What is NPA?
National Panel of Assessors (NPA)provides a range of Assessment Services to assist with the needs of people with disability in the workplace. The outcomes of the program are:
- to supplement the DES program by providing assessment services for the benefit of people with disability in the workplace, employers, DES Participants and DES Providers.
- to ensure that DES Participants, Providers and Employers are supported by independent assessors trained and qualified in providing disability employment Assessment Services
- to provide sufficient and timely delivery of two types of Assessment Services across all ESA locations:
o Ongoing Support Arrangements (OSA)
o Supported Wage Scheme (SWS)
These program works to ensure the appropriate level of ongoing support is provided to DES participants to maintain their employment.
The delivery of Assessment Services is designed to achieve the following objectives:
- employment participation by people with a disability
- support services which are provided to people with disability in the workplace.
- access to employment by people with disability, and
- provision of fair and accurate assessments of workplace productivity.
What is a Supported Wage Assessment?
A Supported Wage System Assessment (SWS) has been designed to promote employment for people who cannot work at full award wages because of a disability. They are designed to review all the factors involved in an employee’s working day and help the employee and employer to reach an agreement regarding what is a ‘fair wage’. These assessments take place in the workplace and in conjunctions with all parties such as DES providers, employers & employees. All SWS agreements are forwarded to the Fair work Commission for review and approval in accordance with the relevant award.
Who is eligible to participant in the Supported Wage System?
An employee is eligible for the Supported Wage System under the following requirements:
- The job under consideration is covered by an industrial instrument or legislative provision which permits employment for productivity wages under the Supported Wage System, and
- The person is an Australian citizen or is a person resident in Australia whose continued presence is not subject to a time limit imposed by Commonwealth law (e.g. a temporary visa), and
- The person is at least 15 years of age, and
- The person has no outstanding workers’ compensation claim against the current employer, and
- The person meets the impairment criteria for receiving the Disability Support Pension.
Employers can apply for the Supported Wage System directly through the Supported Wage Management Unit for their state https://www.employment.gov.au/supported-wage-system, or through a Disability Employment Services provider (DES Provider), Job Active provider https://www.jobaccess.gov.au/employersor Community Development Program Provider.
What is an Ongoing Support Assessment?
Ongoing Support Assessments are designed to review a participant’s current employment requirements to ensure the person with a disability can maintain their employment. To be eligible for this service all participants must be supported by a DES provider and in post placement support. The role of an NPA Assessors is to review the level of support and assistance required by the participant to carry out the role and successfully maintain their employment. Our NPA Assessor will listen to how the participant is are going in their role, the effectiveness of existing support being provided, any changes in the participants health, the role or the workplace since their last assessment and any other relevant factors. The NPA Assessor will then make recommendations based on their observations and information provided to ensure the correct level of support is received by the participant.
The Participant’s requirements are reviewed and accessed according to the following levels of support from their DES Provider to assist in maintaining open employment whilst in Post Placement Support:
• Flexible ongoing support
• Moderate ongoing support
• High ongoing support
More Information
More information on the program can be found on the Job Access website https://www.jobaccess.gov.au/home or by contacting the Job Access support-line on 1800 464 800.
