2. Provider Capability and Capacity

Paid employment supports people with disability to have more control over their lives, be financially independent and have a better standard of living. Employment also leads to better mental and physical health and wellbeing. Increasing employment opportunities for people with disability includes encouraging business ownership and development, self-employment and entrepreneurship.

To achieve the above, this Chapter outlines the desired capabilities and capacity of Providers to deliver tailored Services to both Participants and Employers, as well as supports available to Providers.

Inclusive Employment Australia is demand-driven which means there is no cap on the total number of people who can participate in the service.

Providers are allocated a Caseload, subject to the Market Share threshold or the maximum number of Participants for a Site.

Providers will leverage local connections to deliver tailored Services to Participants. Providers are expected to build strong relationships with Employers to build their confidence and capability to attract and employ people with disability, injury or health condition.

In delivering Services for Participants and Employers, Providers are expected to identify and collaborate with disability, health, training and other community organisations and local (or regional) resources who support Participants in becoming work ready and creating Employment pathways. This includes, but is not limited to, engaging with:

• the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC)

• other Inclusive Employment Australia Providers

• other Employment Services providers

• Employer stakeholders, such as local business councils

• private and community-based providers of other services in the community

• Education and Training institutions

• healthcare organisations

• social enterprises

• Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations

• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Local Area Coordinators, Support Coordinators and employment service providers

• Supported Employment Services (previously known as Australian Disability Enterprises)

• Other Commonwealth, State and Territory Government program providers

• local government and local government program providers, and

• peak bodies and industry representatives.

Providers should draw on these relationships in the locations they service to:

• support access to disability inclusive, culturally appropriate, linked Complementary Services for Participants

• maintain strong labour market knowledge, including knowledge of skill shortages

• develop and adapt activities to meet the diverse needs of businesses and industries, and

• create Employment pathways for Participants.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 8)

Providers must be aware of the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC). The NDRC works with Employers to increase their recruitment of people with disability. It helps the Employer implement practices to employ people with disability, train staff in working with employees with disability and support recruitment of people with disability by the Employer.

Providers can:

• Register for Updates to learn about vacancies from employers looking for candidates with disability and get the JobAccess newsletter

• help Participants apply for roles

• go to events hosted by the NDRC – check News for the latest event invitations or sign up for the JobAccess newsletter

• refer Employers who might benefit from 12-month partnership with the NDRC

For more information about connecting with a NDRC visit the JobAccess website.

(Deed Reference(s): 124)

Employment and financial security are central to improving outcomes for people with disability. This includes providing jobs and career opportunities and having adequate income for people to meet their needs. The Strategy and its supporting documents assist Providers with practical tools including:

• Good Practice Guidelines for Engaging with People with Disability

• Guide to Applying Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031

• Evaluation Good Practice Guide Checklist.

For more information about Australia’s Disability Strategy visit the Disability Gateway.

Providers will continuously invest in leadership and front-line staff and will demonstrate they have the appropriate skills, qualifications, experience and diversity that is reflective of the communities and the Participants they support.

Staff skills, experience and qualifications are considered a major contributor to the quality of services in employment services. Increasing the knowledge, experience and qualifications of Provider staff is key to lifting the quality of employment services and outcomes for people with disability.

When requested by the Department, Providers must provide a documented strategy that outlines their plan for staff recruitment, training, development and retention. It should detail how they will support professional development for their staff including dedicated learning and development, arranging specialist and mandatory training and pathways for staff to gain further qualifications. 

The strategy must also include performance metrics which are required to be provided to the Department at regular intervals (at least annually) over the course of the Deed on the qualification and experience of staff and leadership, including, staff:

• with qualifications

• who are working towards obtaining qualifications, including micro-credentials

• who have disability

• who have a lived experience of disability, and

• who reflect broader diversity in their community.

Over the course of the contract period, Providers may be required by the Department to provide evidence that they are actively supporting the professional development of its staff.

(Deed Reference(s): 74)

While accredited qualifications are not mandatory for Provider staff, it is expected Provider staff who are delivering Services to Participants and Employers either hold or be working towards one or more of the following credentials:

• a Certificate IV in Employment Services

• Certificate III or higher in Disability Services, or related qualifications

• units or micro-credentials within a related qualification, or

• professional learning modules for employment service professionals.

They may also have relevant related experience to support them in their role, such as:

• lived experience

• relevant work experience, for example working with people with disability, or

• industry experience relevant to the local labour market.

(Deed Reference(s): 74.2)

Providers are encouraged to engage staff with disability or lived experience of disability as part of their staff recruitment, training and development approach over the life of the Deed. Lived experience is the experience of a person with disability. It may include the experience of a person who supports or cares for a person with disability, or a person who has worked with and/or supervised a person with disability and understands reasonable adjustments (work adjustments) that enable people with disability equal access to employment.

