Accessibility Action Plan
2016-2019
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Review History
Version / Authorisation Date / Authorisation Position / Approved/Revision Type /1.0 / September 2016 / Director, Employee Relations / Final
1.1 / September 2016 / PVCC / Final incorporating minor edits
1.2 / October 1016 / Executive Committee / Final incorporating minor edits
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgement of Country 5
Secretary’s introduction 5
Acknowledgements 5
Setting the Scene 6
Our goals, and how we are going to achieve them 6
Governance 6
Evaluation 6
LEADERSHIP 8
Increase the representation of employees with disability in senior and network roles. 8
INCLUSIVITY 9
Foster inclusive cultures in the workplace. 9
OPPORTUNITIES 13
Expand the range of employment opportunities for people with disability. 13
INVESTING IN CAPABILITY 15
Invest in developing the capability of employees with disability. 15
Training needs 19
APPENDIX A 21
Definition of disability 21
What is disability? 21
Who are employees with disability? 21
Disability groups 22
Discrimination 22
Legal framework 23
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Acknowledgement of Country
The Department of Health acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respect to elders past, present and future.
Secretary’s introduction
The Accessibility Action Plan sets out how we will work together to build and strengthen our departmental culture, and is another step towards our goal to make Health an employer of choice for people with disability and those who care for people with disability.
Disability on its own should not limit participation in the workplace. Health’s vision is to ensure that barriers to employment for people with disability are minimised, and that we foster an environment that enables people with disability to maximise their productivity and their potential. We aim to be an inclusive organisation that values fairness, equity and diversity consistent with the APS Values and Code of Conduct. The department will respect and value the diversity of its workforce, provide support and education to prevent and eliminate harassment, bullying and discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, nation of origin and social origin, in accordance with our obligations under section 351 of the
Fair Work Act 2009.
The Plan embeds that the rights of people with disability are considered in the delivery of all of our corporate services including our physical premises (refurbishments and relocations) and how we attract, recruit and retain our employees. The objectives outline how we will invest in the capability of all employees.
The Plan aligns with the Department’s Strategic Intent 2016 – 2020 that outlines the department’s five year approach to attracting, retaining, building capability and motivating our people to deliver outstanding performance, and reporting and evaluating our success to continually improve. We will build leadership at all levels, think strategically, make evidence based choices, strengthen our key relationships, embed innovation in our work, and manage cost and invest in long term sustainability.
In line with these statements, the department is committed to expanding employment opportunities and significantly encouraging, enabling and empowering our employees with disability and those with a carer role to achieve their full potential, ensuring all employees have equal access to professional development, career progression, representation and support within an inclusive culture. Diversity is our strength.
Martin Bowles, PSM
Acknowledgements
The Department would like to thank the following groups for their assistance in developing this Plan:
· Health’s Disability and Carers Network and Committee
· Accessibility Action Plan Working Group
· Disability and Carer Champions
· Australian Network on Disability (AND)
The Department is a Gold member of and an active supporter of AND and has been working with them on accessibility projects since 2007.
Setting the Scene
Disability awareness and confidence needs to be increased throughout the department if we are to ensure that we are an attractive workplace for people with disability and that bias against people with disability, conscious or not, is addressed at all levels.
There needs to be support for employees with disability and their managers, and clear and accessible policy and training that helps facilitate reasonable adjustment. We need to create an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity in Health.
There also needs to be an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of both the department and employees when it comes to the Actions outlined in the Plan. There are mutual obligations in relation to workplace adjustment, flexible working arrangements, training and increasing the representation of staff with disability and carers of people with disability. A mutual understanding is essential to progress and to achieving success.
To achieve this, the objectives in the Plan have been developed to align with the four key action areas in the As One: Making it Happen, APS Disability Employment Strategy 2016-2019 (the APS Strategy), (which also include a focus on Indigenous people with disability). These key actions areas are:
· Foster inclusive cultures in the workplace
· Expand the range of employment opportunities for people with disability
· Invest in developing the capability of employees with disability
· Increase the representation of employees with disability in senior roles and the Regional Office network
There is a strong emphasis on the central role of leaders, as the objectives in the Plan can only be achieved with support from all levels of leaders in the Department.
