Transcript Presentation title - Irish Congress of Trade Unions

Services for People
with Disabilities
Employment Supports
FÁS Services
All FÁS Services are open to People with Disabilities
and access is through our Employment Services
Gateway which provides a:
• Vocational Guidance Service or
• refers People with Disabilities to vocational
training either via Specialist Training Providers or
FÁS mainline training, as appropriate
In addition Employment Grants and Schemes are also
available for private sector employment.
Summary of Employment
Grants and Schemes
1. Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS)
2. Reasonable Accommodation Fund incorporating:
Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant (WEAG)
Job Interview Interpreter Grant (JIIGS)
Personal Reader Grant (PRGS)
Employee Retention Grant Scheme (ERGS)
3. Supported Employment Programme
4. Disability Awareness Training Support Scheme (DATS)
1
Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS)
 Financial incentive paid to private sector employers who employ
disabled people to work between 21 and 39 hours per week
 Subsidies are structured under 3 strands, employers can benefit under
one or all
 All employers except Public Service Employers
 Employers must comply with statutory requirements e.g. PRSI &
income tax
Strand I: Wage Subsidy Payment
 A subsidy for a productivity shortfall perceived to
be in excess of 20% when compared to a non
disabled peer
 The employee must work a minimum of 21 up to a
maximum of 39 hours per week
 The employer pays 100% of the gross wage as
advertised to the employee
 FÁS will subsidise the employer at a rate of €5.30
per hour
Strand II: Additional Management &
Supervisory Costs
A company employing more than two disabled
people can avail of a top-up grant to cover
additional supervisory, management & other
work based costs.
The top-up is a % of the wage subsidy only
based on the overall number of employees
3 to 6 disabled employees
7 to 11 disabled employees
12 to 16 disabled employees
17 to 22 disabled employees
23 + disabled employees
10% top-up
20% top-up
30% top-up
40% top-up
50% top-up
Strand III: Employment Assistance
Officer
Funding of €30,000 towards the salary
of an Employment Assistance Officer
(EAO) is available to companies who
employ 30 or more disabled employees
The EAO is to be employed in a
supportive role to assist the employees
with their needs in employment
2 Reasonable Accommodation Fund
incorporating:
•
•
•
•
Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant
Job Interview Interpreter Grant
Personal Reader Grant
Employee Retention Grant Scheme
2(a)
Workplace Equipment
Adaptation Grant (WEAG)
Its aim is to counter the additional costs of
adapting workplace premises or equipment
arising from the individual’s disability,
including those in self-employment
It should not be used to provide support
usually provided by employers or supports
required under legislation e.g. Health & Safety
General Principles WEAGs
Current limit towards the cost of
adaptations or equipment is up to €6,350
Applications in excess of €6,350 are
considered on an individual basis
Can be used to upgrade adaptive
equipment, which may have been funded
previously
It is treated as a grant
Part of the grant may be used for training
in the use of the grant-aided equipment
Types of eligible Employment/
Self-Employment (WEAGS)
Employment is
 full or part-time contracted employment
 permanent or temporary, for a min. 8 hrs
per week
Employment is not
 Voluntary work or sheltered employment,
where on-going state support is already
provided
2(b)
Job Interview Interpreter Grant (JIIG)
Payable to a person who is deaf, hard of
hearing or has a speech impairment, attending
a job interview or induction programme
 FÁS will pay a fee, as per the standard rate,
for a 3 hrs period.
 No limit to the number of times an individual
can avail of the grant
 Interpreters can be professionally qualified or a
family member
2(c)
Personal Reader Grant
Paid to blind or visually impaired people in work,
who need assistance with job related reading
Can apply if: In work and need help with job related reading
 Recently become visually impaired and are in
danger of losing their job
 Going back to an employer to do new or
different work
 Promotion prospects are restricted by reading
difficulties
A fee per hour is paid, for an agreed period, up to 640
hours per annum
2(d)
Employee Retention Grant
Scheme
Purpose is to assist employers to retain at work,
employees who acquire a disability through illness
or injury.
They can be offered re-training so they can
continue in their current role or undertake a new
role, using modified techniques
Two Stages
 Stage 1 Developing a Retention Strategy –
90% of costs to a max of €2,500.
 Stage 2 Implementing a Retention Strategy –
90% of costs to a max of €12,500
3 Supported Employment Programme
Open Labour Market Programme which provides
on-the-job support to a worker with a disability.
A job coach supports through 4 key areas:
helps jobseeker identify skills & interests
assists in finding suitable employment
analyses the job & plans for supports
assists the employee to develop the technical
& social skills required
Supported Employment
• Where an individual has gone through the process
and has reached employment offer, they are eligible
for the Wage Subsidy Scheme.
• The ultimate outcome of Supported Employment is
that the employee with a disability becomes
independent of Job coach Support.
Supported Employment (continued)
Candidates must be job-ready i.e. have the
training, education, motivation and ability to
pursue work/career
Must need the initial support of a Job Coach to
obtain & integrate into employment
Candidates cannot avail of other employment
supports while on the Supported Employment
Programme except the following two programmes
WEAG or WSS
4 Disability Awareness Training
Support Scheme (DATSS)
It is a grant towards the cost of Disability
Awareness training for employees
Grants of 90% of eligible training costs are
available to organisations for the first year,
80% eligible cost thereafter
A limit of €20,000 payable to an organisation
in any one calendar year
Further information can be obtained:
• At www.fas.ie
• For information on FÁS eCollege
Click http://ecollege.ie