The focus of VRS is to assist the job seeker to understand, compensate for, or manage their injury and the resulting limitations or restrictions they may face. It helps the job seeker build work capacity and avoid re-injury. A jobseeker is referred to VRS after a comprehensive assessment from a Job Capacity Assessor (JCA) where all medical conditions have been disclosed, identified and proven. These jobseekers would normally not fit the usual mould of the Job Network or Disability employment Networks. Work capacity hours in VRS can vary from 8-22 hours per week.
Previously, the difficulty was where do these job seekers fit? They are not exempt from seeking work, they are activity tested and have to comply with appointments, and they do not qualify for Disability Support Pension, and are not readily available for numerous appointments with a Job Network service.
The difference in VRS compared to other services is the level of support given to each candidate.Although the VRS contract adheres to the Disability Services Act, it is a service that fits nicely between a Disability Employment Network provider and a Job Network Service. The level of support (due to the nature of the conditions in VRS) is more flexible towards jobseekers. With two consultants assessing both medical issues and employment needs with an intervention plan that at any stage could override their capacity to find or seek work, it gives the jobseeker not only support, but options, if life were to change.
