Member Newsletter JUNE 2012

414 Hobart Road Youngtown Tas 7249

Tel. 03 6344 7133 Fax. 03 6343 0651 Email: info@selfhelp.com.au Web: www.selfhelp.com.au

For those of us who work at Self Help Workplace, we know what an extra-ordinary workplace it is.

So we were delighted to be recognised for the

achievements of the workplace when Self Help

Workplace was inducted into the employer of Choice

Honour Roll on 2 June 2014. The judges of the Employer of Choice Awards made special note that

employees with a disability have been integrated fully into workplace practices – taking

responsibility for performance and behaviour, contributing feedback and advising on continuous

improvement. They also noted:

numerous examples of how a

supportive workplace that sets high and

realistic expectations impacts positively

on the lives of employees and their

families

senior management combines sharp

business practice with respectful and

genuine care for staff that proves people

with a disability can work in a

competitive business and social

enterprise.

Donna Bain, General Manager

July

2014

Vol 6 Issue 2

2014

‘Friendship Ball’

Sat 8th November 2014 at 6:30pm

at the Hotel Grand Chancellor

Join us for a night of laughter, fundraising and friendship

MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW SOON

Save this date Save this date

$95 ticket

or

$900 for table

of 10

John Furness of Skills Tasmania presents the award to Workers Committee members: Jodie Crawford and Mel Triffett

What is an ADE and who works there?

An Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) is a not-for-profit organisation, with charitable status, which provides meaningful employment for people with significant disability who would otherwise not be able to work. It is a business that makes products, or provides services. It is usually run by a not-for-profit organisation, but it is still expected to make a surplus after paying all its costs, including staff salaries.

So, an ADE operates in the same way as other businesses, but there is one major difference. An ADE employs people with disability, and its employees are supported in their work.

'Supported' means that there are support workers available to give the employees any assistance they need with their tasks. For example, an employee with learning difficulties may need regular reminders from their support worker about how to do a task. Support workers are also paid employees of the ADE.

How are ADEs funded?

ADEs are given Australian Government funding for each person they employ. The amount of funding depends on how much support the employee needs to do their job. There are about 600 ADEs around Australia that employ more than 20,000 people with disability.

How much pay do ADE workers receive?

Supported employees receive what is known as a "pro rata" wage rate (a percentage of the full rate). The pro rata wage is worked out by using a special calculator called a wage assessment tool, which decides what proportion of the wage is paid to the employee.

ADE workers are covered by the federal Supported Employment Services (SES) Modern Award.

Some of the wage tools named in the SES Award use an assessment of the worker's productive output – that is, how much the worker produces.

However, the most commonly used wage tool for supported employees, called the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT), combines an assessment of productive output with a competency assessment, which measures the employee's skills, qualifications and job knowledge.

Why don't ADEs pay the same wages as other businesses?

The SES Award allows supported employees to be paid a proportion of a full wage if their disability restricts their productive capacity. The wage must be determined by an approved wage assessment tool.

Do supported employees also get a pension?

Almost all supported employees – about 90 per cent – receive the Disability Support Pension as well as their wages. Some are also eligible for other benefits, such as the mobility allowance.

If people with significant disability get a pension and benefits, why do they need to work as well?

Working is just as good for people with disability as it is for people without disability. It gives you not only more money in the bank, but also better health and wellbeing, improved skills and wider social networks.

NDS has estimated that there could be as many as 200,000 Australians with disability who are not working now, but want to work and could do so if they had the right assistance.

SAVE Australian Disability Enterprises

WHY ARE ADEs AT RISK?

What happened in the recent court case?

In the Nojin v Commonwealth of Australia decision (named after the supported employee who took the case to court), the court looked at the case of two people, who both had an intellectual disability. It was decided that the use of the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool to determine their wages wasn’t fair. The findings then went to the Human Rights Commission which administers the Disability Discrimination Act.

What did the Human Rights Commission decide?

The Human Rights Commission found that it would be too complicated for ADEs to immediately change to another tool, so it gave ADEs just one year to move to a better tool. ADEs don't think a year is enough time – three years would be fairer and more workable.

What will this decision mean for ADEs?

This decision directly threatens the sustainability of ADEs, because if they haven't made the switch to another assessment tool when the one-year deadline expires, they will have to pay their supported employees a much higher hourly rate. Many of them don't make much of a surplus as it is, so having to pay more could force many to either downsize, or close down altogether.

Where will ADE supported workers go if they lose their jobs?

If ADEs have to close or downsize, most supported workers who lose their jobs will be stuck at home. Some might be able to get into a state-funded day program, which will give them something to do during the day - but they will no longer be as productive because they won't be working.

Some who lose their jobs will get some form of support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), but depending on where they live, that might not be until 2019. A very few might be able to find work through the open labour market, but they will be the exceptions.

What can you do?

We need you to show your support for ADEs. You can do this, by adding your story to the ‘ADEs work for me’ website.

www.ade.org.au

Your support will make a difference in the lives of people with a disability.

We want:

No Job Losses

Fair Wages

Sustainable Businesses

Because ADEs work for me

Self Help Workplace is awarded more than $60,000 in

grant funds Each year, Self Help Workplace embarks on an ambitious program to obtain grant funds. We do this

for several reasons. First and foremost, the funds are used for key projects and activities. This might

include upgrading equipment or facilities or continuing an important employee skills program. This

enables other revenue to be reinvested in the enterprise. However, the second reason that Self Help

Workplace writes grants is to inform and educate the philanthropic community about Self Help

Workplace’s mission and the work of other Australian Disability Enterprises in Tasmania and across

the country. Submitting grants (even the unsuccessful ones) isan opportunity to share the

achievements of people with a disability.

All of the team at Self Help Workplace thank the following organisations for their generous support :

Community Support Levy through the Tasmanian Government $2,500

A project was funded to upgrade the equipment in the training/meeting room at

Self Help Workplace, including a new drop-down projection screen and media

player.

Tasmanian Community Fund $35,046

The small grant has been used to purchase a long strand shredder

The medium grant will be invested in upgrading the men’s toilet

facilities. The result will be two modern men’s toilet cubicles. Not a

glamorous project, but an essential one.

Launceston City Council $13,300

Launceston City Council has continued its generous support of Self Help

Workplace. The Council have recently granted Self Help Workplace a concession

to use the waste facility. This means that instead of paying waste fees, Self Help

Workplace can reinvest these funds in the enterprise. A further grant of $5,000

will support a program of community governance workshops in the local

government area. Donna Bain will join with Ella Dixon from the Department of

Premier and Cabinet and Steve Allen from the University of Tasmania to run 4

governance workshops.

Council has also granted funds to assist with the staging of a pallet recycling

competition. Further details to follow.

MyState Foundation $9900

The MysSate Foundation has awarded the enterprise a grant

to continue to run the book club. The book club is an

innovative program providing literacy and numeracy training.

Three groups of employees participate in hour long classes

each week with the support of literacy tutor, Libby White.

TasWater $1,000 A grant of from Taswater will enable a tow bar to be fitted to the Self Help Workplace creating more

storage space for the sporting and other clubs that hire the bus on the weekends.