Message from the Secretary
The Department of Premier and Cabinet’s Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2021–2025 provides the blueprint for how we will continue to be an employer of choice for people living with disability.
This is a robust and thoroughly researched plan that establishes our ambition to be a leader in the disability and inclusion space, in both the Victorian public sector and across the Victorian community more generally. This includes reaching — and hopefully exceeding — our 12% employment target for people with disability by 2025.
The plan also provides an opportunity to place disability and inclusion at the forefront of our approach to return to workplaces following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
Although the department had an ‘all roles flex’ approach prior to the pandemic, it was not widely used. What is now very clear is that people can work effectively from home or, in the future, a location closer to home like a VPS Hub. For many people with disability, reduced travel requirements or varying start and finish times can make a significant difference to their quality of life, as well as to their work productivity and efficiency.
While attending the office will remain a feature of DPC’s work requirements, we are more focused than ever on striking the right balance between the requirements of the job while supporting people to work flexibly. This shift in the underlying assumptions of how we work increases choice and control for all our staff in their professional lives.
It is incumbent upon us to continue to learn from this lived experience and develop a model of hybrid work that accommodates all staff. Indeed, a key cornerstone of this action plan is continued engagement with staff with disability. As Secretary, I am committed to working with all key stakeholders — including the DPC Enablers Network and VPS Enablers Network — to deliver the changes and the systems needed to build a truly diverse, capable and resilient workforce.
I encourage all DPC staff to read this plan and to reflect on the ways you can contribute to making this department a more inclusive, welcoming and supportive environment for all.
Jeremi Moule
Secretary, DPC
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