Lunch & Learn – Navigating Relationships Across the Employment Journey

This interactive Lunch & Learn session introduces the Right Relationships resources, developed through extensive consultation with people with disability, families and employment providers.

It explores how providers can strengthen relationships with families while keeping the person with disability at the centre of decision-making throughout the employment journey. Practical tools and frameworks will be introduced that help build trust, improve communication, navigate differing perspectives, and create shared understanding from first contact through to ongoing employment support.

Rather than focusing on compliance or processes, this workshop explores the relational practices between providers and families that underpin sustainable, meaningful employment outcomes for people with disability.

During the session participants will:

• Explore the importance of relationships with families and why it matters in achieving successful employment outcomes.
• Gain insight/share into the experiences, expectations and perspectives of both families and providers.
• Learn practical strategies for building trust, transparency and shared understanding.
• Be introduced to the Employment Journey Roadmap and how it can be used as a communication and planning tool.
• Consider common points of tension across the employment journey and practical ways to navigate them.
• Discover resources that can be embedded into everyday practice to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes for people with disability

Duration: 45 minutes

Format: Online via Teams

Fee: Free

Register: Lunch & Learn – Navigating Relationships Across the Employment Journey

Access: Once you have registered, the Teams meeting link will be provided in your registration confirmation email.

This Lunch & Learn series is a collaboration between Disability Employment Australia (DEA) and the Centre for Inclusive Employment. Sessions are designed to provide evidence-based information and practical insights to support continuous improvement in practice and the quality of services for people with disability.

SPEAKER INFORMATION

Laura Abrahams & Katie Hodges, Capacity Development Coordinators, Family Advocacy

About Laura and Katie

Laura and Katie are Capacity Development Coordinators within Family Advocacy, an independent disability advocacy organisation.

Founded over 35 years ago, by families who wanted the same opportunities that most Australians enjoy, having access to equitable employment forms a strong focus of the work. Family Advocacy is also on the Advisory Committee for the Centre for Inclusive Employment (CIE), representing the interests of families in the Employment Reform.
Both Katie and Laura have been with the organisation, working closely with families for over six years, while also bringing many years of previous broader professional experience supporting people with disability.

Laura leads the Good Things of Life project, supporting people with disability and families to explore areas such as friendships, future planning, self directing supports and building a good life. She also leads the Right Relationships project, alongside NACBO collaboration partners for the CIE, supporting the development of more inclusive approaches to employment and relationships.

Katie leads the School to Work project, with NACBO consortium members, supporting students and people with disability and their families to pursue meaningful, paid employment within their local communities. She also works on the Supported Employment Advocacy project.

Both Katie and Laura have also been involved in the delivery of training and consultancy, where they work with services, organisations and professionals to build their knowledge, confidence and practice in supporting people with disability and, importantly, to challenge assumptions and shift thinking towards true, authentic inclusion.