It’s official, we are currently a top-performing Five Star Disability Employment Service (DES).
Star Ratings are given every quarter by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and range from one to five. These ratings are very similar to a hotel star rating and indicate the level of service provided.
You know that a 5 Star Disability Employment Service Rating means a level of service which is exceptional.
In fact we’ve just secured a special achievement award from CoAct our overarching national partnership body. The award recognises the unprecedented service we provide to jobseekers.
We also received an award in acknowledgment for our collaboration and innovation helping people who have a Print Disability to secure jobs by converting hard copies into accessible formats such as Braille, audio, large print and eText. Awards were presented to DES Team Leader Jason Rowland and our CEO Anna Presser at a ceremony in Brisbane.
We secured two achievement awards at the CoAct Gala conference held in Brisbane.
To secure our 5 star status, areas investigated include:
- The number of clients placed into roles
- The longevity of their current placement
- The range of employers matched with clients
- The number of workplace traineeships offered with study options
- The number of school-based traineeship opportunities
Our team consists of DES Team Leader Jason, Workforce Partner Lianne, Recruitment Partners Kristina and Qonrad, plus Administrative Trainee Taishar. We asked them about their achievement in this area.
What sets VisAbility apart from other disability employment services?
Lianne (Workforce Partner): We’re a small team and offer a personalised approach. We do much more than place people into roles. We adopt a holistic approach to help us achieve a Five Star Disability Employment Service Rating.
Qonrad (Recruitment Partner): We invest time in getting to know clients as individuals. We’re supporting people with disabilities, emphasizing their strengths to employers while respecting their choices. Our aim is for sustainability when we place a jobseeker into employment.
Jason (Team Leader): Our service is all-encompassing. When someone comes to us, we can tell them about extra services of benefit to them – such as the WA Companion Card (link opens in new window) and the Taxi User Subsidy Scheme (link opens in new window).
We are a unique agency specialising in sensory disabilities. It’s rare for such an agency to receive a Five Star Disability Employment Service Rating – so we are very proud of our achievements.
One area that benefits clients is that we have a higher ratio of staff to clients – approximately one person to ten clients.
We also receive ongoing referrals from businesses that have met others and recommended us.
How are you achieving a 5 Star Rating?
Lianne (Workforce Partner): By going the extra mile. I have a client we placed into a role, but he had trouble in his personal life. He needed new accommodation and was seeking guidance from a lawyer. There was a risk of losing his job, so we stepped in to help in other areas. He was very appreciative.
Kristina (Recruitment Partner): We develop a closer rapport with the people we place into roles. I have a young male client who initially lacked confidence. We wanted to ease him into the workforce, so he started volunteering at an aged care facility. It led to a paid position in their laundry facility.
He then came to me and said: “I like working in aged care. How do I become an aged care worker?” We were able to work with his employer to make that possible. Now he’s on a work-based traineeship and studying for a Cert III. His confidence has rocketed – we’ve seen him grow as an individual.
Qonrad (Recruitment Partner): Knowing jobseekers well is paramount because it leads to an appropriate job fit, a role that they will find fulfilling and sustainable.
Tell us more about what you provide?
Jason (Team Leader): The clients we place have some form of sensory disability, so that may be vision loss, deafness, or on the autistic spectrum. They have different skills, but they’ve all come to us because they want to work. We place a lot of people in hospitality, manufacturing and retail roles.
We currently have 44 people in employment and are looking to place another nine into jobs. As a team, we have more than 60 years of experience in this sector and have built strong connections with local employers.
Kristina (Recruitment Partner): We go further to build relationships and trust. Outside of work, I am constantly building my networks. I sit on various business and advocacy committees, such as the Disability Advocacy and Inclusion Sub-Committee (DAIS) at Swan Districts Football Club. In addition, The Joondalup Business Association and The Wanneroo Business Association.
Taishar (Administrative Trainee): The DES Star Ratings measure our performance. It’s my job to collate administrative records.
We receive audits by the Department of Social Services DSS (link opens in new window), WorkSafe (link opens in new window) and our work partner CoAct (link opens in new window).
I ensure clients fill in their timesheets so that everyone accrues their benchmark hours and receives payslips on time.
As well as undertaking administrative support, I’m also the first point of contact for initial inquiries. I am studying for a Cert III in Business as a workplace trainee and enjoy the mix of study and work. Furthermore, I know the organisation I’m working for really believes in what it stands for.
Guide Dog user Annalise, who is legally blind, recently returned to employment at Water Corporation and would like to remain with the organisation until she retires.
Get in touch with a Five Star Disability Employment Service
VisAbility’s Disability Employment Services can help you secure a job suited to you. We commit to finding you a job and offering you workplace security, so you feel supported in a role.
Please complete the form below to make an initial enquiry and learn more about the support we can provide.
Our Client Experience Team will contact you to discuss your individual needs both now and in the future.