In a previous blog I suggested that post placement support (PPS) is both art and science.
Some of our clients, because of the nature of their disability, require our assistance to continue past the start of their employment. Some workers may require a level of help for their entire working life.
PPS varies in the way in which it can be delivered and the range and type of help is as varied as the people that receive support.
PPS is tailored to the individual needs of the worker and should be adjusted to ensure it meets current need.
Examples
1. Mary has issues with her mental health, she sometimes appreciates a coffee break with her employment consultant as a means of helping her stay grounded. Her employment consultant gives her a phone call at the start of every working week just to check in and see how she’s coping. Mary has been employed for almost a year, the longest period of work in her adult life.
2. Steven has Down’s syndrome. He has been working in a factory for almost a month and his employment consultant starts work with him on each of the days he works. Together they are building Steve’s stamina and helping him develop a routine that he can remember and that will allow Steve to eventually become more autonomous in his work
Steve works 20 hours a week and in his first 4 weeks of employment his employment consultant has been on-site with him for more than 90% of the time. Based on their experience with other workers his employment consultant feels Steve will eventually only need to see him for a couple of hours each week.
3. Bob has an intellectual disability and has been working full time for 2 years. A couple of times each week (generally on a Monday and Wednesday morning) Bob’s employment consultant comes out to the workplace and checks in with Bob and Bob’s employer Rick. They often talk about how much Bob has improved in his attention to detail and in following the routine that they established for him
That said, Bob still needs reminders to stay on task and keep to time and Rick understands Bob’s employment consultant is a vital part of the team.
Depending on the level of disability suitable skilled disability employment service staff may be required to spend significant time at a workers new place of employment. Their role can include creating the social structures necessary to become part of the team and remain employed, demonstrating appropriate, supporting the new employers training programs and staff induction. Helping co-workers to understand the impact of disability and how to get the best from their new team member. Modelling safe work practices and so on.
Post Placement Support should be designed to ensure that the transition from unemployed person to valued member of the team is as smooth as possible. A change of role may see the reintroduction of more intensive support:
David has been working at a local supermarket for several years and his PPS consists of an occasional drop-in. However, his employer has contacted the disability employment service as they plan a significant renovation and will be moving all their stock around.
Since David’s reading and writing skills are very poor he relies on memory to find store items (customers really appreciate his unfailing ability to find what they are looking for as David has memorised the position of every stock item). The last time there was a change David became very distressed and his managers knows that effective post placement help can reduce the stress David feels – together, David his manager and employment consultant work out a 4 week plan to re-orient David to the new layout.
So post placement support CAN be a phone call but is generally much more and frequently includes very significant on-site commitment.
The provision of PPS is vital to keep people with significant disability in work. This effort was clearly foreseen by the writers of the Disability Services Act and was until recently something that Disability Employment Services automatically factored into their service delivery.
That’s changed. I know this is a fact because other service provider staff tell me that ‘they don’t do PPS’ or program staff ring my teams to see if we’ll do it for them!
Why the exclamation mark?
Because as has been repeatedly demonstrated the best model of service deliver sees the same person work with the individual who has a disability from their registration to their eventual vocational independence. To be effective at PPS you need to truly have an understanding of the person you are working with and that only comes with time.
You don’t play ‘pass the parcel’ if you are working with people that have significant support needs and these are the very people disability employment services were created for.
It’s also a great shame that the present model for evaluating service delivery seems to actively discriminate against the provision of on-going support (a lot more on this soon)
Would you like a face-to-face meeting with Martin via Skype? Click the button below to make an appointment
Subscribe to this Blog - blog.novaemployment.com.au Copy the link above and paste it into your favourite Reader to subscribe to an RSS feed of this blog. To watch a short video explanation of RSS and how it helps you save time reading the web click here
Your Comments There are currently no comments on this article
Previous Posts
Never been so busy! At the risk of jinxing it, there's never been a better time to be looking for work - NOVA is getting scores of inquiries for workers, breaking all records each week with no sign of a let-up in sight!
The demand might be simply a post lockdown mini boom and maybe the bubble will pop - I have to say there's no sign of that....
July Rant There's an inquiry into Disability Employment Service and how best the new National Contract (2023) might serve the needs of the Commonwealth - note, that I haven't said, 'the needs of people with disability'....
