their jobs.
In return, the Australian Government expects every service in Australia to follow the Standards.
The Standards tell your workplace how to make sure that it:
- has the right attitude to working with you
- gives you the right help to find and keep a job
- finds the right way to help you get the job you want
- has the right staff to do the work
- is well-managed.
There are 12 Standards, and they are listed on the next few pages of this workbook.
Standard 1 - Service access
A fair go for everyone
Your workplace must treat you fairly no matter:
- what age you are
- whether you are a woman or a man
- what country you or your family comes from
- what colour you are
- what your religion is
- what extra support needs you have.
Your workplace must have fair rules. These rules must be written down so that you can see them if you want to. You can ask to see the rules any time you want. If your workplace says they cannot help you, they must have a good reason, and they need to explain the reason to you.
Standard 2 - Individual needs
Getting help that is right for you
Your workplace should help you in the way that is best for you and not just the way that is easiest for them. They can help you to:
- think about your work goals, for example, what kind of work you want, or how many days a week you can work
- work out a plan to help you meet your goals
- identify and provide training
- follow your plan
- keep your plan up to date.
Standard 3 - Decision-making and choice
Having your say
Your workplace has to give you choices. It has to listen to you about:
- what kind of jobs you want
- how it can do things better.
It also has to act on what you said.
Standard 4 - Privacy, dignity and confidentiality
Respecting your privacy
Your workplace must always treat you with respect. It must keep your information in a private place. If your workplace wants to give your information to someone else, they have to:
- tell you who they want to give it to
- tell you why
- ask you if it is okay, and get signed permission from you.
If you say it is not okay, then your workplace must not give the information.
Standard 5 - Participation and integration
Taking part in the community
Your workplace should help you to:
- be involved in the community
- use services in the community.
Standard 6 - Valued status
Being important in the community
The Australian Government believes that the community values people more when they give something back to the community in:
- paid work
or
- volunteer work.
Your service should help you to be important in the community by:
- helping you to learn new skills
- helping you to keep your skills up to date
- building your confidence in your skills and abilities.
Standard 7 - Complaints and disputes
Getting something done about a complaint
When you first join a Disability Business Service, they should tell you how to make a complaint if you have a problem. If you make a complaint, your workplace should:
- listen to you
- be happy to help you
- help you to explain what the problem is
- try to fix your problem
- tell you about other people or places you can talk to about your complaint.
Your workplace must keep your complaint private.
Standard 8 - Service management
Running the service well
Your workplace should be well-organised and managed. It should:
- be up to date with the best ways of working with you
- use money from the Australian Government in the best way
- keep making the service better
- have a business plan for running it in the best way
- show you the business plan if you want to see it.
Your workplace should listen to what you, and other service users, say. They should act on what you say to make the service better.
Standard 9 - Employment conditions
Your right to fair wages and conditions
Employment conditions are things like:
- holiday pay
- sick leave
- safety
- wages.
When you start a new job, your workplace must explain:
- your employment conditions
- how your wages are worked out.
You can have a support person or advocate with you when you talk to your workplace about these things.
Standard 10 - Service recipient training and support
Learning the right skills for your job
Good training and support mean you have the skills to get a job you like. Your workplace must give you the training you need to:
- find a job that you will like
- keep a job
- learn how to do new jobs
- keep your skills up to date.
Standard 11 - Staff recruitment, employment and training
Having staff who know the best ways to help you
Your workplace should:
- know what skills the staff need to help you as an employee
- find the right staff to help you
- make sure the staff keep their skills up to date.
Standard 12 - Protection of human rights and freedom from abuse
Being safe and respected
Your workplace must look after your rights:
- at work
- when you are training.
They must make sure that nobody can:
- hurt you
- talk to you in a way that you do not like
- show you disrespect because you are a person with disability.
If you ask your workplace for help, they must do their best to help you.
Source: Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Australia, and, Disability Services Standards and your service: Easy English version, FaCS1437.0401, Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Sydney.
Expectations
When you start a new job, it is important that you know what is expected of you, and that you know what to expect of your new job.
You need to make sure that you ask questions if you have any. Do not be afraid to ask questions. The more you know about your new job, the easier it will be for you to do your job well.
Your workplace may expect you to:
- know what is expected of you
- know what the workplace goals are
- respect the people in your team
- get along well with people
- be honest when you deal with people
- deal with arguments if they happen
- follow the workplace’s policies and procedures.
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