What are BuyAbility Social Enterprises exactly, how can they help businesses and how can they help people with disability?
Let’s take a look.
What are BuyAbility Social Enterprises?
BuyAbility Social Enterprises employ people in a supported working environment. Their 17,000 employees are Australians with disability who are keen to earn, learn and grow by participating in the workforce like other members of the community. These enthusiastic and committed employees work in a diverse range of roles – from gardeners to store people, screen printers, recyclers and cooks – there is a wide variety of job opportunities.
Employees are supported to work, develop new skills and participate in their communities. Many people find the training provided in these enterprises supports them to transition to open employment. BuyAbility Social Enterprises are nonprofit organisations that supply services and products and invest the profits into furthering outcomes for their employees with disability.
What are the Benefits of Supported Employment for Employees?
People with disability have the right to lead normal lives like others in the community. In supported employment, employees make meaningful contributions to the workforce and participate in the workplace like their families and neighbours.
Why do businesses work with BuyAbility Social Enterprises?
Working with BuyAbility Social Enterprises provides opportunities for socially responsible procurement. There are around 150 BuyAbility Social Enterprises with around 450 locations across Australia offering an array of quality products and services.
How are BuyAbility Social Enterprises funded?
BuyAbility Social Enterprise registered NDIS providers and are no longer directly funded by governments for each employee at Social Enterprises. The amount of funding is determined by each employee’s support needs and requirements, which is then identified in the employee’s NDIS plan budget. The BuyAbility Social Enterprise then charges the employee a price for the provision of employment support and claims this from the employee’s NDIS plan funding.
How are employee wages calculated?
Currently, employees’ wages are calculated through the use of a wage assessment tool. These tools are identified in the Supported Employment Services (SES) Award. The Fair Work Commission has requested that a new wage framework be trialled for use in BuyAbility Social Enterprises. All existing wage assessment tools will be phased out and the new framework will replace them.
Most supported employees receive a Disability Support Pension (DSP) as well as their wage. Some employees may also receive additional benefits, such as subsidised travel and housing.
What’s the Future of Supported Employment?
By growing supported employment we can create more work opportunities for people with disability and save millions in taxpayer dollars. As the policy landscape develops, it is paramount that people with disability have the option of working in supported employment to expand their professional and social networks.
Where can I find a directory of organisations?
A full directory of organisations can be found on BuyAbility’s website here.
Alternatively, you can browse by activities here