Our goals, and how we are going to achieve them
We will build a modern, capable and flexible department by recruiting the right people for the right jobs, supporting and training employees and creating a workplace that is positive and challenging, diverse and inclusive.
Governance
The ongoing implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Plan will be the responsibility of a Corporate Disability Forum, with oversight from the Disability Champions, and supported by a Secretariat in People Branch. It is expected that the Forum will meet initially on a bi-monthly basis. The Forum will agree its detailed Terms of Reference in conjunction with People Branch and the Champions. Forum membership will include relevant areas of the Chief Operating Officer Group, representatives of the Disability and Carers Network (Disability and Carers Network) committee, and representatives from each of the department’s business groups.
Evaluation
The Forum will be responsible for ensuring that action items in the Plan are progressing, and reporting on a six-monthly basis to the Departmental Executive through the People, Values and Capability Committee (PVCC) on progress and areas of concern. A final evaluation will be presented at the conclusion of the Plan, with recommendations on areas for improvement in the following iteration.
St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal
The Staff with Disability Network Committee, in cooperation with People Branch and the other employee diversity networks, continued to run their annual drive to support the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal.
The Committee was overwhelmed by the support shown by the department. The Secretary added to the donations to show his support. It was estimated that around $1,500 worth of groceries and in excess of 200kg of clothing and blankets were collected, which was a great result.
The best of our Health community was on full display with a collaborative effort that resulted in a contribution that will make a real difference to the lives of many members of our local community.
L to R – Jenean Spencer (Disability Champion), Sam Milgate, Samir El-Sabagh, Danni Moulds, Jessica Fortune, Luke Maynard (Chair), Peri Lloyd (Deputy Chair), Martin Bowles (Secretary), Amy Edwards
Front – Danny Ryding (Co-Deputy Chair, Health Pride Network)
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LEADERSHIP
Increase the representation of employees with disability in senior and network roles.
At the heart of change is leadership at all levels. Our leaders are stewards of our values – they communicate priorities and encourage and reward us to perform at our best. People with disability should be well represented both at senior management and all levels within the department. We will:
· Offer targeted development initiatives for high-performing middle managers with disability
· Provide senior mentors across the APS for high potential employees with disability.
Action / Implementation / Outcome /1. Implement experiential activities for managers which involve a positive interaction with people with disability. / How we will do this / Implement the Changing Mindsets programme (experiential activities for SES employees which involve a positive interaction with people with disability).
Who is responsible / Lead
People, Capability and Communication Division (PCCD)
Supported by
Senior Executive Staff (SES)
Australian Public Service Commission (APSC)
What will success look like / SES participate in changing mindsets activities.
How we will report on success / PCCD reports annually to People, Values and Capability Committee (PVCC) on APSC and Health run initiatives and SES involvement.
2. Promote mentoring opportunities between SES employees and employees with disability. / How we will do this / The opportunity for SES and employees with disability to form mentoring relationships is embedded in the department’s mentoring program.
Who is responsible / Lead
PCCD
Supported by
Disability and Carers Network
What will success look like / Increase in the number of SES employees who indicate that they are willing to mentor a member of a diversity group.
The number of employees in the mentoring programme profile database who indicate that they would like to discuss workforce diversity awareness increases each year.
How we will report on success / PCCD reports annually to PVCC on the number of members of diversity groups and SES employees who indicate they are willing to engage in a mentor partnership.
INCLUSIVITY
Foster inclusive cultures in the workplace.
Health will foster a workplace that facilitates genuine inclusion of people with disability. Everyone has a role to play.
· Highlight the value of Disability and Carers Champions as visible advocates for employees with disability – and champions of change within agencies.
