Life Without Barriers
Practical Design Fund
“Lived Experience - Recruitment
and Staff Selection”
Edward Birt, Area Manager, Southern NSW & ACT
Contents
• Background
• Research
• Training Package
• Meet and Greet Process
• Future work
• Questions
Background: PDF Objectives
•
•
•
•
•
(People want to participate in recruitment)
Consult and engage
Develop policy and procedures
Develop learning and development frameworks
Develop a training package and resources that
supports people with disability in the recruitment
and selection of their staff
• Pilot training package
• Make training package available on LWB website
www.lwb.org.au
Research
• Interviewed 22 people
(people with disability, family members, support staff)
• Asked them about
– effectiveness of existing methods for engaging
people with disability in recruitment and selection
– suggestions about the best way to engage
individuals with a disability in the recruitment of
staff.
“I don’t like all the writing.
It’s better to talk about it.”
Participant
Research
“It’s a good way to see
what people are like.”
“It reduces the number of
mistakes in the process.”
“Be on time.
That’s important.”
“We pick up on things you
guys miss.”
“It needs to be the way we
do things around here.”
Research Findings
•
Participation resulting in mutually beneficial positive outcomes
•
Clear policy position was needed
•
The practical, emotional and accessibility needs of individuals
must be addressed
•
Training and materials must be customised
•
Meaningful alternative to full interview process is required
•
Pictorial interview score sheets are useful
•
Role play exercises and simulations were difficult for some
•
Importance of adequate preparation to meaningful participation
Mutual Benefit
Person receiving (LWB) Service
 Effective selection / Choose
the right staff
 Feel valued and recognised
 Develop skills
 Relationships and community
 Vocational and leadership
opportunities
Service (LWB)
 Effective selection of staff
 Direct input to recruitment and
selection policies from end user
 Visibly promote respectful
relationships
 Relationships and community
 Vocational and leadership
opportunities
Training Package
1. Meet and Greet
2. Modified interview
process
3. Standard interview
process
Training
Training:
• open to anyone
• covers all aspects of
recruitment
• interactive, role plays
Training assessment:
• Understanding
• Duty of Care
• Identifies assistance
required in future
Meet and Greet Process
• An innovation which emerged from the research that
forms part of the interview process
• A brief natural conversation between
– Applicant
– Service user
– Support worker
“Sometimes interviews are
too long and complicated.”
Participant
Meet and Greet Process
• Customised scoring
sheets
Meet and Greet Process
• Scores are combined
Learning Framework
• Training and assessment
outcome recorded on
LWB CIRTS system
• Participants receive a
letter and volunteer
card to recognise their
training and eligibility to
participate in
recruitment and
selection
Future Work
Materials,
processes and
training
materials must
be customised
based on
individual
need
1. Alternative accessible formats
(DVD, Braille, audio)
2. Amended toolkits for non verbal
individuals
3. Training packages customised
for cultural needs (Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander, CALD)
4. Training packages for all aspects
of the recruitment and selection
process
Levels of Participation – You Decide
0
• No Participation
1
• Discussion of Needs
2
• Meet and Greet
3
• Modified Interview
4
• Standard Interview
5
• Full Recruitment process
Practical
Design
Fund
Questions
?
Thank You
www.lwb.org.au
www.disabilitycareaustralia.gov.au/peopledisability/practical-design-fund