Register Directly with ORS
You don’t always need to wait for a referral to get started. Many people can register for Inclusive Employment Australia directly with ORS. As a specialist mental health provider, we support people whose main condition is a mental health condition, sometimes called psychosocial disability.
This page explains how Inclusive Employment Australia registration works at ORS: the different ways to register, who each one is for and what to bring. Not sure which one fits you? Call us and we’ll work it out together.
What is Direct Registration?
Usually, people are referred to Inclusive Employment Australia by Services Australia after an assessment. Direct registration means you contact us yourself, choose ORS as your provider, and we register you.
We’ll check you’re eligible and help you complete a Direct Registration Form. If you need an assessment, we’ll help arrange it, and you’ll come back to ORS once it’s done.
What Happens When You Register
Get in touch
Register online, call or email us, or visit your nearest ORS office. Tell us which pathway you think fits you.
Complete your registration
You’ll meet an ORS team member to complete the Direct Registration Form. You can bring a support person, if you need one.
Start your support
If you’re eligible, you can usually start straight away or at your next appointment. If you need an assessment first, we’ll help you book it and let you know what to expect.
Who Can Register Directly?
There are several ways to register directly. Choose the one that sounds most like you:
For every pathway
You usually need to be aged 14 or over and under Age Pension age, and be an Australian resident or eligible visa holder. You also can’t already be registered with another employment services provider. If you are, you can still change to ORS.
Already with another provider?
You can’t directly register if you’re already with another Inclusive Employment Australia provider. But you can change to ORS at any time, and you don’t need to give a reason. Contact us and we’ll help you make the change.
Uses your current assessment
If you already have an assessment
If you’ve had an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) or Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) that recommends Inclusive Employment Australia, or the old Disability Employment Services (DES) program, you can register with ORS. Your assessment needs to be current, and you can’t already have been referred to another provider.
What to bring
- Proof of identity (see the ID options below)
- Your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN), if you have one
No new assessment needed
If you're an NDIS participant
If you’re a current NDIS participant, you can register directly with ORS as long as you’ve had an Employment Services Assessment at some point in the past. It doesn’t matter when it was done or what it recommended. You won’t need a new assessment.
You don’t need to show us your NDIS plan itself. If you’d rather not tell us you’re an NDIS participant, that’s okay. You can still join using the general pathway, but you’ll need a current assessment.
Have employment funding in your NDIS plan, such as School Leaver Employment Supports or Finding and Keeping a Job? ORS is a registered NDIS provider too. Read more about our NDIS Employment Supports.
What to bring
- Proof of identity (see the ID options below)
- Your CRN, if you have one
- The cover letter of your current NDIS plan, or your NDIS “access met” letter
No new assessment needed
If you get the Disability Support Pension
If you currently get the Disability Support Pension (DSP), you can register directly with ORS as long as you’ve had an Employment Services Assessment before. Most people have one when they apply for the DSP. You won’t need a new assessment.
If you have participation requirements as part of your DSP, we’ll help you understand and meet them.
What to bring
- Proof of identity (see the ID options below)
- Your CRN
No assessment needed
If you're finishing school (Eligible School Leaver)
Young people with a disability that makes it much harder to find and keep work can register directly as an Eligible School Leaver. You won’t need an assessment. You may be eligible if you’re under 22 and one of these applies:
- You’re in your final year of secondary school (usually Year 12, but it can be earlier if you, your parent or guardian and your school agree)
- You’re doing an Australian School-based Apprenticeship that has been adjusted for your disability
- You’ve left NDIS-funded employment assistance, such as School Leaver Employment Supports, in the last 20 business days
- You’re in the last six months of an eligible state or territory school-to-work or transition program, or you’ve left one in the last 20 business days
If you’re in Year 11 and going on to Year 12, you can register from 1 December before your final year.
A parent or guardian can come with you and help complete the form. You can use the Eligible School Leaver pathway once. If you leave the program and want to come back later, you’ll need an assessment.
What to bring
- Proof of identity (see the ID options below)
- Evidence of your disability: a signed letter or email from your school principal (or their representative) confirming your disability and the extra support or funding you get at school, or a letter from Services Australia showing you get the DSP
- Evidence of where you’re at: proof it’s your final year of school, such as a letter from your school or your latest school report. If you’ve just finished an NDIS or state school-to-work program, bring a signed letter from that provider showing the dates you started and finished instead
No assessment needed
If you're working, but finding it hard to keep your job
If you have a job but your mental health is making it hard to do your work, we may be able to help you keep it. This is called Ongoing Support (Work Assist). You won’t need an assessment. You may be eligible if both of these apply:
- You’ve been in your job for at least 12 weeks in a row, or it’s expected to last at least 12 weeks
- Your condition makes it hard to do the main parts of your job
You can contact us yourself, or your employer can refer you with your permission. You decide whether your employer is told about your condition.
Work Assist isn’t available if the only help you need is equipment or workplace changes that the Employment Assistance Fund can cover, or if you’re already getting help from another employment service.
What to bring
- Proof of identity (see the ID options below)
- Recent medical evidence (usually from the last two years) that describes your condition, how long it’s expected to last and how it affects your work
- An Employer Form completed by your employer. If you’d rather not involve your employer, bring your payslips from the last 12 weeks and a signed statement about the difficulties you’re having at work instead
Other pathways
No assessment needed
Special Class Clients
If you acquired a disability, injury or illness because you were present at the October 2002 Bali bombings, the December 2004 Asian tsunami or the July 2005 London bombings, you can register directly without an assessment. Bring proof of identity, a statutory declaration saying you were there and a medical certificate from your GP.
By referral
People Leaving Prison
People in the last 12 months of their sentence, aged 15 or over and approved to do paid work, can start Inclusive Employment Australia before they’re released. This pathway is by referral from state or territory corrective services or youth justice services. Corrective services and youth justice staff can contact our team to set up referrals.
We can arrange an assessment
None of these fit me?
You can still contact us. If you don’t have a current assessment, we can register you and ask Services Australia to arrange one. If the assessment recommends Inclusive Employment Australia, you’ll be referred back to ORS to start.
To check your Inclusive Employment Australia eligibility, call us on 1800 677 432. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Proof of Identity
To register, we need to see proof of identity. Bring originals or certified copies of either option 1 or option 2.
Option 1
One of these
- A current passport
- A current driver’s licence
- Other photo ID from an Australian Government department or agency
Option 2
Two of these
- Bank documents showing your name and signature or address
- A birth certificate or extract
- An Australian citizenship certificate
- A Medicare card
- Vehicle registration papers with your current address
- Other ID showing your name, such as a statement from a community Elder for First Nations people
Where We Work
ORS delivers Inclusive Employment Australia from 15 locations across New South Wales, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria, including Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. To find disability employment support near you, see our locations page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it cost anything to register?
No. Inclusive Employment Australia is funded by the Australian Government and is free for people who take part.
Do I need a Centrelink payment to register?
No. You can register even if you don’t get a Centrelink payment. If you do get one, we’ll help you understand and meet any requirements that come with it.
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
No. You don’t need a doctor’s referral to register. For some pathways, such as Work Assist, we ask for recent medical evidence about your condition.
What if my main condition isn't a mental health condition?
ORS is a specialist mental health provider, so our service is for people whose main condition is a mental health condition. If that’s not you, you can still register with a different Inclusive Employment Australia provider, and we’ll help you find one.
Can a family member, carer or support worker help me register?
Yes. You can bring a support person with you, and a parent or legal guardian can sign the form for a young person. With your consent, NDIS support coordinators and other services can also contact us on your behalf.
How long does registration take?
Usually one appointment, if you bring everything you need. If you need an assessment, it can take a little longer.
Have a specific question? Submit an Enquiry
Ready to register?
Register online, call us or send us an email at IEA@orsgroup.com.au, whatever is easiest for you.
Let's start your journey
Helping job seekers find meaningful work and employers build inclusive teams across Australia.
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