This inquiry will be undertaken by the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee, Parliament of Australia.

The terms of reference relate to the Government's 2011-12 Budget announcement to undertake a competitive tender of the Disability Employment Services -Employment Support Services (ESS) program.

The committee will consider the administration of DES and the impact of the proposed tender process on service providers and clients.

ESS provides employment support services for persons with a permanent disability and with an assessed need for more long-term, regular support in the workplace.

Specifically, the committee will consider during the course of this inquiry:

The impact of the tendering process on all clients of disability employment services;

the impact on the staff of ESS service providers;

Whether a competitive tendering process is the optimum means of testing the market and facilitating competitive efficiencies;

Whether current assessment methods of ESS are compatible with meeting the stated objectives of the Disability Services Act 1986;

The design of the tender process; and

The relationship between the proposed tender process and implementation of the proposed changes to the to the disability support pension.

Submissions close 26 September 2011.

For more information, including the terms of reference and contact details, visit:

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/eet_ctte/disability_employment/in...