Review Australia's $1bn disability employment service criticised over poor outcomes and reduced employment - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/31/australias-disability-employment-down-3-in-past-decade-as-service-scheme-criticised-for-poor-outcomes....
Thank you Mark Zuckerberg (not!) Friends of NOVA may have seen our Facebook page is down - courtesy Mark Zuckerberg NOVA/Focus are victims of much larger forces - no idea when or if we'll be restored - more as events unfold....
They Don't Count Gaining or holding formal qualifications can set a person up for a lifetime career. Holding appropriate qualifications that can lead to lifelong careers, tradespeople generally make a good income and enjoy well deserved respect....
Benchmarks To access NOVA Employment or any Disability Employment Service (DES), almost everyone is required to be assessed by the Services Australia Services (Centrelink) to determine their "Benchmark" hours: Benchmark hours are the pay point for service providers; being the minimum working hours required for the DES provider to bill the Government and the assessed maximum hours a person is deemed capable of working with DES support....
International Day of People with a Disability
International Day of People with a Disability
It's IDPwD and we have a 1 hour 'special' screening on SBS from 4.30 this afternoon.
Our Ryan Goodwin has done a great job of selecting some of the great entries from NOVA's 'Focusonability' short film festival - we love the Festival and hope that you'll love these films, gathered from around the world....
2020 - the first half When the going gets tough, the tough get going
Good! - Now they've left us, let's look at reality - when the going gets tough, many people suffer and dis-proportionally, people with disability suffer more....
Countdown Clock II
What's the countdown clock all about?
It's our closing time and a countdown to the end of a truly remarkable month of extraordinary effort by my staff....
Countdown Clock Regular viewers will have noticed a countdown clock ticking away (above)
What's that all about?
Can't say - you have to wait till 4.30pm (a little earlier for staff)
...
Just the best 3 One thing we all love is a winner which is why there's a smile on my face it will be pretty hard to shift.
There's a nightmare pandemic sweeping the world (carried off my mum), the economy has tanked in a never before seen disaster that's left more than a million Aussies unemployed and the only news seems to be bad news....
More than Money!
If asked, most of us would say we went to work for the money, to pay our bills or support our family.
All true, and yet work means so much more:
Prior to finding a job with NOVA employment Glenn* struggled to keep jobs for more than a few months and was generally working as a dishwasher in restaurants which he found to be quite unsatisfying work....
Life Changers II
How are you in the mornings (or evenings, or nights)? NOVA is an 'old school' Disability Employment Service - we find work in the general community with identical pay and conditions as those enjoyed by people who dont have a disability....
Life Changers Required! Received yesterday:
I was unemployed for 24 years because of my disability. I was looking for a job for the last 2 and half years. With the help of (NOVA Staff) I found suitable job and working in the law company for last one year....
Try us!
Don't know about you but I have felt pretty bruised from all the horrible stuff brought upon us by this damn virus - seeing so many folk losing their jobs is particularly awful and the uncertainty generated for everyone, particularly for workers who have a disability is dreadful to see....
Best Ever II
Following from last post:
NOVA Employment has operated for 30 years. Comparing all results from previous years, February 2020 has been our most successful to date - Following on from January that's 2 in a row and every indication March will also be a record breaker....
Best Ever
NOVA Employment posted another 'best ever' result for the first month of 2020.
Despite the most dreadful natural disasters and with many businesses closed for the holidays, the NOVA team delivered more new workers than in any previous January results, beating past 5 years average by 25% and previous (2017) 'best ever' numbers by 5%....
Depressing cracked record!
A good friend will occasionally pull me up with the reminder that I have a tendency to rant, 'rave on slop jaw' if I remember correctly....
Big Win! Saturday night saw a big win for the NOVA team and for people with disability when our Podcast partners NOVA Entertainment- no relationship other than mates - received the following:
BEST ORIGINAL PODCAST - BRANDED
Focus On Ability; Nova Employment & the Nova Entertainment Podcast Team , NOVA Entertainment
BEST ORIGINAL PODCAST - UNBRANDED
Hamish & Andy; Hamish Blake & Andy Lee, PodcastOne Australi
Taken from the web: https://www....
Good Result!
Received the following yesterday morning:
Hi Nova, just wanted to give my feedback in regards to my mother getting a job through you guys and the amazing impact it has had!! The job that mum has received has changed her outlook on everything! She is now much more confident in her self and her abilities....
Subscribe to this Blog