1              Overview

Global-Marks disability employment services program (DES) is designed to meet the requirements of the Commonwealth Government's Quality Assurance System for businesses involved in the disability employment sector.

Australian Government funded disability employment organisations and rehabilitation programs were required to have achieved certification under the Quality Assurance Standards by 31 December 2004, to receive funding beyond that date, and assess against the Disability Service Standards and Key Performance Indicators.

Disability Employment Services establishing a system that meets the Standards and Key Performance Indicators can expect to see benefits of increased efficiency, added staff moral and the delivery of a quality service to consumer and advocates.

Organisations that are successfully certified to the Disability Employment Services Program by Global-Mark receive an electronic Certificate of Approval, which is downloaded from our website.  They are also entitled to use and display the Global-Mark on marketing and promotional materials as an indication of their achievement.  The organizations details are also listed on Global-Mark’s Register of certified organizations at www.global-mark.com.au.

2              In simple terms

In essence, DES certification reflects an organisation commitment to providing fair, transparent and equitable employment services to consumers with disabilities.

The certification process is extensive and will involve a person with a disability (on the Global-Mark team), involve consumer interviews, and management interview.  We need to confirm that your service works well, and has all the “safety nets” in place to ensure consumers will have good outcomes.

3              Specific program conditions

• Copy of the audit report may be issued to the Commonwealth Department, in line with the requirement of the funding agreement between your service and the department.
• All services seeking or having achieved certification must have a procedure to control documents and information issued by Global-Mark (including this document, but also others, including the Client Pack), but also JASANZ or Department communications which relate to the certification.

Global-Mark’s undertaking and obligations

The following requirements are conditions set for Global-Mark to be a participant within the program:

• If we requested we may issue a copy of the review reports and findings to the Department, or its representative(s). 
• We will contact and report to the Department any health, safety or abuse risk, professional misconduct, financial improprieties found or suspected during our review.
• Information about your service may be disclosed to the Department without your consent.
• Once you have achieved certification our reviews will be held yearly, or more often
• If nonconformities are detected a follow-up review(s) will be needed to verify that these have been addressed.
• During our review we will be contacting and communicating with a number of consumer advocate groups and we ask that you to provide us with of their details, and provide them with the following in order to brief them of our visit and purpose:
  • The opportunity to meet with us, or ring us before the Global-Mark reviews
  • Copies of our Global-Mark reports and findings.
• If an appeal is lodged to our organisation in regard to the DES program, we will involve an independent Disability Employment Services Consumer in the processing and decision making process of this appeal.
• We do not discriminate against any service, person, or group,
• Our certification procedures are available to our client or potential clients on request (and in our office or with one of our officer) and subject to their availability

Your service undertaking and obligations

As part of this agreement, you must ensure that:

• Consumers are made aware of our visit: consumers must be offered the opportunity to participate and meet with us.  
• Given that we must interview a sample of your consumers. In order to facilitate these interviews, we will need your support and assistance to provide us with relevant consumer details. Interviews may be done face to face individually, as part of a focus group (or via telephone or written surveys).
• a consumer consent forms have been completed: we will require to sight a copy of this form as if consent forms have not been signed by all consumers then during consumers selected for interview should sign the forms before we access their files or interview them (we can if requested sign a confidentiality statement)
• we have access and are made aware of the details and contacts of consumer advocate group or committee, as appropriate
• a representative of the consumers is involved throughout the review (including opening and closing meetings)
• internal audits and management reviews are completed, scheduled and there are records to demonstrate this. It is important that these record provide evidence of consumer participation in these processes
• your service is registered with the Department
• you make available to us, when asked by Global-Mark records of all communications and action, including complaints in relation to the services you provide to consumers and compliance with the Standards.

If more that one site is offering disability employment services, please contact us and we will inform you about the eligibility criteria for multi-sited certification

4              What documents/records are needed to understand this program

In order to understand our program, you should also access and be aware of the following documents:

·         G-00: Client Pack and G-12 Consumer sampling -DES

·         MSP-00: Introduction to our management systems

·         MSP-01: Nomenclature and definitions and MSP-24 Appeals