Action - Increase employer confidence in employing disabled people

The action outlined below will help achieve this outcome. This work was started under the existing Disability Action Plan. 

3: Priority: Increase the number of employers who are confident in employing disabled people, with the public sector taking a lead

3 A: Government to take a lead in employing disabled people and providing paid internships.

On this page

Update on progress

Scope of action

1. Contributors/partners with lead – who is involved in this action?
2. Implementation plan
3. What is included in the scope of this action?
4. What is excluded from the scope of this action?
5. What are the timeframes for implementation?
6. What resources will the lead and partners contribute?
7. Impact – what are we trying to achieve?
8. Evidence base
9. Related work

Update on progress (September 2018)

Status: On track - Green

Actions on Milestones

Toolkit and other resourced [Complete]

• Revised and published in October 2017
• Published material on Interviewing Disabled People and Summer Internships.
• Reasonable accommodation resources at final sign off.
• First assition of Anne's Update published and second edition being developed.
• Master class with CEs held on 15 February 2018 and Master Class for GMs HR held on 1 March 2018.

Paid internships. [Ongoing]

• Developing material for State sector on attracting graduates

Improving the collection, monitoring and reporting of data about the employment of disabled people in the public sector. [In progress]

• Working with SSC and Statistics NZ to develop guidelines for recording disability and any reasonable accommodations required. Work to be completed by the end of December 2018.

Recognition and awards explored. [Complete]

• MSD agreed to sponsor the IPANZ Award on Diversity and Inclusion for 2018.

Development of the 30-month Work Programme – this was developed in conjunction with SSC [Complete]

• Work plan from June 2018 in development.
• Quarterly report to the Minister has been revised.

Lead: Ministry of Social Development

DPOs contact: People First

Scope of action

This scope of this action was approved by the governance meeting of the Chief Executives' Group on Disability Issues and Disabled People's Organisations on 4 September 2015.

Lead: Ministry of Social Development

1  Contributors/partners with lead – who is involved in this action?

Stakeholders will include:

• Disabled People’s Organisations
• State Services Commission
• Ministry of Social Development
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
• Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
• ACC
• Inland Revenue
• Te Puni Kökiri
• Other government agencies as necessary.

2  Implementation plan

What is the purpose of this action and how will it be implemented?

To improve employment outcomes for disabled people in the public sector, including by increasing the number of disabled people employed in the public sector and providing work experience through paid internships.

3  What is included in the scope of this action?

The Minister for Disability Issues has advised that she wants to see initiatives that are practical, able to be implemented over the next two years and where possible make use of existing mechanisms

Efforts will be focused on agencies with the 29 Government Departments generally referred to as the Public Sector.

Initiatives will fall within the four broad categories:

1. How to” toolkit for employing disabled people that provides a range of information and resources to support government agencies to employ more disabled people.
2. Paid internships to provide work experience for disabled people in the public sector. This will focus on including disabled people in mainstream internship programmes.
3. Improving the collection, monitoring and reporting of data about the employment of disabled people in the public sector. The Ministry of Social Development will develop an internal survey to identify the prevalence of disability. The Office for Disability Issues and Statistics New Zealand data working group will contribute to this initiative. The State Services Commission (SSC) is also exploring ways to improve the collection and reporting of disability data across government.
4. Recognition and awards to model and reward inclusive behaviours and good practice across government agencies to encourage leader’s commitment to employing more disabled people.

4  What is excluded from the scope of this action?

Wider state sector agencies, local government, private and not-for-profit employers are out of scope of this project, however public sector initiatives may be transferrable to these sectors.

5  What are the timeframes for implementation?

The following indicative timeframes for each of the initiatives are as follows:

• How to” toolkit for employing disabled people. The first edition of the toolkit will be introduced in November 2015.
• Paid internships. Applications are still open for the State Services Commission internship programme 2015/2016 round. Any enhancements to increase participation of disabled people could be considered for 2016/2017.
• Improving the collection, monitoring and reporting of data about the employment of disabled people in the public sector. The Ministry of Social Development will complete an internal survey by February 2016. The work of the Office for Disability Issues and Statistics New Zealand data working group and SSC’s work will occur over the longer term.
• Recognition and awards. The Office for Disability Issues will identify opportunities to recognise and promote best practice of employment of disabled people in the public sector by January 2016.

6  What resources will the lead and partners contribute?

The Ministry of Social Development will provide the resource to undertake this project.

Other government agencies will provide input and advice and where appropriate assume responsibility for initiatives as they are implemented.

Disabled People’s Organisations will provide input and advice into the project.

What governance arrangements are in place for this project?

The following governance arrangements are in place:

• Minister for Disability Issues
• Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues
• Chief Executive’s Group on Disability Issues
• A reference group comprising DPO, PSA and government agency representatives will be established

7  Impact – what are we trying to achieve?

What are indicators of the action’s intended result/outcomes desired?

An increase in the percentage of disabled employees across the public sector (% to be identified and agreed) and increases in the number of disabled people participating in paid internships.

How will these indicators be measured or evaluated?

Mechanisms to measure and evaluate the indicators will be identified in conjunction with the Office for Disability Issues and Statistics New Zealand data working group.

8  Evidence base

Is there any research or information (whether qualitative or quantitative) informing this action?

There is limited information and data available on the employment of disabled people in the public sector but the Disability Survey 2013 and other Statistics New Zealand data may help to inform this work. The survey to be developed by the Ministry of Social will inform this work.

Evidence from international jurisdictions will also inform this work, e.g. Australian Public Service Commission’s State of Service report 2013/14 and As One Strategy.

9  Related work

Is there any other work in the Disability Action Plan 2014-2018 that this action relates to or which contributes to this action?

The Office for Disability Issues and Statistics New Zealand working group

Is there any other work (outside of the Disability Action Plan) that this action connects with or which contributes to this action?

Health and Disability Long Term Work Programme – Confident Employer Strategy

State Services Commission work to improve the collection and reporting of disability data across government.