Provider staff must undertake mandatory training developed by the Department. Provider staff cannot perform some functions until they have completed the relevant training module.

All mandatory training can be found on the Learning Centre platform. Providers must ensure all mandatory training modules are completed by Provider staff according to the timeframes below.

Other training modules are also available, covering essential information for Providers and their staff to understand Inclusive Employment Australia, as well as content on supporting people with disability, disability awareness and cultural competency.

As part of staff onboarding

Providers must notify staff and ensure they are aware the Department will collect, use and disclose Personal Information about Provider staff for the purposes of managing and administering Inclusive Employment Australia. This may be in the form of a Privacy Collection Notice and/or consent form and must include matters as required by APP 5.2.

This collection notice may include (but is not limited to):

• disclosing Personal Information of Provider staff (including the names and contact details of Organisational Security Contacts), to enable the Department to support the ICT system used for Inclusive Employment Australia

• disclosing Personal Information of Provider staff if required to report particular conduct (e.g. serious incidents)

• using and disclosing Personal Information of Provider staff in relation to complaint handling

• disclosing Personal Information of Provider staff in relation to the management of Inclusive Employment Australia to DEWR, the Department, Employers, NPA Providers, the CRRS, JobAccess Providers, and any other third-party organisations

• collecting sensitive information in particular circumstances (e.g. in delivering culturally appropriate services because they identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander)

• authenticating the Provider staff’s access to the ICT system, and subsequently logging and monitoring all activity on the system, to make sure it is being used appropriately, and

• ensuring that the Provider is complying with its obligations under the Inclusive Employment Australia Deed.

The following modules must be completed by each staff member before being granted access to the Department's IT Systems:

• Fraud and Corruption, and

• Information Exchange and Privacy.

These two mandatory training modules must be refreshed every 12 months to maintain compliance.

Provider staff must also acknowledge their security and privacy obligations in relation to the use of the IT system and access to participant information.

Prior to Participant engagement

Before delivering Services to Participants, each staff member must complete the following module:

• Job Plans, and

• Targeted Compliance Framework.

Additional Mandatory Training

Within 60 days of starting to deliver Services for Inclusive Employment Australia, or from the date the training is first available, each staff member will need to complete any other modules flagged as mandatory on the Learning Centre platform. The Department will notify Providers of new training requirements for their staff.

(Deed Reference(s): 61.3)

To submit claims for Payment

Provider staff who submit claims for payment must complete Claims Processing Training Modules prior to making any claim.

(Deed Reference(s): 157.4)

Providers must monitor and annually self-audit staff completion of mandatory training and report to the Department. The Department may request details of a Provider’s self-audit at any time and may conduct its own audit of a Provider’s compliance with mandatory training requirements, where this may be deemed necessary.

From time to time the Department or Commonwealth may temporarily close a Site due to national emergency management.

Providers are required to have business continuity plans established to ensure provision of employment services to Participants is provided during emergencies or other incidents leading to business disruption, where it is safe to do so.

At a minimum, arrangements should include processes to:

• contact affected Participants, if required

• ensure that Targeted Compliance Framework (TCF) is not applied where Mutual Obligation Requirements have been Suspended

• arrange alternative servicing options for Participants, if appropriate

• reschedule Appointments or Activities, including contacting Employers, host organisations, or support services

• manage Site safety and security, including lockdowns or evacuations

• manage the security and integrity of Provider IT Systems, including containment and notification to the Department of cyber incidents

• secure Records and filing systems, and

• submit urgent/critical notifications and incident Reports (including temporary Site closure Reports) to the Department and other relevant entities (e.g. police, health/welfare agencies, emergency respondents).

More information on Disability Inclusive Emergency Management is available on the NEMA website.

The Capacity Building Fund (the Fund) was introduced to assist eligible Providers establish themselves and build their organisational capability under the Inclusive Employment Australia program.

The Fund may be accessed by Providers that meet the eligibility criteria by submitting a Claim for Reimbursement form (with relevant documentary evidence and latest audited financial statements) in respect of Eligible Expenditure.

Once a claim for reimbursement is approved by the Department, payment will be made to the Provider’s nominated bank account on a reimbursement basis in the amount(s) approved by the Department. The Department has absolute discretion over the decision to approve the reimbursement.

This Chapter sets out Provider eligibility for the Fund and provides guidance around the categories of costs that can be reimbursed under the Fund and how claims for reimbursement can be submitted.

