Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Human Services has provided the following answer to the honourable

senator's question:

(1) The Human Services portfolio (the portfolio) employed 38,173 staff as at 31 March 2011.

(2) 1,426 staff who identify as having a disability.

(3) The recruitment policies of the portfolio are very much focussed on the need to ensure that people with disability are given every opportunity to apply for jobs within the portfolio, in particular:

(4) The following retention strategies are in place:

(5)   People with disabilities can access the following career pathway programs including:

(6) No workforce targets for people with disability are currently set for the portfolio. However, the portfolio is currently performing well in this regard with ongoing and non-ongoing staffing rate of 3.7% which is above the APS representation of 3.4%. Our disability staffing rate is also monitored on a monthly basis by the Secretary and CEOs through the Portfolio People Metrics Scorecard. The portfolio undertakes a range of strategies to promote and support recruitment and retention of people with disability. The portfolio executive also monitor the number of staff employed with disability through monthly workforce reports. This information is benchmarked across the portfolio and against the Australian Public Service.

(7)   The following policies, programs or services are in place to support staff with a disability: