A special taskforce has been formed to guide and oversee the transition of Activ Foundation's supported employees.
In May, Activ Foundation announced its plans to close its large-scale industrial work sites in Western Australia, where more than 750 supported employees with disability currently work.
The Australian Government provided $7.8 million in funding to Activ Foundation, to give employees more time to make other arrangements.
The Transition Taskforce (Activ) will help to manage this process, with input from the Department of Communities' WA Office of Disability, the Australian Department of Social Services, the National Disability Insurance Agency, Activ Foundation, National Disability Services and other WA Disability Enterprises.
Importantly, the taskforce also includes family members of Activ Foundation employees who are part of the Activ Advocacy Action Team.
Activ Foundation is one of eight independently owned and operated Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) in WA, which provide training and supported employment opportunities to people with disability, including those with mental illness.
The McGowan Government is providing $4 million to the seven other local ADEs, to help them provide a range of alternative work opportunities for supported employees of Activ Foundation.
The Transition Taskforce will hold a workshop in the coming weeks which will provide an opportunity for people currently working at Activ and their families to get a sense of the other options available within the other local ADEs.
As stated by Disability Services Minister Don Punch:
"This has been an incredibly stressful time for supported employees of Activ.
"The taskforce will work together and with affected employees to identify alternative options. These options may include supported employment at another Australian Disability Enterprise, open employment, and for some, alternative opportunities to remain connected to friends and social groups may be the priority as they near retirement age.
"Importantly, people with disability need choice and control over what happens to them during this process.
"One of the main aims of the Transition Taskforce will be to ensure a strong voice for people with disability as the Activ Foundation transition progresses."