Action / Implementation / Outcome /3. Increase representation of employees with disability in the Rewards and Recognition policy. / How we will do this / Inclusion in the Secretary’s Reward and Recognition Policy, for the Inclusion Award to be awarded to individual or groups of employees who have:
· made a significant contribution to promoting an inclusive, diverse and harmonious workplace; and/or
· overcome barriers or assisted with removing barriers to an inclusive, diverse and harmonious workplace.
Who is responsible / Lead
PCCD
Supported by
Disability Champions
Disability and Carers Network Committee
What will success look like / Recognition of employees through award process.
How we will report on success / Not applicable.
4. To understand the demographics of our employees and enable Health to create a more inclusive and flexible working environment, actively encourage employees to update their Equity and Diversity data in Health’s HR systems (SAP) including their disability status and care/ responsibilities. / How we will do this / Champions encourage employees to update and record their disability status and carer/responsibility in the Equity and Diversity data in SAP ESS through a targeted communications strategy.
SAP is updated to match data collected for the APS census on care/responsibility and the reasons explained why data is captured.
Who is responsible / Lead
SAP Team
PCCD and line managers
Supported by
Disability and Carers Network
What will success look like / SAP ESS reports indicate in upward trends in completed Equity and Diversity Data.
Champions include in messaging a reminder to update and record Equity and Diversity data in SAP at least twice a year.
Employees are informed of the reasons why data is collected and who has access to the data.
Health can collect data and report on employees with carer/responsibility.
How we will report on success / PCCD reports quarterly to PVCC on Disability and care/responsibility statistics.
5. Promote a strong and effective Disability and Carers Network. / How we will do this / Promote, support and fund the activities of The Disability and Carers Network.
Leadership training is offered to all members of the Disability and Carers Network Committee.
Chair of DCN provided one day per fortnight to work on network business, regardless of role in health.
Who is responsible / Lead
Disability and Carers Network
Supported by
PCCD
What will success look like / Disability and Carers Network undertakes the implementation of the annual work plan and associated Network activities and events.
Leadership training is available for all Disability and Carers Network Committee members.
How we will report on success / Disability and Carers Network Committee reports annually to PVCC through the Corporate Disability Forum.
PCCD reports annually to PVCC on leadership training uptake of the Disability and Carers Network.
6. Increase retention of employees with disability and carers of people with disability. / How we will do this / Employees with disability have equal access to health and wellbeing services and resources.
Internal events are accessible to employees with disability.
Employees with disability through the Disability and Carers Network Committee are consulted in relation to change management programmes.
Who is responsible / Lead
Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S) and line managers
Disability and Carers Network
Supported by
PCCD
National Staff Participation Forum (NSPF)
What will success look like / Decrease in complaints reported to People Branch from employees with disability, citing discrimination.
Disability and Carers Network Committee is consulted through the NSPF representative on change management programmes.
How we will report on success / PCCD reports annually to PVCC on employee uptake of health and wellbeing services, complaints relating to accessibility at events and discrimination.
Disability and Carers Network Committee representative attends NSPF meeting and reports to other members of the Committee.
7. Better understand our workforce to enable us to improve Health’s workplace policy and procedures. / How we will do this / Health surveys will be designed to provide ‘non-personalised’ results for employees with a disability that look at drivers for satisfaction, a sense of inclusion, prospects for career advancement and levels of discrimination, bullying and harassment.
All survey results should consider employees with disability as a key audience group for reporting purposes.
Conduct research into reason behind survey results for employees with disability.
Who is responsible / Lead
PCCD
Supported by
Data and Metrics, PCCD
What will success look like / Decrease in employees with disability or carers of people with disability exiting Health due to issues raised in exit surveys.
Employee survey results improve for employees with disability and/or carers of people with disability.
How we will report on success / PCCD reports annually to PVCC on employee satisfaction survey results.
International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD)
Health celebrates International Day of People with Disability each year on 3 December. In 2015 guest speakers Sue Salthouse and Wayne Herbert educated, moved and entertained us on the theme Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities.