Supported Employment Service

At the TAC we are here to help you get your life back on track following your transport accident. To assist you to return to work or enter the workforce, we can pay for you to have support while working in an Australian Disability Enterprise workplace. This will enable you to increase your independence in a work environment and develop new skills.

What is the Supported Employment Service?

The Supported Employment Service is provided within an Australian Disability Enterprise to support a person with disability to engage in and maintain their employment.

An Australian Disability Enterprise can find the right work tasks for you, modify work tasks (if needed) and have someone support you (or available to support you) while you work. There can be many different kinds of support. For example, you could have a visual checklist of your tasks or get help with your concentration to complete tasks. An individual employment support plan is created with you to make sure the work and support is right for you. The employment support plan is then provided to the TAC by the ADE for approval of the agreed level of supports.

What is an Australian Disability Enterprise?

An Australian Disability Enterprise is an organisation that:

  • employs people with disabilities in a supported working environment
  • helps support people to prepare to work in open employment
  • offers a diverse range of roles and employment opportunities such as gardeners, store people, recyclers, screen printers, cooks, caterers or hospitality
  • provides services and products within a commercial context

To find out more about Australian Disability Enterprises, including the type of work they offer and their locations, please visit the NDIS Provider Finder click the registration group ‘specialised supported employment’, you may also refer to the BuyAbility website.

How do we approve these services?

If you would like to find a job through the Supported Employment Service, we will work with you to identify suitable options. The TAC can pay for the supported employment service when the support is needed because of a transport accident injury. Supported employment can be approved for up to 40 hours a week and will be approved in writing by the TAC.

You can talk to your TAC coordinator or a member of your support team about working in supported employment or you may prefer to directly contact an Australian Disability Enterprise in your local area to find out more. If supported employment has been approved, the next step is to identify and link you with an Australian Disability Enterprise. An Australian Disability Enterprise can be identified by:

  • you
  • your TAC support coordinator
  • an occupational therapist or vocational provider
  • other members of your support team

It is important that the chosen Australian Disability Enterprise can meet your needs and assist with your specific goals.

How much is paid for your work?

After a trial and training period, the Australian Disability Enterprise, which is your employer, will organise to have a wage assessment completed to determine how much you will be paid for your work. Your wages will be reviewed every 12 months and may be changed as part of that review. For more information about wage assessments, please speak with your TAC coordinator or to the Australian Disability Enterprise where you are considering working.

Will other payments received be affected by supported employment wages?

If you receive the Disability Support Pension, the Australian Disability Enterprise will tell you if your supported employment wages will have any impact on your Disability Support Pension entitlements. The Australian Disability Enterprise will also support you with your communication with government agencies like Centrelink about your supported employment.

If you are receiving TAC benefits for loss of earnings (LOE) or loss of earnings capacity (LOEC), your support coordinator will talk to you about any changes that your wages may have on your LOE or LOEC benefits. If you are severely injured, you can earn $192 per week before there is an impact on your LOEC benefits. This amount is updated on 1 July each year.

What is not covered?

The TAC will not pay for attendant care to assist you to take part in supported employment unless a significant level of personal care is required at the workplace.

What other support is available?

The TAC can consider paying for other supports and services to assist you with returning to work or entering the workforce. These may include:

  • equipment needed in the workplace
  • travel to the Supported Employment Service
  • retraining to help you prepare to work in open employment
  • vocational services to support you to transition to open employment

Please contact the TAC to learn more about how we can help you with support related to work.

For providers

If you are an Australian Disability Enterprise, please refer to our Supported Employment Service Guidelines for circumstances in which you can provide services to TAC clients.