For an Inclusive Employment Australia Provider to be eligible for the Fund, the following criteria, which is set out at clause 167.1 of the Deed, must be met:

• the Department has executed a Deed with the Provider, and

• the Provider meets the definition of a ‘Small Business’ under the Deed, and

• the Provider is either:

  • a not-for-profit organisation, or

  • a Specific Cohort Provider under Inclusive Employment Australia.

Subcontractors are not eligible for the Fund.

Small Business

The Provider must be a Small Business as defined at clause 167.6 (c) of the Deed.

Eligibility as a Small Business is based on the Provider’s most recent financial statements at the time the Deed is executed.

Where the Provider tendered as a Group, all members of the Group, including the lead member, will be assessed in aggregate to determine if the Provider is considered a Small Business.

Not for Profit Organisations

To be eligible for the Fund as a not-for-profit organisation, the Provider must be listed on the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission’s register of registered charities found at Recently registered charities.

Specific Cohort Providers

To determine eligibility for the Fund, the Department will refer to the Provider’s executed Deed to confirm they deliver Services as a Specific Cohort Provider.

A Group Respondent that includes specialist organisations will only be eligible if the Group Respondent is a Specific Cohort Provider.

Eligible Expenditure for reimbursement categories are:

• achieving compliance with the NSDS

• obtaining Right Fit For Risk (RFFR) accreditation

• building organisational leadership

• supporting mentorship arrangements for Provider Personnel

• supporting effective service delivery

• business advisory and management consulting services

• financial planning and accounting services

• acquiring and maintaining essential ICT equipment

• training for Provider Personnel and other relevant training and development services, and

• any other accreditation, certification or professional capability or capacity specified in the Guidelines.

Reimbursements are only payable for expenses that are incurred by the Provider on or after the date the Deed has been executed by the Parties (the Provider and Department). For example, if a Provider has commenced obtaining quality certification before the Deed has been executed, only those expenses incurred on or after the date the Deed was executed are reimbursable.

Providers cannot seek Reimbursement for the same expenses that have already been reimbursed or paid for by another Commonwealth Agency.

The Department will not fully prescribe every type of expenditure that may be covered in each category. The general principle is the costs or expenses must relate directly to delivering the Inclusive Employment Australia program. The following examples are provided as guidance.

National Standards for Disability Services (NSDS) Certificate of Compliance

The Fund may be used for reimbursement relating to costs and expenses associated with the Provider obtaining and maintaining NSDS certification required to deliver the Inclusive Employment Australia program.

A Provider is considered certified against the NSDS when they have received certification from a third-party auditor approved by the Department. Once this certification is attained by the Provider, a claim for reimbursement under the Fund can be made. Providers may seek reimbursement for initial certification, surveillance audits or re-certification NSDS audits. More information on NSDS listed at section 3.3 of the National Standards for Disability Services.

Right Fit for Risk (RFFR) Accreditation

Claims for reimbursement related to RFFR Accreditation may include:

• expenses relating to the design and implementation of a system to meet relevant information security requirements

• software upgrades, new hardware or other IT infrastructure to comply with information security requirements

• purchase of ICT equipment required to meet cyber security accreditation requirements

• hiring additional staff specifically to obtain certification/accreditation, and

• engaging a third party/IT company to assist with the accreditation process.

More information about RFFR can be found at 7.3 Right Fit For Risk approach.

Training for Provider Personnel

Reimbursable costs and expenses for training and development of Provider Personnel may include:

• the attainment of relevant accredited tertiary, Diploma or Certificate III or IV level qualifications

• training courses relating to the delivery of disability employment services or supporting people with disability.

Note: Any courses reimbursed under the Fund for this purpose must not be delivered directly by the Provider or by a Related Entity of the Provider.

Reimbursements under the Fund are capped at $150,000 (GST inclusive) per Provider, for the life of the Deed Term (including any Deed extensions). All expenses submitted for reimbursement must be GST inclusive.

Reimbursements are payable for any expenses or costs incurred after the Inclusive Employment Australia Deed was executed on 7 August 2025.

For Group Respondents, reimbursements can be claimed for Eligible Expenditure by any group member so long as the Group as a whole meets the criteria at 2.7.2 above.

All claims for reimbursement must be lodged within 30 days of payment for the goods or services.

To claim, Providers must complete the Claim for Reimbursement form available on the Provider Portal and email it together with all required Documentary Evidence to CBFPayments@dss.gov.au for assessment.

The table below outlines Documentary Evidence required when seeking reimbursement for Eligible Expenditure.

The Department will consider each claim for reimbursement and email the Provider of its decision. The Department has absolute discretion regarding its decision to approve the claim for reimbursement.