Direct employment: by and for people with disabilities

When Peter Sember's elderly parents were unable to continue providing him with 24-hour support, he needed a system of supports that could work around his full-time job and busy social life.

'Until four years ago, all my support was provided by members of my family so I didn't need any external supports,' says Peter. 'When my mother passed away, my father, who is 88-years-old, was unable to provide me with the support I needed so I needed to create a system that would be responsive to my needs. Working full-time means I need personal support at 5am to get ready for work. Before I started Direct Employment, the earliest time I could get a worker was 6.30am or 7am. It just didn't work.'

While Peter says Direct Employment suits his lifestyle, he warns that a certain level of skill and coordination is required. 'Some of the basic things that need to be in place are worker insurance cover, public liability insurance and payroll,' says Peter. 'These were the biggest hurdles.'

'The skills I've acquired in my full-time job, such as computer skills and problem solving, are all used in Direct Employment. You have to be organised. It's almost like running a small business.'

Amanda Gunawardena: An Academic Support Worker

My name is Amanda Gunawardena and I am an Academic Support Worker at the University of Melbourne. I assist Direct Employers like Peter with computer based administrative tasks.

I am a keen supporter of direct employment as it offers me flexibility with type of work and working hours. I can adjust my work schedule according to the availability of other workers and also my personal commitments. This means that I can be there for work, and for my family when they need me. I also feel like it gives me a sense of dignity in my role of empowering people with disabilities.

As I help Peter perform administrative duties that are related to Direct Employment such as Taxation payments, it has also been a learning experience for me. I am now aware of many things that I didn't know before, such as the legal responsibilities of an employer. Peter's knowledge and my abilities combined together generally produces fast, efficient and improved results as can be noted in this article. Peter has a lot of intelligence and expertise in the field of his study, but his abilities to put his thoughts to words is restricted by his slow typing speed, poor speech and eyesight. However, when I am there to assist him, this means that he can get his thoughts on paper at 50 words per minute.

Therefore, Direct Employment offers flexibility, allowing people with disabilities to choose the support staff they like, and helps them lead their own lives and make decisions for themselves. Direct Employment is better suited to cater for individual needs and lifestyles: that is an important concern for people with disabilities. Hence it allows for a more personalised approach that is better suited for the individual support needs. As a person-centred approach, I believe Direct Employment is the key to our future.

Amanda's final words here in the above paragraph provides an excellent conclusion to this paper. In that regard she has indeed put into words exactly what I want to say about Direct Employment and the synergy that arises from such a positive arrangement.