The Australian Government has opened applications for a new panel of assessment service providers for people with disability in the workplace.

The program was announced as part of the Disability Employment Services (DES) reforms which aim to improve employment outcomes for people with disability by getting more people with disability into jobs.

National Panel of Assessors (NPA) providers carry out independent evaluations of a workplace and a person’s individual job requirements or needs. This evaluation can include an assessment of the physical environment, analysis of the specific work tasks in a job, review of injury-prevention strategies and recommendations for workplace modifications.

Panel providers are expected to have an understanding of employment support requirements for people with disability and mental illness, including workplace barriers, and are required to exercise expert judgement in making appropriate and accurate recommendations.

The new standing panel will be contracted to provide Ongoing Support Assessment (OSA), Supported Wage System (SWS), and Workplace Modifications Scheme (WMS) assessments.

DES-NPA 2018 will run over 5 years, from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2023.

Individuals and organisations who are interested in delivering assessment services are invited to apply through the Department of Social Services’ Community Grants Hub website. Applications are open from 11 September 2017 until by 2pm 24 October 2017. 

Applicants may submit an application to provide either or both of the following combinations of assessments:

• Ongoing Support Assessments and Supported Wage System Assessments together, and
• Workplace Modification Assessments.

Successful grant applicants will be announced in March 2018.